I’ve been a huge user, designer, developer and advocate for WordPress since its early days, starting around 2006. What began as an open-source blogging platform became a dynamic website content management system.
Since WordPress powers over 40% of the world’s websites, it’s no wonder that a large ecosystem is built around it with many different approaches.
The system is developed by various contributors and updated and improved over time to optimize and include new features. Part of its success has been due to the capability of creators to make themes and plugins that extend the functionality of what is possible with the platform.
With many website builder options available today, it’s good to understand what they offer and how they measure up in comparison.
Positives
You don’t need to be a programmer to use WordPress. You only need to install a theme you like; many free ones are available. Or you can buy a premium theme and modify it from there.
Since it is open-source, anyone can create a custom website with it. This gives you a broad scope of what you can do and endless changes you can make.
In my mind, the main benefit of it as a system is you are not locked into a closed product that may or may not have the features you need. This establishes flexibility and ownership.
As a publishing platform alone for creating content and timely articles, it can help significantly to promote your business.
Finding help is relatively easy since so many providers focus on it.
Negatives
The main criticisms of the system are that it can be bloated, there are security concerns, and it can be a pain in the butt to maintain.
Those are all valid points; as with any system, it will not be perfect. However, you can mitigate these areas by addressing them with best-practice implementation and understanding how to handle and manage shortcomings.
How the HTML code is output and optimized with scripts, such as the amount of Javascript and modules you use, can affect overall performance.
Some may consider MySQL and PHP an archaic legacy system, which it technically is. However, they are solid frameworks that work without using anything overly fancy and are still supported and improved on.
My approach
I typically build websites using Elementor, which provides a plugin that acts as a layer on top of WordPress to manage all areas of your website visually. Whether setting up an infrastructure or editing a landing page, almost every facet is updatable.
There is some configuration involved. But once you have a format to follow, it’s a workflow worth considering. This makes adding and adjusting content a seamless experience without wondering what the result will be – there is no disconnect.
I always aim to use as little plugins as possible.
And, of course, creating a website with optimization and SEO is top of mind. I believe you can have both function and form.
Your website design should be attractive while also doing its job, whether presenting information or leading someone to take action and occasionally utilizing ACF for custom fields as needed.
This is not the only or necessarily the best approach, but it has worked well for me and is an effective way to build websites.
Web Hosting
Managed WordPress hosting is the best option out there.
Several companies offer competitive options that allow anyone to get up and running for a reasonable fee. The argument against this is using a service that provides everything under one roof and that’s a fair jab.
Nobody wants to overcomplicate how they get from A to B, especially if there is a more attractive option at a better price point.
It’s essential to running your website and should not be based *only* on price. Not all web hosts offer the same level of support or service.
Maintenance
There are a few main areas when looking at maintaining your WordPress website:
- WordPress Updates
- Theme Updates
- Plugin Updates
- Server
When you launch a website, it doesn’t necessarily perform flawlessly for many years after the fact. It does require some attention and upkeep.
Depending on your setup, it could be a reasonably straightforward situation where you periodically make a few updates and adjustments to keep things working well.
Or you may eventually need to rebuild the entire website to stay current. Two to three years in website time is equivalent to a decade in standard time. Is that kind of like dog years?
You’d be surprised how many don’t understand or appreciate this fact.
We often take for granted the applications and tools we use today that feel effortless, yet there are always many systems and support keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes.
Daily backups are great; most managed web hosting providers will offer this service.
For security reasons, the nature of open source is a double-edged sword. It’s excellent for builders to create, but vulnerabilities can occur, so you want to stay on top of patching your website to the latest version as a safety measure.
It’s best to have a plan to handle the reality of maintenance. Whether that’s a monthly agreement with a company or a savvy IT team that can assist, it’s always necessary to take care of. Some of this can be automated, and some will require troubleshooting should any issues arise.
You can’t simply launch a website and forget about it. It’s a dynamic system with a few moving parts that must be maintained to ensure all is well.
The future of WordPress
We increasingly see the word “headless,” where becoming reliant on WordPress for every aspect may be less of a concern.
Several solutions include employing front-end tech like Next.JS or React.JS to generate static pages for faster-loading websites.
How we build our websites to make them better and faster is essential.
I feel strongly that WordPress will be around for some time and, like many other platforms and companies, will adapt and grow with the times.
Today, we have seen the enhancements / benefits of AI and how it might be integrated more seamlessly into daily technology.
WordPress can be a very effective system for your website when used, configured, maintained, and supported correctly.
It’s not going anywhere anytime soon, so let’s make the most of it.
