14 Common Misconceptions About WordPress

by Evelyn Maina (ed. Alison Weir-Smith), 05 Jul 2018

When discussing creating a WordPress website for a client, we sometimes come across those who are a little put off when the word “WordPress” is mentioned. This hesitation often stems from myths they have picked up from sources that have limited knowledge of WordPress.

The fact is, WordPress powers more than 30% of the websites around the world and is extremely popular. This means that it must be good for something, right? In fact, it is good at a lot of things – if the site is developed correctly and intelligently.

Misconceptions about WordPress websites are just that - misconceptions and this article is going to clear several of them.

  1. WordPress websites are purely for bloggers. This is no longer the case, WordPress has evolved over time and is used for much more than just blogging including building intricate, corporate websites.
  2. WordPress is not secure. WordPress guards against most DDOS attacks and malware. It features a large community of techies who are continuously finding ways of keeping WordPress secure and up to date. The system only becomes insecure when plugins are installed willy-nilly and the software is not kept up to date.
  3. Since WordPress is free, it must be low quality. WordPress follows best programming practices. In addition, the user interface is intuitive and easy to use.
  4. There is no support for WordPress. You can find support from the extensive WordPress Documentation and from support forums like GitHub and IRC chatrooms. Beginners who are unsure of how to create a WordPress site can also access numerous WordPress tutorials and guidelines to help them proceed.
  5. WordPress has a generic look. This was true years ago. Today’s WordPress websites can be really out the box, mobile friendly and fast. It all depends on who is building the website.
  6. Creating a WordPress websites is easy. There are easy aspects of WordPress like creating and publishing posts, however, designing the site to give it the look and feel it needs involves technical skills. It is easy to install a pre-built theme and add some content – but really bringing out the best of that theme and customising the various templates and styles takes a bit of a fine touch and flair.
  7. WordPress cannot meet the needs of large businesses. This myth stems from the opinion that WordPress is only good for blogging. WordPress has a wide range of themes and plugins which give you the ability to create versatile and fully functioning websites.
  8. WordPress themes are not customisable. Sites built with WordPress can be customised to match your company’s brand. Your developer can achieve this by editing template files, using the theme dashboard or by uploading plugins that bring on extra features like custom sidebars, sliders and footer areas.
  9. WordPress does not support eCommerce. The platform has several plugins and features that facilitate the creation of an eCommerce website with WordPress. Popular eCommerce plugins include WooCommerce, iThemes Exchange and Easy Digital Downloads.
  10. Once you install WordPress SEO plug-in, you are good to go. Even with the plug-in you will still need to set it up and put in the titles, descriptions, and keywords for each blog post or page you create. Automated SEO is not a good idea on matter what platform you are using to build your website.
  11. WordPress cannot handle high traffic sites. This is not a problem with WordPress, but rather a problem with the hosting company for the WordPress website. WordPress sites tend to be fairly low in resource requirements, so if you are having trouble with high levels of traffic causing the site to go down, it is probably time to upgrade your hosting.
  12. The future of WordPress is shaky since it is handled by very many people. It is this very reason that will keep WordPress running well into the future. WordPress was developed by a community of professional developers and this community also includes thousands of businesses all of whom are active participants.
  13. If you have too many plugins, your website will become slow. It is possible to have many plugins without affecting your overall speed. The quality of the plugins you are using is what matters. Having a plugin that does not function well can really slow down your site’s loading time. Typically, it is the size of images and other files that slow down your site. If you are having problems with site speed, look first to your images and optimise those as best you can, then see where else you can save a few split seconds of load time.
  14. WordPress Plugins are shady. It is wise not to install plugins blindly. Check reviews, ratings, and number of downloads before you install a plugin. This will minimise your security risk and keep you from poorly performing and outdated plugins.

If you are learning how to create a WordPress site, let go of any misconceptions that you may be holding on to and understand that WordPress has evolved into a leading brand. Today’s WordPress website is versatile, responsive and allows you to customise everything to your liking.