Why You Shouldn’t Use WordPress

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Too many WordPress websites have been compromised unnecessarily.

Have you tried do-it-yourself website builders? Or maybe you’ve gone to your cousin’s nephew who’s really awesome at building websites on WordPress? Did it backfire? Or are you currently considering WordPress as an option for your new website?

WordPress is a free source for creating websites and it is used for more than 50 million websites worldwide. While many people love that it is seemingly easy to use, offers different professional looking layouts, and is free, there are several downsides to this website building giant that you can fall victim to if you aren’t familiar with how the web works.

1. Plugins

WordPress offers plugins into their content management system to increase functionality. That might be an accordion list or a gallery. While it might seem like an awesome option to make your website look better and more personalized, there are risks you are taking with each plugin you install.

Each plugin is created by some random Joe, which means that if the plugin crashes there aren’t many (if any) support options to help you get your website functioning properly again. Also, since plugins are created by different people there is no guarantee they will work together. One might work beautifully on your site, but adding another might cause chaos to ensue.

2. Software Updates

WordPress has regular software updates to keep its platform functioning properly for its users. These generally need to be done often, sometimes every single month. The trouble with these updates is they can cause issues with the theme that you’re using on your site or break your plugins because the plugins are no longer compatible with the new updates. Is it really worth it?

3. SEO

Achieving search engine optimization isn’t impossible with a WordPress site, it is just more difficult – especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. There are lots of plugins that can be added to help with SEO, but there are dangers associated with plugins, so if you aren’t picky you may end up with a bigger problem on your hands. Many factors play into ranking well in the search engines, and if you aren’t aware of all of them when building your website, you might choose a theme or plugin that actually works against you.

4. Unlimited Login

The default setting for a WordPress website is to allow an unlimited number of login attempts. This is dangerous for security because a nasty little bug can latch itself onto your site and force its way in your page after enough tries. Even if it isn’t able to force its way in it can still overload your server from the force of the attack. 

5. Malware

WordPress isn’t susceptible to all malware on the internet, but they have been known to have security vulnerabilities with their platform:

• Backdoors. The backdoor method is when a hacker gains access to your account through abnormal methods such as FTP, DFTP, WP-ADMIN. This attack usually happens because you have outdated software or a hole in your security.
• Drive-by downloads. A drive-by download is similar to a drive-by shooting. The hacker comes by and downloads a payload to your server telling you that your website has been infected and that you need to install their anti-virus product.
• Pharma hacks. Pharma hacks take your site and make you become a distributor of SPAM trying to send people to a store that is controlled by the hacker to generate revenue.
• Malicious redirects. A malicious redirect will redirect anyone that is trying to get your website to a malicious website, such as a pornography site. People may think they are clicking into your crochet stuffed animals page when what they end up on is a website with explicit content. 

6. Easy Target

While it is nice to have the option of creating your own website, it can also be dangerous if you don’t know all of the precautions to take. Lots of people use WordPress to create their website, which means that all of those people have very similar looking websites from the front and back end. If a bug is able to find a security flaw on one site, chances are the same flaw exists on hundreds of other sites, now making them all vulnerable targets.

7. Compatibility

WordPress puts forth its best effort, but it has been known for having a hard time smoothly switching displays across different internet providers, windows sizes, and devices. It might make the switch on most devices, but every once in a while someone on your site will encounter a display that it doesn’t understand or have the capability to work with.

8. Themes

Many people love WordPress because it offers an easy way to make a website, for a person who doesn’t know much about web development. The only problem is that if you aren’t careful you’ll find yourself with a website that looks identical to everyone else. Instead of looking professional your business might look like a tacky copycat.  

We’re not telling you not to use WordPress, we’re just giving you several of the reasons why we won’t. If you do plan to use WordPress for your website, we urge you to make sure that you are taking every precaution you can to keep your website backed up and secure. Do your research and stay up to date with the latest WordPress experts. 

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