Here’s When You Should (And Shouldn’t) Use WordPress for Your Small Business’s Website
WordPress has become legendary in the world of web design, and has completely changed the way people approach it these days. Never has a platform been so easy to start on, and so versatile. Today, it is estimated that around 20% of all self-hosted websites in the world today run on WordPress. That is pretty impressive. And for many business owners, WordPress is really all they need to build a web presence. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect, however, and for some, WordPress might not be the best choice for them for a variety of reasons. Let’s take a look at when you should and shouldn’t be using WordPress for your small business.
If You Have a Lightweight Website
If you have a lightweight website that doesn’t gather too much customer information, then using a WordPress site is fine. This can be the case if you’re an artist of any sort and need a site to show your portfolio for instance. In this case, WordPress would be perfect.
But, if you have an elaborate eCommerce site that collects payment information, and with a large database, there are some better options out there. The reality is that a lot of websites that get hacked every year are WordPress websites, but in this case, its popularity can be to blame. While the platform itself is rather secure, once a vulnerability is found, it can be used on all WordPress websites. However, this can be remedied by making sure that you have the latest version and that all your plugins are up to date.
You Know Nothing About SEO
WordPress can be a good option if you have a limited understanding of SEO. If you have no idea what a meta tag or a meta description is, then WordPress has plenty of plug-ins that will allow you to optimize your pages at the basic level.
However, know that it won’t do all the work for you, and you might end up making mistakes that are ruining your SEO without knowing it. So, don’t assume you won’t need any outside help for your site’s SEO.
We strongly suggest that you work with an SEO agency like Bond Media who will be able to give you a full audit of your WordPress websites and show you what you’re doing wrong. They also do web design and are familiar with a variety of platforms, so they could also recommend a better option depending on your website.
You Don’t Have an IT Team
If you’re going to do most of the maintenance yourself, then WordPress is a good option. The platform is very intuitive, and making adjustments can be done even if you have limited programming knowledge. However, you should at least learn how to run a security audit yourself, as it can be easy for something to slip through the cracks if you forgot to perform a critical update.
WordPress, while being a great platform, is still far from perfect. If you’re new and just need something that will allow you to have a web presence fast, then this could be a great choice. However, know that there are other options out there, and speak with a team that will be able to show you the benefits and disadvantages of each.