WordPress, that is.

If you are online in any capacity, chances are you’ve at least heard of WordPress. It’s a development language that is used to create websites and blogs. It’s open source, and it’s generally affordable. But just like everything, it has its pros and cons.

Availability

WordPress is not hard to find. Just about any developer can work with it...even if it’s not their primary development language. You can even build a WordPress site on your own, and many do. But while building your own website may seem appealing, the resulting website may not be able to say the same. Creating a website can be overwhelming, so whether you decide to start the process yourself before seeking assistance or you opt to work with a developer from the beginning, those resources shouldn’t be hard to find. Which also comes in handy if you already have a WordPress site but need some help with it.

Open Source

What does this mean exactly? Well, when a development language is classified as open source, it basically means that enhancements and improvements can be created and contributed by developers everywhere. Someone may find themselves with a need, design a solution to it, and then decide to share it with the rest of the WordPress community. This saves someone else from having to come up with a solution to the same problem. They just search to see if something (specifically a plugin, see below) already exists, download it, install it, and wa-la! Problem solved. The confusion arises when there are several solutions for the same issue. Which one is best? Which will work for you? You might end up installing an enhancement only to find it doesn’t do what you thought it would. A developer with experience can help pinpoint the solution that will be best for you.

Plugins

What are these? Think of them as additions to your core website. Need a tool to help you create tables easily on your pages? Search for a plugin. Want to be able to display a real-time stock ticker? Search for a plugin. Want to integrate with an ecommerce partner? Plugin. Just about anything you can imagine can be achieved with a plugin. This saves time if you hit the mark with the first one you try, but can be a real pain if you have several misses along the way. (See above re: how a developer with experience can help with this.)

Affordability

If it fits your needs, WordPress is definitely more affordable than custom development. It can be a viable solution for smaller companies, or even bigger companies that don’t need a supersized, complex website. After all, it doesn’t need to be written from scratch. It has solutions to new problems available almost every day, often for little to no cost. And it’s readily available. Of course, not every problem can be solved with a plugin. Plus, because it is a language meant to be universally appealing, there are a lot of features you will never use but will still have to wade through because they are part of the package. It can be confusing. Which is why working with a developer can help you streamline the tools you need so that you end up with a site that functions the way you need it to function.

Turnaround

It makes sense that if you are not creating something from scratch (custom development), you are not only going to see cost-savings but time-savings as well. The time to create a WordPress site is generally weeks vs. months, so if time is of the essence, WordPress might be a good fit for you.

Is WordPress right for you? Let us help you figure that out and you’ll be on your way to a fresh site in no time.