I’m sure that most of you are familiar with WordPress. It’s a free platform that was originally created to build blogs but has transformed itself into a content management system for websites.

It has become the medium of choice when setting up a website because of the many advantages it offers. However, the benefits WordPress offers are not always understood.

I’ve written this article with just that in mind. I want to outline the pros and cons that WordPress provides you as a media manager. I hope to give you enough information to where you can decide whether it is the right platform for your website.

Let’s get started!

The Pros

There’s a reason WordPress is so popular. It offers users incredible advantages. Let’s explore some of them.

Open Source – WordPress has an open source structure. This allows programmers to share their code online. As a user, you benefit from being able to use code that is already written, saving you a lot of time and effort.

Simple – The WordPress platform is known for its ease of use. It’s possible to jump right in and start editing site content. The installation process is also remarkably simple; you don’t need high level programming to set it up.

Fast – WordPress can be installed on a hosting server. This lets the Webmaster begin work on it almost immediately.

User Friendly – The interface that WordPress provides is very user friendly. Since it was designed for the mass market in mind, it is easy for even the least technologically minded to use.

Adaptable – The platform offers the basics right from the start. Additional features are easy to add. It is this ability to adapt to the needs of each user that has made WordPress so popular.

SEO – There are a number of add ons or plugins that can make WordPress SEO friendly.

Price – This is the easiest to explain. WordPress is very inexpensive compared to everything else out there.

The Cons

There is no arguing with the advantages explained above. However, there are some caveats you need to know before embarking with WordPress.

Security – I mentioned WordPress’ open source structure as one if it’s many pros. Unfortunately, it’s also the source of one if its flaws. Since the source code is available online, it makes it easier for hackers to find holes in your security. It’s possible for previous users to plant malicious code and exploit your site to their advantage.

Inflexible – WordPress was created to be simple to use and to understand. If you decide to build a more complicated site, such as e-commerce, you’ll find it difficult to implement these changes.

SEO – I mentioned that it was possible to adapt WordPress to be SEO friendly through the use of specifically designed plug ins. While it’s a workable solution, it will never be as efficient as website designed from scratch to be SEO optimized.

Updates – As WordPress is built around the ability to use plugins, when updates happen, they can break the platform. Each plugin requires its own update, and if the programmer who designed it doesn’t have one ready, then your website may suffer until it is.

Bland – The majority of WordPress sites tend to look very similar to each other. This is an obvious disadvantage if you’re trying to stand out from the pack.

Speed – The loading time of WordPress pages can be slower than average. This is important to take into consideration as search engine rankings use this as a parameter.

Conclusion

I have outlined the several advantages and disadvantages that WordPress offers.

The final decision is yours to make. I look forward to your thoughts and comments!