There are many articles and posts out there explaining the benefits of and/or listing the top 5 or top 10 reasons to use WordPress. This article is to explain why I use WordPress. I am a huge fan of WordPress. In fact, most of the websites that I have designed and programmed, have been on the WordPress platform. The benefits that it brings to my clients and to developers is unmatched. Here are a few reasons that I think WordPress is the best CMS (content management system) available today.

1. WordPress’s Visual Editor and CMS are amazing

WordPress’s user-friendly backend is probably what made it popular in the 1st place. I can’t tell you how relieved I was the first time I logged into WordPress after trying Joomla. I always tell new clients, “If you create it in Word, you can create it in WordPress.” There is even a Paste From Word tool, that enables you to create it in Word if you prefer! And WordPress continually adds functionality and features with every update. The latest incarnation includes the drag-and-drop uploader, hover menus and the new toolbar, to name a few.

2. WordPress is Free (and Open Source)

Unlike other “free” or “open source” software that may have hidden agendas, WordPress is really and completely free. They don’t give you a free install and then start charging you after you get used to it. Nor do they only allow you to use certain features until you “upgrade”. This is another reason for their success: No Fees, No Gotchas, No Nonsense.

3. Plugins Add Endless Functionaly

Other CMS solutions offer plugins, but I have not used one that is easier to install a plugin, activate and update the settings, as WordPress’s. Plugins add almost any functionality that you can think of, from photo galleries to contact forms, shopping carts and much more. In fact, if you think of something that you can’t find a plugin for, chances are there is someone in the WordPress community already working on it. WordPress’s plugin directory is easily searchable, and provides a one-click install. It’s like the App Store for your website.

4. Google “loves” WordPress

Let’s face it, the reason most of us are online is to get found. In the world of “Search”, Google is King. Even out of the box, WordPress makes your site attractive to Google, through permalinks, simple layouts and more. In addition, there are a multitude of plugins that go a step further, like Platinum SEO and Google XML Sitemaps to name a few. I always recommend clients with existing websites convert to WordPress to make their redesigned site as search engine optimized as possible.

5. Your site’s style is completely customizable

There are thousands of Themes on the market for WordPress, some free and some not. But you are not confined to the themes that are available. I create customized themes and designs for clients that are unique to their site and I can also customize and existing theme to make it yours. Soon, I will be offering themes for sale through Head Turning Media, look for an announcement. If you would like me to create a new website for you, or redesign your existing website onto the WordPress Platform, contact me through Head Turning Media today!

There are so many reasons more than just these 5 to use WordPress as your CMS platform. If you have any thoughts why WordPress is or isn’t the best solution out there for building small business websites, please drop us a line in the comments below.