According to Search Engine Journal, WordPress powers over 39.5% of websites! That’s an amazing number of websites. Even though this is one of the most popular platforms online, many companies and individuals still have some concerns about using the software.
WordPress myths and misconceptions abound online. For this reason, we’ve done some research to find some of the most common myths and misconceptions and the facts about each one.
1) WordPress has Security Issues
The misconception is that WordPress has many security flaws that make it easier for hackers to access your site. The truth is that WordPress is often a target when it comes to CMS platforms. However, WordPress is one of the most secure software platforms. This is one of the reasons for its popularity.
WordPress is an open course software; this means the source code is made available online for anyone to study and/or find security issues. In fact, WordPress security can be enhanced by taking the right steps.
You can make WordPress more secure by using strong passwords, creating user permissions, keeping the software updated, and more. It’s also a good idea to create a WordPress backup of your site. There are also other security steps that will help keep your site more secure from hackers.
2) WordPress is Free, So Can’t Be High-Quality
This is another common myth about the WordPress software. Many believe that since it’s free, the software must be low quality. Why give it away for free if it’s valuable and high-quality?
While it’s true WordPress is free software, it’s supported and continuously developed by a volunteer community of developers who have been working together on the code for years. This makes the software community-driven, which is why WordPress has seen so much success.
What’s more, the community of developers follows the best programming practices. This makes the code of WordPress stable and solid. It’s also developer-friendly, open-source, and free. The developers have ensured that the software is a state-of-the-art publishing system. All of this is what makes the software one of the most popular CMS platforms in the world.
3) WordPress is Only a Blogging Tool
One of the main misconceptions about WordPress is that it’s only a blogging tool or for creating small websites. However, that’s simply not true. WordPress is a powerful platform that is able to supply the power and stability needed by enterprise organisations.
The fact is that WordPress is a powerful website builder, which offers plenty of flexibility for all types of websites. It’s used by many Fortune 500 companies, governments, universities, and more. What’s more, the software also powers ecommerce sites with its extremely popular WooCommerce plugin. This plugin is the largest ecommerce platform around.
4) WordPress Doesn’t Support eCommerce
In the last section, we learned that this is a myth. While it’s true that WordPress doesn’t include a shopping cart feature by default, it does provide plenty of plugins that make it easy to add ecommerce functionality to the software.
The most popular ecommerce plugin is WooCommerce. According to Hosting Tribunal, about 22% of the top 1 million ecommerce sites use the WooCommerce plugin. They also say that 93.7% of all WordPress ecommerce websites use the WooCommerce plugin. That’s certainly impressive!
This means WordPress is an effective solution for all types of ecommerce sites. Whether you sell digital downloads or physical items, it’s easier when you use WordPress ecommerce plugins.
5) WordPress is Only for Newbies
This is another common myth that’s been around the Internet for quite a while. The software is seen as a tool for those who don’t know how to code CSS or HTML. However, the fact is that WordPress isn’t just for beginners—it’s for everyone.
It is true that WordPress is very user-friendly and intuitive. If you don’t know how to code, you won’t have a problem using this software. However, advanced users often choose this tool because the platform allows them to use their coding skills.
You can make WordPress as advanced as you like. It’s definitely not only for newbies! But newbies can also take advantage of all this platform has to offer.
6) There’s Not Much Third-Party Support for WordPress
This is another misconception about WordPress. However, it’s not true. The fact is that there are a ton of third-party developers who support WordPress. If you need help, it’s possible to reach out to thousands of developers through the WordPress.org forums. What’s more, this is a friendly bunch that’s always ready to help out.
You’ll also find plenty of other resources available online that help users with the platform. Whether you’re having trouble with hosting, web design, and more, third-party developers are ready and willing to help out. There’s no phone support for WordPress; however, the forums are open 24/7, where volunteers are always ready to assist.
7) The Future of WordPress is Uncertain
Another common, widespread myth about WordPress is that its future is uncertain. The reasoning behind this myth says that because WordPress is free and open-source, it doesn’t have much of a future. But this simply isn’t true.
Remember that WordPress is not being developed by one person or one company. It’s supported by a community of passionate professional developers. The WordPress trademark is owned by the WordPress Foundation, which is a non-profit organisation. This entity works to protect the brand name and promotes the use of open-source software.
What’s more, there are literally thousands of companies that sell WordPress products and services. These companies also work in the WordPress community.
With all of this support behind it, WordPress won’t be going extinct any time soon! WordPress will be around for quite some time.
8) All WordPress Sites Look the Same
This is another myth that’s been around forever. WordPress uses many themes that control the appearance of WordPress-powered sites. In fact, there are thousands of WordPress themes to choose from. Some of these are free, while it’s necessary to pay for others.
The themes are also customizable, so it’s possible to change colours, the layout, add a company logo, and more. And there are WordPress page building plugins that make changing the theme easy with drag and drop simplicity. So, you can make a site that’s completely unique in every way.
Summing It Up
While there are many misconceptions and myths about WordPress, the fact is WordPress is a versatile platform. It’s supported by a passionate, active community, and the software can be used by advanced developers or newbies. WordPress provides a solid, supported website platform for sites and companies of all sizes, including ecommerce sites.