Pros and Cons of WordPress

At Joe Web Site Design, our goal is to help clients find the best website solution for their specific online business needs. While the immensely WordPress platform is often mentioned, we find it's not always the best fit.

"Just how vulnerable are WordPress sites to being hacked?

An estimated 4.7 million WordPress websites are hacked annually. That's almost 13,000 WordPress websites hacked every day."

To help our local website design clients make an informed decision, we've created this comparison of the Pros and Cons of WordPress as it compares to our Joe Web custom, file-based design and development platform. Hopefully, it will help you decide which option is right for you.

(Although we don't address Drupal, Wix, Squarespace, or any of the other CMS platforms here, we don't believe they're any better fit for most small business clients. They're either less customizable or portable, and more complicated or expensive than our PHP file-based sites..or even WordPress.)

Table of Contents

Advantages and Disadvantages of WordPress

• Pros and cons of WordPress
  • Benefits of WordPress
  • Drawbacks of Wordpress
• Pros and cons of file-based PHP websites
  • Benefits of our custom, file-based PHP sites
  • Limitations of file-based, PHP:
• Which platform should YOU choose?
  • Who should choose WordPress?
  • Who should choose our file-based PHP sites

Pros and cons of WordPress

Benefits of WordPress:

1. Extensive Functionality:
   With over 60,000 downloadable plugins, WordPress sites can easily add features like e-commerce and social media integration without custom development.
2. Design Flexibility:
   The look and feel of a site can be easily changed by installing different free or premium themes.
3. Content Management System (CMS):
   Updating content or adding and deleting pages can be accomplished through the WordPress dashboard without seeking a developer or the need to learn coding.
4. E-commerce Integration:
   The WooCommerce plugin offers robust e-commerce functionality and features.

Drawbacks of WordPress:

1. Security:
   Since WordPress is database-driven and relies on numerous third-party plugins, it introduces multiple security vulnerabilities to a site, some of which the user has no control over. (Outdated or poorly written plugins are responsible for 93% of all WordPress hacks!)
   
   And, since 43% of all websites are now built on the WordPress platform, its popularity makes it a prime target for hackers.
2. Maintenance:
   Regular updates are required for the WordPress core, plugins, and themes. Neglecting these updates can lead to security risks and site performance issues. WordPress experts suggest to either setup auto-updates, which can cause other problems, or log in to check for updates every week or two. However, we often see sites that have not been updated for years.
3. Performance:
   A typical WordPress page includes thousands of lines of code and relies on multiple JavaScript, CSS, and font files. Combined with it's reliance on a database, WordPress sites can frequently get 'hung up' or load slowly.
4. Complexity:
   WordPress's extensive options and features can be overwhelming for users with limited technical expertise or those who have little time to learn the WordPress dashboard.

Pros and cons of our file-based PHP websites

Benefits of our custom, file-based PHP sites

1. Enhanced Security:
   Built from the ground up, our Joe Web file-based sites are less vulnerable to hacker attacks since they do not rely on databases or numerous third-party plugins.
2. Low Maintenance:
   Without the need for regular updates, backups, and optimizations required by databases and plugins, our Joe Web sites remain safe and secure with very little or no client intervention.
3. Complete Control and Customization:
   We write nearly every line of code from scratch. So the code is clean, pages are fast-loading, and we can tailor the look, feel, and functionality to your specific needs.
4. Simpler Interface:
   WordPress's steep learning curve can easily frustrate users. Our Joe Web sites, however, isolate critical sections of the pages like the header, navigation, and footer. This dramatically reduces the risk of accidentally crashing a page or the entire site during content updates.
5. Improved Performance:
   The typical WordPress site contains 1000–2000 lines of code and relies on dozens of external javascript, CSS, and font files. Our typical Joe Web pages, however, have less than 300 lines of code, a single CSS file, and, perhaps, one or two javascript files. This helps our sites load faster and perform better.
6. Easy Backups:
   Backing up and restoring Joe Web sites is straightforward and less prone to errors without the complexities of databases and WordPress's many interconnected files.

Limitations of file-based, PHP:

1. E-Commerce:
   Adding and updating more than just a dozen or so products becomes cumbersome and time consuming. Not as easy connecting to merchante account/credit card processors (other than PayPal).
2. Visitor, Customer or Subscriber History:
   Without a database, options for recording and retaining user history are limited.
3. Adding Pages:
   Creating new pages for the site would require contacting us or another web developer.
4. Updating Content Often:
   Clients who intend to be frequently updating and adding content, or those who plan to assign these tasks to a content creator, are more ideally suited for the the WordPress platform.

Which platform is right for your small business website?

Who should choose WordPress?

• Content creators who plan on posting frequent articles or making regular updates.
• E-commerce sites with numerous categories and products.
• Sites needing specific functionalities (e.g., restaurants with frequent menu changes, real estate sites with unique property listings, etc.).
• Businesses requiring a database for membership sites, online courses, or managing multiple users with different access levels.

Who should choose file-based PHP sites?

• Static sites with fewer content updates (e.g., brochure-style sites, simple portfolios).
• Simple informational sites that serve as online brochures.
• Clients with little interest in learning the WordPress dashboard and limited time or technical expertise to manage their website.
• Clients who prioritize security, user-friendliness, high search engine rankings, and optimized performance.

Conclusion

Choosing between a robust CMS like WordPress and a secure, fast, and affordable custom, file-based Joe Web site depends on your specific needs.

For a free consultation to discuss your online needs, call us. We'll help you determine the best approach for your unique requirements. If our services are a good match, we'd love to work with you. If WordPress is a better fit, we'll point you in the right direction with recommendations.

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Joe Web site design

Website designer Asheville NC

Call: 828-551-9761 EMail: info@JoeWeb.com