Why Use WordPress in 2024?

A while back, I was talking to the director of an agency who mentioned still using WordPress, prioritizing it over technologies like React, Laravel, or Node, and other contemporary frameworks. I wanted to understand her perspective a bit more, which led me to research the usage of this CMS, still one of the most widely used in the world even though it's often overlooked by web development purists. Despite the emergence of several modern technologies and frameworks, here, I'll explain why people still use WordPress in 2024.

1. Ease of Use

WordPress's ease of use is widely recognized. Its administrative interface is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing anyone, even without technical or programming skills, to efficiently design and manage a website. Thanks to its easy setup, WYSIWYG content editor, integrated media management, and a wide selection of themes for managing site appearance, many of which are free, along with extensions to integrate features such as forms, it's easy to customize and adapt the site to specific needs without requiring coding skills. Additionally, comprehensive documentation and an active community provide valuable assistance to users, making WordPress a preferred choice for those seeking an accessible and high-performing web solution.

2. Rich Ecosystem of Themes and Extensions

Let's delve into the question of extensions and themes in the ecosystem. WordPress offers a vast array of extensions and themes, allowing users to customize their websites with a multitude of features and designs. Users can easily meet their various needs with this diverse library, whether it's specific functionalities like image galleries, contact forms, or enhancing user experience with captivating themes. Users have the option to integrate these elements into their site with just a few clicks.

3. Flexibility

WordPress offers great flexibility. Indeed, it's perfectly suited for creating a wide selection of websites that can be used for anything from portfolios to business sites, e-commerce sites, and even dating applications. WordPress's modular structure allows developers to add custom functionalities tailored to the specific needs of each project. Whether through pre-existing themes and extensions or custom development, WordPress offers the ability to create almost any type of site, providing creative freedom and adaptability surpassing all other web development platforms. Frameworks like Vue.js and React can even be incorporated.

4. Active Community

The WordPress community is a global network of developers, designers, and users who actively contribute to its ecosystem. Highly dynamic, it's engaged in various discussion forums and on all social media platforms. There are even networking events and conferences. The community is also engaged in open-source projects that allow developers to hone their skills by contributing to sites and applications. Thanks to this collective collaboration, WordPress stays constantly updated, with regular updates to ensure system security, stability, and scalability. Moreover, this community plays an essential role in sharing best practices, problem-solving, and creating educational resources to help users of all levels fully leverage WordPress's features. Ultimately, this active and supportive community is one of the reasons why WordPress remains a preferred choice for website creation.

5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Generally, WordPress is perceived as a powerful CMS for SEO thanks to its built-in tools and extensions such as Yoast SEO, which provide users with the ability to easily improve content, meta tags, and other essential aspects of SEO without delving into code directly. Ranking in search results is enhanced through its technical performance, mobile compatibility, and ease of integration with analytics tools like Google Analytics. This makes WordPress an indispensable platform for those looking to increase their online visibility and attract organic traffic to their website.

6. Affordable Cost

WordPress proves to be a highly cost-effective solution. Development costs are generally reduced with the abundance of free or affordable themes and extensions available. As these themes and extensions receive updates without the need for an experienced programmer, they save significant maintenance costs. Moreover, this maintenance is often less expensive, as these security and feature updates are generally provided for free or at minimal cost with substantial community support. Thus, WordPress's affordability makes the CMS an attractive option for small businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs with limited budgets, allowing them to launch and maintain quality online presences.

In conclusion, while WordPress offers many advantages, it's not always the ideal solution for all projects. Despite its user-friendliness, flexibility, affordability, and SEO optimization, it may have limitations in terms of performance and security, especially for large-scale websites or those requiring very specific features. It's crucial for developers and businesses to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of WordPress compared to other available options, considering the unique needs of the project, available technical skills, and allocated budget. Although WordPress often remains a solid and versatile choice, exploring other alternatives may be wise to ensure the best fit for each use case.