WordPress (WP) in the world of web designing is like chocolate to us humans, we can live without it but having it brings euphoria and it becomes addictive. WP is the king [or queen] of the industry and has over 60% of the market share in the Content Management System (CMS) sector, powering 14.7% of the top websites in the world with 500+ WP websites built every day… I know, right?
So, why is it I prefer using WordPress over everything else? Over the years I’ve used a variety of CMS systems from Wix to Ionos. Control Management Systems are basically setups allowing slightly easier use of designing, implementing and maintaining a website with no specialised knowledge required. This doesn’t mean us web designers are having an easier ride, not at all. It is a skill to have the knowledge we have with years of learning and patience as well as creativity to start a website build and maintain it also.
WordPress allows everything us designers require from widgets to custom CSS code, and from thousands of plugins to creating our own unique templates. Why use WordPress in my opinion? Here’s a few reasons:
I particularly adore how professional your website can look from the hundreds of features available in WP. And yes, I know it all depends on the web designer and their own creative mind and style (mine being a very professional, attention to detail one) but when I preview changes and designs I’ve made, there’s that little satisfaction and enjoyment I get seeing the site in a pre-live view. You’re able to test the links you’ve created and any animation etc in all its glory.
Blogging is always necessary to a web designer like myself, and WP’s focus on it is brilliant. Create a post from the dashboard, and it’s updated on your created blog page on your website and the tinkering of colours and sizes etc is the fun part to make it blend in with your chosen theme.
Obviously there are drawbacks, everything in the world has downfalls (please don’t prove me wrong, as I probably am). Despite myself ‘bigging up’ WP, there are niggles that can’t usually be helped but can be time-consuming, such as frequent plugin and theme updates. Now if you’ve seen on my Website Hosting & Maintenance page on my website, you’ll see I have a great service offered in which I take care of updates and more for your website so you don’t have to. Now if you were to ignore these, errors and glitches occur and possibly downtime, so it’s essential to stay on top of them! Another drawback is slow page speed. With so many themes, widgets and plugins in use, your website may feel like it’s dragging through sand and taking its time. There are plenty of resolutions to speed up your website, it’s just knowing how (that’s where designers like myself come in, so not to worry).
In conclusion, WordPress cannot be recommended enough in my eyes, especially after the experience I’ve gained with it. If you’re after a more simpler approach to building a website (CMS style) then go for website building systems such as Wix but be aware that you’re more limited to what you can do compared to having a completely open ‘playground’, and the last thing you want is to hold back your creativity and design. Otherwise, WordPress is the tool for you (and me for sure), it will continue to expand my mind and design elegant, professional, eye-catching and brilliant websites. That is why I’m exclusive to WP.
