WordPress powers a staggering number of pages per month, or roughly 35% of the internet. Despite its ubiquity on the web, there are many myths and misconceptions about WordPress that have stuck around since its humble beginnings in 2005.
To set the record straight, we’ve listed some of the most common WordPress myths. Let’s dive in.
1. WordPress has Security Flaws that are More Likely to Jeopardize Your Site than Other Platforms
WordPress is not the world’s most easily hacked content management system (CMS). However, it is the most frequently hacked CMS. There’s an important distinction here.
Similarly, Intel CPUs are the most commonly failed computer processors. They overheat, short circuit, and power surge more than any other CPU on the market. Why? Because until 2017, when the title was handed to Samsung, Intel was the world’s leading manufacturer of processors and held that position for decades.
Since WordPress is used more than any other CMS on the market, the probability of suffering a security attack is higher than other platforms.
2. WordPress Doesn’t Support eCommerce Integration
Although some critics maintain that WordPress is too dated to support modern ecommerce integration, this assertion is flat-out wrong. There are several plugins that transform the WordPress platform into a user-friendly and powerful ecommerce store, including:
- WooCommerce
- Easy Digital Downloads
- Cart66 Cloud
- BigCommerce
- WP EasyCart
- Ecwid Ecommerce Shopping Cart
In fact, there are over 40,000 plugins available on the WordPress platform.
3. WordPress isn’t for Enterprise-Level Customers
It’s a common misconception that WordPress is meant for bloggers and small-time webmasters. However, WordPress is a capable enterprise solution. Perhaps its greatest asset as an enterprise software solution is its back-end, which is intuitive and can be navigated easily by various non-expert team members and administrators.
Although other CMS platforms undergo updates that change their admin panel, WordPress has stayed the same over the years. The result is that WordPress has become synonymous with a simple, no-nonsense back-end that anyone within an organization can get comfortable with.
4. WordPress isn’t Going to Last
Some critics suggest that WordPress isn’t going to stick around in the future due to it being free and open source. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Since WordPress is open source and supported by a global community of WordPress developers and third-party WordPress companies, it’s unlikely that the platform will disappear any time soon.
These companies and devs power a product ecosystem that brings in large revenues and supports a local WordPress economy, despite WordPress’s brand name being owned by a non-profit foundation.
5. Free Software Like WordPress Can’t be High-Quality
WordPress is free software, and it is offered without charge. Consequently, some skeptics are unsure why developers would waste their time supporting free software when their efforts are not financially rewarded.
The opposite, however, is true. That WordPress is a free and open source software is why a volunteer community of thousands of highly skilled developers have collaborated on the code for years. The fact that WordPress is free and community-driven is precisely why WordPress has seen such considerable success and is considered developer-friendly.
6. WordPress is for Newbies
WordPress isn’t meant for beginners—it’s meant for everyone. That doesn’t stop critics from alleging that WordPress is only meant for web designers and webmasters who don’t know to code HTML or CSS.
While it’s true that WordPress is intuitive and beginner-friendly—in fact, you don’t need to know how to code at all to get started with WordPress—advanced users often use WordPress because it’s one of the only platforms that can utilize their coding and design skills.
WordPress is as advanced as you make it, and many power users and developers rely on WordPress to accommodate their custom code. Clearly, WordPress isn’t just for the newbies.
7. WordPress Can’t Support Big, High-Traffic Websites
It’s not true that WordPress can’t support large websites. In fact, many of the web’s most frequented websites, such as TechCrunch, BBC America, and MTV News, are powered by the WordPress platform.
Ultimately, WordPress maintains a laissez-faire approach when it comes to self-hosting. WordPress users are responsible for managing their own traffic and server performance. However, there are options such as WP Engine that help users through the technical side of self-hosting and managing server bandwidth.
8. There Isn’t Much Third-Party Support Available for WordPress
There is a ton of support for WordPress from third-party developers and companies that are a part of the WP ecosystem. Look no further than the forums on WordPress.org to find a thriving community of thousands of developers and enthusiasts dedicated to helping out WordPress users.
There are many resources available online to help WordPress users with their web design, hosting, troubleshooting, and site maintenance needs. Although there is no phone support for WordPress, there is a highly-active 24/7 community of volunteers ready to assist via online forums and messaging.
9. WordPress is Only for Blogging
WordPress is not blogging software, it’s a website builder and CMS platform that supports large Fortune 500 websites as well as small-time blogs. Many of the largest ecommerce sites use WordPress to power their online stores, and governments and universities also use WordPress to host their websites as well.
There is a wide variety of plugins and extensions available to tailor WordPress to your website’s needs. For example, WooCommerce, a third-party ecommerce plugin more widely-used than Shopify, can turn any WordPress website into a powerful online vendor.
The Bottom Line
Despite its massive popularity, there are many myths and misconceptions that have stuck around over the years about WordPress.
WordPress is a widely-supported, community-driven website builder that powers nearly one-third of the internet. It’s driven by third-party plugins and developers who utilize its open source software to perfect its code and tailor it to suit their needs.
No matter your level of programming skills, you can get started with WordPress and build a powerful, well-supported website.
