9 Great Reasons to choose WordPress for your website.

If you’ve been wondering, “Should I use WordPress?” we’ll provide you with compelling reasons to consider this powerful platform for your next website. At Urchin Design, we’ve been using WordPress since 2009, and many of the reasons we initially chose WordPress remain valid today.

Let’s explore why WordPress continues to be an excellent choice for websites of all sizes and purposes.

Our WordPress Journey

We’ve been operating in Cape Town, South Africa since 2009, we have extensive experience in web design and development. We began our web development journey in 1999 before the existence of WordPress and other open source content management systems. Our journey with WordPress began in 2011 when we switched from our custom-built CMS to an open-source solution. After exploring various options, we settled on WordPress, and we’ve never looked back.

Why We Chose WordPress in 2011

1. Open-source base code
2. Adaptability to create any type of website
3. Constant development and evolution
4. Excellent SEO capabilities (great for Google and other search engines)
5. User-friendly interface for clients
6. Strong community and documentation
7. Full control over website builds

At its core, WordPress offers powerful benefits that make it stand out in the digital landscape. First, it’s a search engine powerhouse, naturally optimised to help your site climb the Google rankings and get noticed. Second, it strikes an impressive balance between affordability and quality, allowing you to create a professional website without breaking the bank. Lastly, WordPress puts you in the driver’s seat with its user-friendly interface and complete control over your content. This combination of SEO prowess, cost-effectiveness, and user empowerment makes WordPress not just a choice, but a strategic advantage for your online presence.

These initial reasons for choosing WordPress are still relevant today, and they’ve been complemented by additional benefits that have emerged over the years.

9 Great Reasons to Choose WordPress Today

1. Reliability: With its maturity since 2003, WordPress has become a robust and dependable platform that won’t crash your site or erase your information.
2. Security: Regular updates and a dedicated security team ensure that WordPress remains a secure choice for your website.
3. Extensive Plugin Ecosystem: WordPress’s plugin architecture allows for incredible extensibility, enabling you to add features and functionality without extensive custom development.
4. Affordability: Compared to other solutions, WordPress offers a cost-effective way to build and maintain a professional website.
5. Flexibility: From simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites, WordPress can be adapted to suit virtually any web project.
6. Accessibility Standards: WordPress follows web accessibility standards, ensuring your site is usable by people with various abilities.
7. Continuous Improvement: The WordPress team is committed to enhancing user-friendliness and keeping up with evolving web standards.
8. SEO-Friendly: WordPress makes search engine optimisation easier with its clean code structure and SEO-specific plugins.
9. Mobile-Friendly: WordPress themes are typically responsive, ensuring your site looks great on devices of all sizes.

Additional Benefits

• Simplified Content Creation: WordPress’s intuitive interface makes it easy to create and manage content.
• Third-Party Integrations: WordPress integrates seamlessly with numerous third-party tools, including social media platforms.
• Market Dominance: WordPress powers over 40% of all websites and holds a 60% market share among content management systems.

 In Good Company

By choosing WordPress, you’ll be in excellent company. Not only do we use WordPress, but many notable organizations’ and individuals also trust WordPress for their web presence. These include international companies like Sony Music, MTV and The Walt Disney Company, and The New York Times.  Some notable South African companies are using WordPress. MyBroadband, Daily Maverick and even SARS. Celebrities like Katy Perry and The Rolling Stones have their sites built with WordPress too.

Conclusion

At Urchin Design, we’ve found that building websites with WordPress is a clear choice. Its combination of reliability, flexibility, and user-friendliness makes it an excellent option for businesses and individuals alike. Whether you’re launching a small blog, an e-commerce shop or developing a complex corporate website, WordPress provides the tools and ecosystem to bring your vision to life.