WordPress has a rich history that dates back to 2003, when Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little first introduced it as a blogging platform. Built on PHP and MySQL, WordPress quickly evolved into a full-fledged content management system (CMS) that could power complex websites. Its open-source nature allowed a global community of developers to contribute to its growth, and WordPress’s evolution has seen major milestones, including the introduction of plugins, custom themes and the powerful Gutenberg editor.
Today, WordPress is one of the most adaptable and user-friendly platforms available, powering more than 861 million websites globally. But what makes it such a popular choice for businesses, bloggers and eCommerce platforms alike? The answer lies in its flexibility, scalability and ease of use.
5 Common Myths About WordPress
Despite its widespread popularity, several misconceptions about WordPress persist. Let’s debunk five of the most common myths.
Myth #1: WordPress is Just for Blogging
While WordPress started as a blogging platform, it has since evolved into a powerful CMS used by businesses, universities and governments. Today, WordPress powers corporate websites, online stores, membership platforms and more — extending far beyond just blog posts.
WordPress makes editing and managing content intuitive with its user-friendly dashboard and website content writing tools like the Gutenberg editor and drag-and-drop page builders. Users of all skill levels can easily create and modify their website pages with thousands of themes available for complete customization.
Myth #2: WordPress is Not Secure
When properly configured, WordPress is one of the most secure CMS platforms available. Most WordPress security breaches occur due to outdated plugins on older websites or weak passwords rather than inherent flaws in the platform itself. Regular updates, security plugins and best practices such as two-factor authentication and SSL certificates help safeguard sites against attacks.
Myth #3: WordPress Has Bad Performance
A study by Google found that 53% of mobile users abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load, emphasizing the importance of performance optimization. While some may believe WordPress is inherently slow, performance issues often stem from poor hosting choices, unoptimized images, excessive plugins or outdated themes rather than the platform itself.
WordPress is designed with efficiency in mind, featuring clean permalinks, metadata customization and integration with powerful performance-enhancing plugins like Yoast SEO and RankMath. By implementing caching solutions, using a content delivery network (CDN), optimizing images and selecting a reliable website hosting company, WordPress websites can achieve lightning-fast speeds comparable to custom-built sites.
Myth #4: WordPress is Not Good for eCommerce
For businesses looking to sell online, WordPress seamlessly integrates with WooCommerce, the most popular eCommerce plugin for WordPress. It powers millions of online stores with advanced payment options, inventory management and customization capabilities. WordPress supports multiple payment processors, allowing you to integrate popular options such as PayPal, Stripe and Square to provide a seamless checkout experience for customers
Myth #5: WordPress is Not Scalable
One of the biggest advantages of WordPress is its ability to adapt to any business size or need. In fact, large-scale enterprises, including Fortune 500 companies, rely on WordPress. It’s designed to handle high-traffic volumes and complex functionalities with the right hosting and infrastructure. WordPress is backed by a massive global community of developers, designers, and users who contribute to its ongoing improvement, ensuring continued innovation and support.
Whether you’re running a small blog, a corporate website or a large eCommerce store, WordPress scales with your requirements with virtually unlimited plugins that enhance functionality, from SEO optimization to security enhancements and eCommerce capabilities.
Ready to Choose WordPress? We’re Here to Help
We understand that every business has unique needs, and WordPress provides the flexibility to create custom solutions tailored to specific goals. It continues to be the most reliable CMS on the market with a strong community, extensive plugin options and top-tier security features.
At 1905 New Media, we are experts at building WordPress websites in St. Louis. If you’re ready to take your website to the next level, our web developers are here to help with your WordPress services. Contact us today, and let’s build something great together!