Ready to step back 35 years? The year is 1989, and a young, eager teenager — yours truly — walks into his first job as a Grace Bros Management Cadet in Chatswood. I had a passion for tech, and the audio-visual department was where I spent most of my time. Among all the VHS recorders sat a single Betamax recorder, made by Sony. It was pricey, and we never managed to sell even one. This was the end of the ‘video format wars’ between VHS and Betamax that had been raging through the 70s and 80s.
I later worked for Sony, and we often joked that VHS stood for “Very Horrible System.” Betamax had better image quality, and the mechanics were superior too. It was even the standard for professional broadcasting. So why did VHS win? And what does this have to do with web design?
There were a few reasons VHS came out on top, including longer recording times and more effective marketing. But what really stood out to me was title availability. Back then, no weekend was complete without a trip to the local video store, and VHS titles outnumbered Beta by a wide margin. It wasn’t about the quality—it was about content and accessibility. See where this is going?
Fast forward to today, and we see a similar story playing out in the world of website content management systems. In the early days, three platforms were vying for dominance: Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress. For a long time, I worked with Joomla, which was technically more robust than WordPress but still more accessible than Drupal. Yet, the winner turned out to be WordPress. Although the other platforms still exist and have loyal fanbases, WordPress now powers over 40% of the web.
Just like with the ‘video format wars’, there are several reasons for WordPress’s dominance, but the biggest is simple: content and flexibility. With WordPress, you can achieve just about anything, and its market share means there are countless developers, resources, and add-ons to help. So, despite its quirks and frustrations, I present to you my 7 reasons why I love WordPress.
1. Like it or not – it’s the leader
While there are definitely times I find myself frustrated with WordPress, there are several compelling reasons why it remains the best choice for many websites.
First and foremost, WordPress is the leader, powering over 40% of all websites. And let’s face it, that’s not just luck. It means there’s a massive community, endless resources, and ongoing improvements that make it the top choice. Whether you’re looking for documentation, troubleshooting advice, or insight from someone who’s been in your shoes, WordPress’s massive community makes these resources accessible.
Finally, it’s important to choose software that’s going to last. Over the years, I’ve seen many content management systems come and go, and migrating a website is always a major undertaking. With its long history and massive market share, WordPress is built to stand the test of time, which is why it’s a safe and reliable choice for businesses looking to invest in their digital presence.
2. Tons of Plugins – Endless Functionality
One of the biggest advantages of WordPress is the availability of third-party plugins. There are thousands of plugins available to extend functionality, often at little or no cost.
Over the past year alone, I’ve added job boards, online stores, podcast players—you name it—all thanks to plugins. My go-to options are SureCart for e-commerce and RankMath for SEO and Independent Analytics for gathering visitor insights. These plugins make my life – and yours – a whole lot easier.
Plugins let WordPress adapt to almost any business need without requiring custom code, making it an incredibly flexible and powerful platform.
3. It’s Free – Sort of
One of the biggest attractions of WordPress is that the core software is completely free. This is partly why it’s so popular. Any organisation or individual can establish an online presence without hefty upfront costs. You can start building right away—all without paying a cent.
The core WordPress software is free, which is a huge plus. But, just so we’re clear, ‘free’ doesn’t mean there are no costs at all. You’ll still need hosting, themes, and maybe a few premium plugins if you want all the bells and whistles. Even then, it’s still a heck of a lot cheaper than custom sites.
Even when you account for these costs, WordPress remains an incredibly cost-effective solution, especially compared to custom-built sites. Nevertheless, those ongoing fees can add up, which is why I introduced a better solution for smaller organisations. Website Leasing includes a custom website design, ongoing updates and support, hosting, and more—all for an affordable monthly price. There’s no upfront fee or contract, so it makes sense and saves your DOLLARS!
4. One Platform to Rule Them All
Think of WordPress as the ‘One Platform to Rule Them All.’ Whether you want a blog, an online store, a membership site—WordPress has got you covered. Unlike other platforms like Shopify, Squarespace or Thinkific, with WordPress, you’re the one in charge. You control your site, your data, and your business without fear of being held hostage by platform policy changes.
WordPress empowers you and I to build, customise, and expand without limitations—truly making it the one platform to rule them all.
- SureCart for e-commerce: An excellent solution for your online store.
- LearnDash for online training: A powerful learning management system for creating and managing online courses.
- WordPress can adapt to almost any type of site, from blogs to portfolios.
- Flexible designs: unlike specialist platforms you can customise every detail to match your brand, without being boxed in by limitations.
- WordPress can be as simple or as complex as you need it to be—scaling effortlessly from a small blog to a large enterprise site.
5. SEO Friendly
SEO is tricky, and in reality, it’s something most business owners don’t have time for. But WordPress helps set you up in the right direction, right out of the box. Even if you aren’t an SEO pro, you’ll get a helping hand in making sure your website shows up where it matters. WordPress has always had a great reputation for helping websites rank well on search engines. While Search Engine Optimisation can be complex and requires ongoing attention, WordPress helps get you started in the right direction by providing a solid foundation.
Out of the box, WordPress takes care of many of the basics that search engines look for: it’s well-structured, mobile-friendly, and allows easy integration of metadata and keywords. These elements are all crucial for good SEO, helping you get your content in front of the right audience.
Additionally, my SEO plugin of choice RankMath simplifies SEO by guiding you through important steps, such as keyword optimisation, content suggestions, and technical adjustments. Even if you’re not an SEO expert, RankMath makes it easy to improve your website’s visibility, giving your business a better chance of being found by potential customers.
6. Community and Reliability
If there’s one thing that can give you peace of mind, it’s knowing there’s always help available. WordPress has a massive, active community—thousands of developers, users, and experts who have been there, done that, and are willing to help. Add to that the regular updates to keep everything secure, and you’ve got a platform that’s solid and reliable.
On top of that, WordPress is known for its regular updates that improve security, add new features, and keep the platform current with the latest web trends. These updates are crucial in ensuring your website stays secure and stable, reducing risks and giving you peace of mind that your digital presence is built on a reliable foundation.
Together, this massive community support and ongoing development give you the confidence that WordPress is the right platform—not just today, but for the long haul.
7. Easy to Learn
One of the best things about WordPress? It’s super easy to learn. You don’t need a computer science degree to make changes or update content. And if you’re ever stuck, there are countless free tutorials on YouTube that can guide you through everything, step-by-step. Plus, when I build a site for you, I make sure to provide personalised training so you’re in control.
The WordPress dashboard is intuitive and easy to learn. Many business owners can handle their own basic updates, saving them money. The learning curve is manageable for most users, even those without a technical background.
While WordPress certainly has its imperfections, the benefits clearly outweigh the challenges. Its flexibility, extensive community, ease of use, and powerful features make it a top choice for building and maintaining a website.
As much as I appreciate all that WordPress has to offer, I also recognise its frustrations, which I’ll explore in an upcoming post: “The 7 Things I Hate About WordPress.” Stay tuned for a balanced perspective!
In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you—what do you love about WordPress? Or do you have a question? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
