Chris WiegmanSo it doesn’t take much to realize this site runs on WordPress. But why is that? Why did I pick WordPress to build Bit51 and why should you pick WordPress to build your site? Here are the top 5 reasons for running any new site on WordPress.
1.) It’s Easy To Learn
While other content management systems may have more options in terms of content organization and other factors, there is something to be said for ease of use and in that arena WordPress is king.
I’ve set up a lot of sites for a lot of people over the years and without exception the learning curve for WordPress is lower than that of anything else. For example, in both my current and previous day-jobs I’ve used Drupal, WordPress, MediaWiki, Joomla, and others. Of all those WordPress is the only one that my non-techie users were able to pick up quickly and use on their own after only a bare minimum of instruction. In addition, when the time comes to update content, WordPress is the only system I don’t have to provide retraining for as folks are able to get back into it easier than any of the other systems in use.
2.) It’s Expandable
Sure, all content management systems are expandable in some sense, but none of them have the plugin and theme base that WordPress users enjoy. I can add a new feature to WordPress in seconds whereas with Drupal or anything else I can spend some time search for an add-on (assuming it’s available at all) and then I have to bug-test it, learn it, and more. On some sites I just don’t have that kind of time.
3.) It’s [Relatively] Secure
While it is true that WordPress sites do get hacked, it takes relatively less effort to keep your WordPress site secure than it does to keep other content management systems secure. There are 2 reasons for this. First, the 1-click updates in WordPress make it easier to get the latest security updates than it is in any other CMS. Second, there are some serious security plug-ins available for WordPress that can lock it down tight. Drupal and the others have some solutions, but none of them compare to the options available to WordPress users.
4.) It’s Free
Well, it can be free anyway. Like Drupal and other systems WordPress can be downloaded for free and installed by you anywhere you want. Unlike the others however WordPress also has a free hosted solution, WordPress.com, that can get a new blog up and running for absolutely no investment other than your time. This opens the product up to so many more folks and helps keep the development of WordPress more cutting-edge than that of it’s competition who’s user base will never hit that of WordPress.
5.) The Community
Probably the best part of using WordPress and, in my case, developing for WordPress, is the community. Whether you want a new feature, help doing something on a current site, or just need ideas there is someone to help. In addition, and in the spirit of free and open source software, much of the help you can find is available free of charge. This is truly WordPress’ greatest strength and is, in my opinion, the most important reason that your new site should be on WordPress.
What do you think? Why do you use WordPress? Talk about it in the comments below.