Wordpress

WordPress now powers over 40% of the web, offering simplicity for users and fantastic SEO potential with a powerful and customisable backend. Technical users and web developers can build almost anything on WordPress with some knowledge of PHP, coupled with the web classics of the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript languages.

By nature of being an open-source platform, WordPress has encouraged developers to build expansive plugin options - meaning that adding advanced features are often only a few clicks away. The downside to this is that sites can end up heavily relying on plugins which can impact speed and introduce security vulnerabilities. A site built on WordPress needs to enforce good security practices and be regularly maintained to prevent any vulnerabilities being exploited by hackers.

WordPress is easily expandable, turning your website into a proper e-commerce platform by installing WooCommerce. Keep in mind that while WordPress and WooCommerce are free - many of the plugins you might like to use are not. Work with your developer to prepare a list of key features your website will need and budget accordingly depending on whether an existing plugin will be suitable, or if you will need custom development work.

With a bit of WordPress training, any remotely tech-savvy business owner can easily manage and maintain web pages, news articles - and even things like e-commerce sales and membership programmes. There is plenty of excellent how-to content on YouTube and sites like WPBeginner for those with DIY ambitions - and for those who want everything taken care of - Wallace Corporation has you covered.

Pros:

• Free, open-source platform
• Complete control and ownership
• Very search engine friendly, makes it ideal for news and blogging
• Basic interface for non-technical users
• Highly customisable for technical users
• Huge range of free and paid plugins to add extended functionality
• Extendable to easily sell online with WooCommerce

Cons:

• Page speed performance
• Security vulnerabilities
• Requires ongoing maintenance
• No inbuilt tech support - requires technical experience and fundamental understanding of web principles to execute
• E-commerce platform is clunkier than some alternatives

TLDR:

WordPress is a great option for businesses that will be relying on search engines and a heavy content-focused approach to drive traffic. It also works for those who want to have some sort of e-commerce capability but isn't the primary focus of the site. The platform itself is free, but hosting and many third-party paid plugins are not. Builds can be very cheap or very expensive - purely depending on how complex and customised it needs to be. Factor in ongoing maintenance and security costs.