WordPress has been around for a while now. It was released back on May 27, 2003. From that time to now, WordPress has become one of the most popular platforms for websites. According to SEJ (Search Engine Journal, WordPress now powers 39% of all sites on the Internet. That’s quite an accomplishment. But large businesses have chosen this platform. One reason is that most websites on the Internet are responsible are what makes up most of that 39%. The sites are easy to build and maintain.
However, if you take a deeper look at the statistics, it’s clear that WordPress is chosen by a number of enterprises. Of the top 10,000 websites on the Internet, WordPress powers about 26% of them. And according to WhoIsHostingThis, WordPress is responsible for 14 of the world’s top 100 websites.
In the midst of these top websites, you’ll find enterprise companies such as Forbes, UPS, and CNN. What’s behind their choice of WordPress? Does WordPress truly offer the support large companies require?
The Common Myths About WordPress
The enterprises that tend to write off WordPress may be swayed by some of the popular myths about this CMS.
WordPress is Only for Blogs
The blogging world, as noted earlier, contains many small websites. The reason is the ease of use and maintenance, and the fact that almost anyone can build a WordPress site. You could say the larger companies decided to take a snobby stance, once they realised most anyone could run the platform.
Back in the day, WordPress may not have been as sophisticated as other CMS platforms. However, those days have gone by, and WordPress is just as savvy and beautiful as the other platforms. Yet, it remains easy for everyone to use, unlike the other CMS platforms.
WordPress isn’t Secure Enough
While it’s true that WordPress has experienced some major breaches in the past, today the platform has a solid reputation for being one of the most secure available.
These days, the platform regularly releases security updates. In addition, the software has become secure at its core. However, some issues do remain with plugins and third-party themes.
OpenSource is Never a Good Thing
In the world of enterprises, open-source is still not widely accepted. The reasons include fears open-source software is not secure. However, things are changing as larger companies are turning more and more to using Linux, which continues to be an open-source software.
WordPress, while an open-source software, has strong support and is continuously updated, as well as updated. The platform is solid and well-respected by some of the largest enterprises in the world.
The Reasons Enterprises Choose WordPress
In this section, we’ll review why large companies are opting to go with WordPress over other CMS platforms.
1). Ease use: this is one of the biggest reasons that WordPress has gained in popularity. It’s easy to use in almost all aspects of the CMS. This is one of the best CMS platforms because WordPress doesn’t require much technical knowledge. In most cases, even a non-tech person can use the platform easily.
2). WordPress easily integrates: the platform easily integrates with most business platforms such as CRM systems, marketing automation platforms, and more. Plus, it’s easier and faster for marketing teams to get information out into the sales cycle. The other option is to use completely unrelated systems, and then force them to work together. As most of us know, this doesn’t usually go well, which is an understatement.
3). Headless capabilities: WordPress doesn’t have the ability to become a headless CMS solution. However, with the WordPress REST API, the platform can act as a headless CMS. In fact, WordPress can be used as both a coupled and headless solution.
4). Plugins: WordPress has an impressive plugin directory, which contains more than 50,000 plugins. With plugins, large companies are able to build in the functionality they require, adding more features and capabilities to their websites.
Plugins can also help power and strengthen SEO, make sites more secure, and so much more.
Reasons Enterprises Avoid WordPress
Now we’ll take a look at some of the reasons enterprises choose to avoid using WordPress for their websites. It’s true the platform does have some issues and limitations.
1). Lack of Enterprise Support
It takes a village to keep an enterprise site up and running 24/7 and business depends on the site staying up, staying secure, and more. While there is a large development community who are experts, there’s a lack of accountability, no guarantee on the software’s performance, and no dedicated support staff to contact when something does go wrong.
This leaves IT teams trying to find solutions on their own or it may be necessary to choose a third-party solution to get things. Either method can be costly in both time and money.
2). Security
As mentioned earlier, security is a huge concern for enterprises, and they tend to avoid using opensource software for this reason. When it comes to WordPress, it can make websites more vulnerable when plugins, themes, and widgets are not secure, contain exploitable code and backdoors that can be easily hacked.
Plus, WordPress seems to at times be a target for hackers and other cybercriminals. However, this can be overcome by keeping the platform, plugins, and more updated.
3). Scalability
Enterprises have also found that WordPress can have scalability issues. This usually becomes prominent when adding new capabilities, content, and more functionality. The problem is that when businesses become reliant on specific aspects of the website to support the business. If these fail, the company could be hacked, “break,” and more.
There’s also a problem when enterprises would like to take advantage of all the bells and whistles that WordPress offers. When the site becomes overwhelmed with too many capabilities, it can crash.
Can WordPress Support Enterprises?
We have to say yes. This is because of its easy integration with other functionalities and third-party tools. Plus, it’s easy to use and manage in ways that work for enterprises.
While it’s true that WordPress can have issues as it scales, there are IT management service companies, such as ours, that are able to keep your site functioning as it should. We are a WordPress agency with the knowledge and experience to work with enterprise companies.
If you have questions about your WordPress site or would like to enquire about our services, reach out today! We’re looking forward to working with you!
