One question we get asked very often is why Blue Zenith Design & Strategy has chosen to use WordPress.org as the tool of choice. We do support other technology but there are many reasons why we believe that WordPress.org is the right choice for our clients. (WordPress.org is not the same thing as WordPress.com. Look forward to learning about the difference between the .org and .com in a future post.)
Security
The first thing that drew our attention to the product was security. Risk reduction is actually the keyword here. Quite a lot can be said about security but with WordPress the insecurity lies more with preventable issues, such as not updating the site or using insecure passwords.
Hundreds of developers audit the site regularly. The security teams work diligently defining and repairing issues with the core software. That means that if all the security fixes are applied regularly, which we make sure is completed regularly here at Blue Zenith, it is unlikely your site will experience any vulnerabilities issues. That’s huge for our clients and can give piece of mind to most business owners. So, when the best practices are followed you can rest assured your website is safe.
Just keeping your core WordPress, themes, and plugins updated to the latest versions is not always enough to prevent hacks and security compromises. While keeping your WordPress website up-to-date with the latest security patches is highly important, so is keeping the hosting server up-to-date with latest security patches.
Supplemental Security
Hosting is the second half of the security equation on your website. There is a difference in your hosting options and choosing the right hosting platform is a major component of website security. What we look for is a hosting company that provides secure hosting with optimal performance. This often is means that the plan is not the cheapest plan. In fact, the cheapest hosting plans are typically the ones that are the least secure. For our clients, we use SiteGround as our go-to hosting option. In this article, SiteGround explains some of the ways it keeps website’s safe and secure.
We also use the plugin WordFence on the vast majority of our client’s websites. WordFence allows for brute force protection, which means that we can lock out suspicious usernames and login attempts. Another great feature of WordFence are their weekly or monthly email summaries that give a great quick overview on how it protected a website for the selected time period. Not only that, but WordFence’s email newsletter is constantly sending out information about potential security breeches in regards to major WordPress plugins and themes, helping everyone stay on top of their website’s security.
Limitless Flexibility
Roughly 35% of the internet is built using WordPress and there is a good reason for that. The main reason is its adaptability to third-party tools that incorporate advanced features not part of WordPress core. Through a large library of plugins, we are able to create websites with multiple features such as membership sites, eCommerce sites, and can even integrate with email services like MailChimp and Constant Contact. However, not all plugins are trusted or safe. We take the time to research each and every plugin we add to our websites to ensure that there are no security concerns or compatibility issues.
Another benefit is that, compared to other options, WordPress is fairly simple to use and understand. We have successfully been able to train many of our clients on how to manage their own websites.
We love the fact that WordPress’s themes are highly customizable. WordPress allows for growth, as we can keep adding additional features as your business continues to grow. There are no limits to where your path leads and WordPress can be built out in any direction your business takes you.
What about blogging?
WordPress is the most complete platform for blogging. In fact, it was originally built for blogs. That has changed over the years but was definitely the root of its conception. Other website building tools highlight design and apps first with blogging tagging along in the rear. Since most businesses like to publish their own blogs, using WordPress is a huge win situation and their blogging platform is one of the best in the business. So, no matter what your website requires, you can rest assured that you also have the best built in blogging platform to highlight your business.
Why WordPress?
The list continues: business directories, eLearning modules, eCommerce sites, Membership sites, Media-centric sites, on and on and on. All options give you complete control and functionality.
So, this global phenomenon has come a long way since its initial release in 2003. The results of their 2019 forum releases information that around 455,000,000 websites are presently using WordPress. Since its release, it has gained maturity and continues to surprise us with its dependability. It remains totally scalable, reliable, and stays competitive in the world of websites.
Fun stats
Want some fun stats? WordPress is published in over 120 languages. It gets 20 Billion-page views per month. WordPress sites make up 14.7 % of the top 100 websites in the world. Its blogs get over 400 million monthly views with only 1,148 employees spread across 72 counties, a fraction of employee’s other companies have on their payroll. If those stats are not impressive, keep in mind that the WordPress community is not slowing down – it is growing considerably by the day. This is testament of the impact this publishing forum has had on web standards and the internet.