ca When deciding which website platform to choose for your business, it can be really overwhelming. There are loads to choose from, from Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, as well as all-in-one systems like Kartra and Kajabi. If you’ve ever asked the question in a Facebook Group “What’s the best website platform” you’ll get a mix of responses. Everyone has their own views and opinions, most of which are based on their own personal experiences and their own business needs, and there will be a mix of people for and against WordPress.
Not helpful.
WordPress is good for small businesses
WordPress is the most popular website platform with over %%% of all websites being created on it. But is it suitable for small businesses?
Well that depends on who you ask. But as a web designer who has used all the platforms over the years, I can say yes, WordPress is good for small businesses!
And I know what you’re going to say… “But what about the lack of support/security issues / how complicated it is for technophobes…”
The misconceptions of WordPress
However, there are a lot of misconceptions around WordPress, most of them being pedalled by designers who specialise in other platforms unfortunately, who then scare business owners senseless. For example, I recently saw a TikTok from a Squarespace designer about how WordPress is bad for your small business. I was intrigued to see what her reasons were, so I watched.
I genuinely couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The FALSE statements she was making was shocking. It was clear that she hadn’t taken any time to fully understand WordPress and used hearsay as “facts” in her TikTok video.
It’s no secret that I think WordPress is good for small businesses, so I want to clear a few things up on some of these myths and misconceptions of WordPress, so you can make a balanced and informed decision for your business.
Myth #1: “There’s no technical support for WordPress.”
Are you kidding me? Not only do WordPress have online documentation for support as well as a forum to ask questions (WordPress.org support), there are literally hundreds of WordPress specific Facebook Groups and Instagram accounts with designers and developers all happy to answer your questions and help if needed. Also, the majority of technical issues with WordPress comes from Themes and Plugins – which all have their own technical support from the developers who created them.
If you need a quick WordPress Tech Support, you can book a 30 minute call with me here
Myth #2: “Everything has to be created using custom code.”
Absolutely false. You can easily create a WordPress website with zero knowledge of coding. With the advancements in WordPress themes and templates and page builders like Divi or Elementor where you can design and manage your website using a drag and drop feature, you absolutely do not need code to have a WordPress website. 99% of the WordPress websites I design for my clients are created using Divi because it makes managing and updating their website themselves so much easier, and could be ideal for you too.
Myth #3: “You have to use a web developer to make the smallest of changes.”
As I mentioned above, themes and page builders allow people to manage and update their websites themselves, so no need to rely on a someone else to make those changes for your. Your web developer or designer can easily show you how to make changes yourself, especially if you have a theme or page builder installed. Plus Google, Facebook Groups and YouTube have loads of guides and support.
Myth #4: “You have to add code and stylise plugins for every function.”
It’s true, WordPress websites get most of their functionality from plugins, however the majority are “plug and play” on your website with no need for coding or specialist set-up. Obviously, some settings need to be updated and changed to suit your individual website, but most of the time, they come with a very simple and straightforward set up.
Myth #5: “You’ll get hacked if you don’t update your website.”
The idea that WordPress is insecure is untrue. WordPress is an opensource software – which means that anyone can access it to create new programs and plugins – that’s why it’s so flexible. Obviously, this comes with it’s slight downside that not everyone will use this access to create something good. BUT WordPress and good plugin developers are brilliant at keeping on top of this, and often release updates to keep everything safe and secure. Simply keeping on top of these updates can have a huge impact on keeping your website secure. You update your phone with new software updates, so why wouldn’t you update your website?
WordPress is great for small businesses
Whilst I do genuinely believe WordPress is the best platform to create your business website, I do appreciate WordPress isn’t for everyone though. I’m not going to deny that it does take a bit of learning to understand the ins and outs, and how you can best use it to benefit your business, but my personal opinion is that it is completely do-able.
Your website is your biggest marketing asset, so surely it’s worth the effort?
If you’d like to find out if WordPress is a good choice for you and growing your business online, please book in a one-to-one online consultation with me to discuss your options.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are ‘affiliate links.’ This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission
