Unicorns Mermaids Werewolves Bigfoot. The Loch Ness Monster. What do all these things have in common? These are all mythical creatures once believed to exist in folklore, but have today been classified as pseudoscience. Sometimes perceptions persist even if they aren't true, but that doesn't mean we're stuck with them. Take WordPress, what used to be a blogging platform now controls over 28% of the web. Everything from personal blogs to corporate websites can be created using the CMS. WordPress is no longer a hobbyist tool, but some still perceive it as "this blogging platform." Is WordPress really just a toy for bloggers? We are going to debunk this and some of the biggest myths in WordPress today.
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(Image credit: Image credit: StockSnap / Pixabay)
1. WordPress is just a toy for bloggers
If you put WordPress on a spectrum between a toy and a tool, the fact remains that WordPress is both. While WordPress was a toy for bloggers (and can still be used this way technically), it has also evolved and is equipped for business. WordPress is the most popular CMS on the planet, making huge strides over competitors Drupal and Joomla, which only provide 2.9 and 1.73% of the market share, respectively. Also, as noted above, WordPress now powers over a quarter of the web, or 28% of all websites (and growing). There are plenty of bloggers who use the ".com" version of WordPress for its free hosting and internal security features. However, those looking to take a more robust approach use the ".org" version as a platform to build just about anything they want... blogs, apps, stores, etc. Here are some notable brands that use WordPress to strengthen their online presence: TechCrunch, Beyoncé, MTV News, Walt Disney, etc. These brands not only use WordPress as it is cost effective compared to other solutions like Adobe, but also offers enough flexibility on the front end, with powerful open source functionality. The open source nature of WordPress means that anyone can download the software, theme or plugin and modify the code as they wish. It is not a closed solution.
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(Image credit: StockSnap / Pixabay)
2. Not good for e-commerce.
If you're looking to sell tangible or digital goods or services online, WordPress is a great choice for an online store. The most popular solution is WooCommerce, which currently powers 41% of all eCommerce stores. WooCommerce is a super easy solution to use, even without much technical knowledge. However, there is a common misconception that WooCommerce cannot evolve. Without investing in hosting, you could experience traffic scaling issues. WP Engine solves many of these problems with its dedicated eCommerce plan for WooCommerce customers. However, you are not limited to WooCommerce on WordPress. There are many integrations for other solutions, like Shopify for example, which has created a plugin to integrate WordPress and Shopify. With the Shopify eCommerce plugin, you can make any WordPress page or blog shoppable, adding eCommerce functionality to your WordPress site. Other WordPress eCommerce solutions include BigCommerce, Volusion, and Magento.
3. WordPress is not scalable
Because WordPress is an open source platform that is also free, the issue of scalability is always a concern. Will your site be able to handle a sudden increase in traffic? If you create the right environment, you can certainly create a scalable WordPress site capable of handling any amount of traffic. Some of the main ways to properly scale a WordPress site are creating a suitable and sustainable development environment, efficient horizontal scaling, caching, and query performance. On the design side, WordPress can be used as a simple blog site using an integrated theme or can be scaled to have a complex and sophisticated design structure using complex tools.
4. No support
Since no one has WordPress and it's free for everyone, there should be no one to help you, right? Fake. WordPress has a very active community of developers, designers, content producers, marketers, support representatives, and more. WordPress offers community-based support forums for learning, sharing, and troubleshooting. Additionally, a wealth of resources from numerous blogs and companies associated with the WordPress platform continually provide educational content for maintaining a top-notch WordPress site. There are also CDN options that involve routing your site through reverse proxy and caching at this level. Downloading content through this type of CDN can be useful for sites with high traffic. They also allow for custom configuration of page and file caching if you want a more granular approach to caching. By using this type of CDN, you offload a lot of processing from the server for caching.
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5. Not secure or more likely to be hacked
There is absolutely no evidence that WordPress is any less secure than any other CMS site. The truth is that all sites are vulnerable to security breaches, including WordPress. Due to its volume on the Web (around 28%), it attracts attacks. But WordPress is not a new platform. During its decade-long evolution, WordPress has released a number of informative security tutorials, as well as trusted security plugins. And as WordPress continues to grow and mature, security plugins only get more advanced, resulting in a decline in unlocked hacks. Each new update brings more stringent security measures and features. However, the real security of a WordPress site comes from the user's ability to regularly update themes, plugins and plugins and to maintain backups. Users also need to create complex passwords and change them frequently. Nearly 80% of real security threats and infections are due to a vulnerability caused by outdated software vulnerabilities/passwords. A digital experience platform like the one offered by WP Engine is guaranteed to ensure indestructible security for your WordPress site.
6. Your future is uncertain.
It is a popular misconception generally shared by people who are not familiar with how open source software works and the power of the community. Thanks to its popularity on the web, its developer was able to build a successful business around WordPress called Automattic. Before you raise your eyebrows, keep in mind that the WordPress software itself is developed outside of the company by the nonprofit WordPress Foundation.
7. Most of its plugins are useless.
WordPress has an extensive plugin infrastructure that hosts over 56,000 plugins, free and paid. It is natural to assume that some would not be as useful as others, and some might even be completely useless. This is why you should check plugin reviews before installing them. It's also wise to stick to plugins with the highest downloads and highest ratings.
8. All WordPress websites look the same
Just because all WordPress installations are identical out of the box doesn't mean they'll look the same when they're finally online. WordPress uses themes to control the look and feel of any WordPress-powered website, and just like plugins, there are thousands to choose from, including free and paid ones. In fact, there are several WordPress theme developers who will be happy to customize your theme to your needs at a reasonable price.