Should I Use WordPress for My Business?

Introduction: Should I Use WordPress for My Business Website?

If you’re starting a business, it is likely that you plan to have a website for it. So, you may be wondering: Should I use WordPress for my business website? Is it the right choice for me? 

While WordPress is a popular content management system that enables you to create a website with ease, it’s important to consider whether it is the right platform for your business. This article will first detail the benefits of a business website and differentiate between WordPress and other platforms. Then, we will provide an overview of WordPress and its features, as well as some pros and cons to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your business.

The Benefits of Having a Website

So, you’re starting a business. Why should you consider investing in a website for your business? Well, a business website is an essential tool for any company in the modern world. By creating a website, businesses can reach a larger audience and promote their products or services more effectively. A website can also help to build trust with potential customers and partners, and it can provide valuable information about your company.

There are many benefits to having a business website, but some of the most important ones include the following:

1. Expanded reach: A website can help your business grow by increasing your customer base. You can market your site to attract new customers and increase sales.
2. Increased control: A website gives you more control over how your business is viewed by customers, partners, and potential investors. This can help you build trust and drive more sales.
3. Increased visibility: A website gives your business a platform to showcase what you do and what you have to offer. This can help you attract new customers and grow your business.
4. Improved communication: A website provides a way for you to communicate with your customers and partners more effectively. You can use your site to share news, updates, and helpful information about your company.

Having established that a website is very beneficial for your business, we now turn to the different platforms where you can host your website.

WordPress vs Traditional Websites

You may have heard of WordPress given its popularity and wonder, “should I use WordPress for my business website?” Well, it depends. First, let’s review what makes WordPress different from traditional websites.

As mentioned, WordPress is one of the most popular site-building and content management systems available, powering over a third of all websites on the internet. WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that enables users to create and manage a website or blog without needing to write any code. Essentially, it is easy to customize for the everyday business owner.

Moreover, for businesses, cost is the typically the most important factor. WordPress is a free and open-source content management system, while traditional websites can be costly to build, update, and maintain. This is because traditional websites are generally built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. So, WordPress is also easy to use, even for those without technical skills.

Another key difference is that WordPress websites are highly customizable, while traditional websites are more limited in terms of design and functionality. This means that businesses can really make their WordPress website their own, and stand out from the crowd.

In sum, WordPress sites are usually easier to update and maintain than traditional websites, since they don’t require any coding knowledge. They’re also generally more flexible in terms of design and functionality. So, who should use WordPress for their business website?

Should I Use WordPress for my Business Website: Who Should Avoid Using WordPress

While WordPress is an excellent choice for powering a business website, you should still consider whether it is the right platform for you. In general, super small businesses should stick to easier and affordable platforms like Squarespace. Of course, you can still use WordPress – just with themes built out of the box. This means you likely wouldn’t contract a web developer, but instead choose a theme and customize it as you please. Something from themeforest would likely suit your needs. 

However, with either Squarespace or WordPress themes that are built out of the box, it is likely the site will not be perfect. It may have some minor bugs or design issues, especially with the mobile version. Nonetheless, WordPress themes built out of the box remain a suitable option for very small businesses. Squarespace is also a great contender. 

Should I Use WordPress for my Business Website: Who Should Use WordPress

So who should use WordPress for their business website? Small businesses with some budget towards their website should consider using WordPress. It makes sense to get a developer involved when you have a budget of around 3-5k to create your website as well as $100/mth to maintain your website. You will end up with a custom solution that fits your exact business’s needs. If you have a more specific need, customizations, or have a large volume of pages, then definitely expect and plan for a higher budget. In any case, WordPress is great at content management as it allows you to manage all your pages, create custom solutions, and make regular edits.

The Pros of WordPress

If you still are wondering, “should I use WordPress for my business website,” then consider the following benefits. 

1. WordPress is easy to use and learn, even for beginners. It has a simple dashboard with the menu options in the sidebar. It is easy to create different pages and posts, customize the website design, and more! If you do find yourself confused, there are plenty of free resources and tutorials online. 
2. WordPress is a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes. Even though the WordPress software itself is free, you still need to purchase a domain name and web hosting. A domain name is the address of the website (e.g., jonjones.me is my domain name), while a web hosting is where all your website files are stored. Luckily, you can find affordable hosting and domain options.
3. WordPress is versatile and can be used for a wide variety of websites, from simple blogs to complex eCommerce stores. No matter what type of website you need, WordPress can likely handle it.
4. You can even add custom functionality to your website with plugins. Plugins are essentially apps for your website. For example, you could have a contact form plugin so your website visitors can contact you!
5. WordPress websites are SEO-friendly, which can help you reach more customers and grow your business online. This means that the content of your website is optimized for search engines, so when someone Googles something relevant to the topic of your website, your website is likely to come up as one of the first results.

The Cons of WordPress

While WordPress is a popular choice for businesses, there are some cons to using WordPress for business websites.

One con is that WordPress can be slow and resource-intensive. If your website is not properly optimized, it can load slowly, which will frustrate visitors and hurt your search engine ranking. However, if you keep things simple and keep your plugins simple, then this won’t be a problem. Additionally, if you hire a developer, they’ll sort these things out for you.

Another con is that WordPress can be hacked more easily than other platforms because it’s so widely used. If your website is hacked, it could damage your reputation and cost you a lot of money to fix the problem. Although security is always a concern, you should be fine as long as your password isn’t admin12345 or something easy and you have a security plugin installed like Wordfence. Other things you can do is change the login url, IP blocking, etc. Security is mostly about deterrence. So once again, this is an easy fix.

Conclusion: Should I Use WordPress for My Business Website?

In conclusion, WordPress is a great platform for businesses of all sizes. It is user-friendly, has a wide range of plugins and themes, and is affordable. Of course, if you are a very small business, then consider Squarespace or simply choosing a pre-built theme for your WordPress website. Moreover, if you are a larger business, then consider contracting a web developer so that they customize your website exactly as you desire. All in all, if you have a business, then you should definitely consider having a business website with WordPress!