Platform 101 : Is WordPress Right for You?
June 15, 2013
Fact: If you have a business, you need a website. Its technological world my friends, and if you want to stay in the game, having an online presence is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. And while the visual design may seem like the first step, in actuality, you’re first going to want to spend some time on finding a platform that’s right for you.
When it comes to platforms, all are definitely not created equal. WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Shopify…with options becoming endless and often times sounding like a character from Star Wars, it’s hard to know which one will actually suit your needs. You should first decide what the purpose of your site is (selling products, information, etc.) and what course of action to you want from it (purchase, comment, contact, etc.). Once you decide what the end goal is for your visitor, you can then decide what platform will give you the greatest flexibility for your needs. So where to start? SEOhaus is here to help. We’ll go through each of the major platforms and discuss how they may (or may not be right for you).
Let’s begin one of the most common platforms and a SEOhaus favorite: WordPress. What started as a go to for bloggers in 2003, has turned into a full blown CMS (content management system) platform that allows it’s users to create customized template websites. Still a top choice for bloggers, it is also ideal for any content driven site. For this reason, it’s a SEO dream. It is designed to make changes a breeze (the main intention being to add new content easily) and allows for every post be optimized fully for maximum search ability.
There are some things to keep in mind when deciding to choose WordPress. The main this is that is it an open source platform, meaning the code is left open to allow developers and designers to easily add personal touches to any template or design. While this is great in terms of having to ability to make the site your own as well as expanding in the future, it does come with some downfalls. Open source means anyone can easily change the code..ANYONE. This makes it a dream for hackers and makes website maintenance a must. Strong passwords are key as well as making updates as soon as their available.
The other thing to keep in mind is that just because you can make changes, doesn’t mean you should. With a variety of plug-ins available, it’s easy to add features without having a background in programming. But proceed with caution. Custom is great, fresh content is fantastic, but also don’t want a site that looks indecisive. On the flip side, if you are looking for a straightforward HTML website, aka little changes after the initial design, WordPress might not be an ideal platform for you, as it does require some time to really make the most of the advantages it offers.
WordPress Breakdown
Ideal user: Bloggers, anyone looking for a user friendly customized website
Pros : SEO friendly, Open Source (custom friendly)
Cons : Open Source ( hacker friendly), maintenance required