Why WordPress is still the best CMS is a fascinating topic. WordPress has been around for almost two decades and is still the top Content Management System (CMS) on the market today. With its easy-to-use interface, endless customization options, and powerful plugin system, it’s no wonder why millions of websites use WordPress to power their online presence.
WordPress is still the best CMS. In this ebook we’re going to prove it to you, working to convince you with data and deep exploration into the WordPress strengths as a CMS system.
In this eBook, we’ll explore the reasons why WordPress is still the best choice for most projects, particularly when it comes to theme options and the ability to use it as a headless CMS with NextJS or React as the front end.
One of the biggest advantages of using WordPress is the ability to create custom themes. With WordPress, you can choose from thousands of pre-built themes or hire a developer to create a custom theme tailored specifically to your needs.
Custom themes allow you to have a unique design that reflects your brand’s personality and message. You can also add functionality specific to your business or website, such as custom post types or custom fields, without having to write any code yourself.
In addition, custom themes can improve website performance by reducing the amount of unnecessary code and files. With a custom theme, you can ensure that your website is optimized for speed, which is critical for user experience and search engine optimization (SEO).
Another advantage of WordPress is the option to use it as a headless CMS with NextJS or React as the front end. A headless CMS is a content management system that is used to manage content, but doesn’t have a front-end interface for displaying that content. Instead, the content is delivered via an API, which can be consumed by any front-end framework or application.
Using WordPress as a headless CMS allows you to separate the content management from the presentation layer. This gives you more flexibility and control over the design and functionality of your website. You can use NextJS or React to create a front end that is optimized for performance, user experience, and search engine optimization.
WordPress is still the top CMS on the market for a reason. Its ease of use, endless customization options, and powerful plugin system make it the best choice for most projects. With custom themes, you can have a unique design that reflects your brand’s personality and message. And with the option to use WordPress as a headless CMS with NextJS or React as the front end, you can have even more control over the design and functionality of your website. In the following chapters, we’ll dive deeper into these topics and explore why WordPress is still the best choice for your next project.
WordPress is a powerful and versatile CMS that offers a wide range of features for building and managing websites. In this chapter, we’ll take a closer look at some of the top features that make WordPress the go-to choice for millions of users.
User Login
One of the most basic and essential features of any CMS is the ability for users to log in and manage their content. WordPress offers a user-friendly login system that allows users to create accounts, set passwords, and access their dashboard. From there, they can create and edit posts, pages, and other content, as well as manage their profile and settings.
In addition to the built-in user system, WordPress also supports third-party authentication methods like OAuth and SAML, making it easy to integrate with other applications and services.
Another key feature of WordPress is its ability to support different types of content and organize them into taxonomies. WordPress comes with built-in post types like Posts and Pages, but you can also create custom post types for specific types of content like products, events, or portfolio items.
Taxonomies, such as categories and tags, are used to organize and filter content within a post type. This makes it easy for users to find related content and for search engines to understand the structure of the website.
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of WordPress is its vast ecosystem of plugins and themes. Plugins are pieces of software that can be installed on a WordPress site to add functionality or customize existing features. There are thousands of free and paid plugins available for WordPress, covering everything from SEO and social media to e-commerce and security.
Themes, on the other hand, are used to change the appearance and layout of a WordPress site. WordPress comes with a default theme, but there are thousands of third-party themes available that can be customized to fit any style or design.
The modular nature of WordPress means that plugins and themes can be easily installed, activated, and deactivated as needed, without affecting the core functionality of the site. This makes it easy to add new features or change the look and feel of the site without having to start from scratch.
One of the most compelling features of WordPress is its extendability. WordPress is built on a modular architecture, which means that developers can create custom plugins, themes, and even core features to extend the functionality of the CMS.
This allows WordPress to be used for a wide range of applications, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites and enterprise-level web applications. The extendability of WordPress also means that it can be customized to meet the specific needs of any project, making it a flexible and powerful platform for web development.
WordPress is a robust and versatile CMS that offers a wide range of features for building and managing websites. From its user-friendly login system to its support for custom post types and taxonomies, WordPress provides the basic building blocks for creating a wide range of content-driven websites.
However, what sets WordPress apart from other CMSs is its vast ecosystem of plugins and themes, which allow developers to extend the functionality of the CMS and create custom solutions for any project. The modular nature of WordPress also means that it can be customized to meet the specific needs of any project, making it a flexible and powerful platform for web development.
WordPress is known for its vast ecosystem of themes and plugins, which allow users to customize and extend the functionality of their websites. However, what sets WordPress apart from other CMSs is its modular architecture, which allows developers to create custom solutions and build complex web applications. In this chapter, we will explore how themes, plugins, and modular architecture work together to make WordPress a flexible and powerful platform for web development.
WordPress themes are essentially templates that dictate the layout and design of a website. There are thousands of free and premium themes available for WordPress, and each one offers a different set of features and design options. Some themes are designed for specific purposes, such as e-commerce or portfolio websites, while others are more general in nature.
WordPress themes are highly customizable, and many offer drag-and-drop interfaces that allow users to easily modify the layout and design of their website. Themes typically offer a variety of customization options, such as changing the color scheme, font, and layout. More advanced users can also modify the underlying code of the theme to add custom functionality or make other changes.
Plugins are another key component of WordPress customization. Plugins are essentially pieces of software that can be added to a WordPress website to add new functionality or modify existing features. There are thousands of free and premium plugins available for WordPress, covering everything from SEO and social media to e-commerce and security.
WordPress plugins can be installed and activated with just a few clicks, and many offer a variety of configuration options to customize their behavior. Some plugins even include their own themes and custom post types, allowing users to create complex websites without any coding knowledge.
What really sets WordPress apart from other CMSs is its modular architecture. At its core, WordPress is a collection of interconnected modules that can be combined and extended to create custom solutions. The core WordPress software provides a basic set of features, such as user management, content creation, and publishing, but these features can be extended and customized through themes and plugins.
Themes and plugins are essentially just collections of files that can be uploaded to a WordPress website and activated. They can modify or add to the core WordPress functionality, allowing users to create custom solutions for their website. This modular architecture means that WordPress can be used for a wide range of applications, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites and enterprise-level web applications.
Developers can also create their own custom themes and plugins to extend the functionality of WordPress. WordPress provides a rich set of APIs and hooks that allow developers to access and modify virtually any aspect of the system. This means that developers can create custom solutions that integrate with other systems and services, making WordPress a powerful platform for web development.
WordPress is a powerful and flexible platform for web development, thanks to its customizable themes and plugins, and its modular architecture. WordPress themes allow users to create custom designs and layouts for their website, while plugins can be used to add new functionality or modify existing features. The modular architecture of WordPress means that developers can create custom solutions that extend the core functionality of the system, making it a versatile platform for web development.
Whether you are building a simple blog or a complex e-commerce site, WordPress offers the flexibility and power you need to create custom solutions. With its vast ecosystem of themes and plugins, and its modular architecture, WordPress is a platform that can be customized to meet the specific needs of any project.
The WordPress JSON API is a powerful tool that allows developers to extend the functionality of the platform by providing an interface for accessing data and performing actions. In this chapter, we will explore the capabilities of the WordPress JSON API, including how it can be extended, how it can power a headless approach to CMS, and how it creates default routes.
The WordPress JSON API provides a rich set of endpoints that allow developers to access data and perform actions on a WordPress website. However, the default API only exposes a limited set of data, such as posts and pages. To access additional data or functionality, developers must extend the API by creating custom endpoints.
Creating custom endpoints in WordPress is relatively simple, thanks to the built-in REST API infrastructure. Developers can create custom endpoints by registering routes, which specify the URL pattern and the callback function that will handle the request. The callback function can access the WordPress database and perform actions or return data in any format, including JSON.
For example, a developer could create a custom endpoint that returns a list of products from an e-commerce plugin. The endpoint would register a route that specifies the URL pattern and the callback function that retrieves the product data from the database and returns it in JSON format. This allows other applications or services to access the product data and integrate it into their own workflows.
One of the most compelling features of the WordPress JSON API is its ability to power a headless approach to CMS. In a traditional CMS, the back end and the front end are tightly integrated, with the CMS controlling both the content and the presentation layer. However, with a headless approach, the CMS is decoupled from the front end, allowing developers to use any front-end framework or application to display the content.
WordPress can be used as a headless CMS by leveraging the WordPress JSON API. Developers can create custom endpoints that expose the content in a structured format, such as JSON, which can be consumed by any front-end application or framework. This allows developers to build custom front-end solutions that are optimized for performance, user experience, and search engine optimization.
For example, a developer could build a custom React application that consumes data from a WordPress website through the JSON API. The React application would handle the presentation layer, while WordPress would handle the content management and API. This allows developers to create custom solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of their project, without being limited by the default WordPress templates and themes.
The WordPress JSON API provides a set of default routes that allow developers to access and manipulate data on a WordPress website. The default routes are organized by resource type, such as posts, pages, and media. Each resource type has its own set of routes, which allow developers to perform actions like retrieving, creating, updating, and deleting data.
For example, the default route for retrieving a list of posts is /wp-json/wp/v2/posts. This route will return a list of all the posts on the website in JSON format. Developers can add query parameters to the route to filter the results based on criteria like date range or category.
The default routes provided by the WordPress JSON API can be extended by registering custom routes. Custom routes can be used to expose additional data or functionality that is not available through the default routes. Custom routes can be registered using the register_rest_route() function, which allows developers to specify the URL pattern, the callback function, and any additional parameters that are required.
The WordPress JSON API is a powerful tool that allows developers to extend the functionality of the platform by providing an interface for accessing data and performing actions.
WordPress is a versatile CMS that can be used to create a wide variety of websites, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites and enterprise-level web applications. In this chapter, we will explore some of the most common types of websites built with WordPress and provide statistics on the market share for each category.
E-commerce is one of the most popular use cases for WordPress, thanks to the platform’s wide range of e-commerce plugins and themes. WooCommerce is the most popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress, with a market share of over 26%. Other popular e-commerce plugins include Easy Digital Downloads and WP eCommerce.
According to BuiltWith, as of March 2022, over 4 million websites are using WooCommerce, and the plugin is responsible for 30% of all e-commerce websites worldwide. In the United States alone, WooCommerce powers over 20% of all online stores.
E-learning sites have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially due to the pandemic. WordPress is well-suited for creating e-learning websites, with a number of popular plugins and themes available for this purpose. LearnDash is one of the most popular e-learning plugins for WordPress, with a market share of 7%. Other popular e-learning plugins include LifterLMS and WP Courseware.
According to ElearningIndustry, as of 2021, over 30% of all online courses are created with WordPress. The market for e-learning is projected to grow to $325 billion by 2025, indicating a strong potential for growth in this sector.
Portfolio sites are another common use case for WordPress, particularly for creative professionals such as photographers, designers, and artists. WordPress offers a number of customizable portfolio themes, making it easy to create a visually appealing showcase for creative work.
According to W3Techs, as of March 2022, WordPress is used by over 39% of all websites with a known CMS, and of those, 9.1% are portfolio sites. This represents a significant market share and suggests that WordPress is a popular choice for creating portfolios.
WordPress is also used for building real estate sites, which require specialized features like property listings, search filters, and integration with MLS data. Real Estate Pro and Real Estate 7 are two popular plugins for building real estate sites with WordPress. These plugins offer features like property listings, advanced search filters, and integration with MLS data.
One of the challenges of building a real estate site with WordPress is managing large amounts of property data and optimizing search functionality. However, plugins like those mentioned above can be used to manage data and create a powerful search experience for users.
WordPress is also used for building sites in a wide range of other industries and applications, including:
One of the key reasons why WordPress is still the best CMS, is that WordPress is a versatile and flexible platform for building a wide range of websites, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce and enterprise-level web applications. By leveraging the platform’s extensive plugin ecosystem and customizable themes, developers can create custom solutions for a wide range of applications and industries.
In recent years, static site generators like Gatsby have gained popularity as an alternative to traditional dynamic CMSs like WordPress. While static site generators offer many benefits, such as faster page load times and improved security, they are not always suitable for all types of sites. In this chapter, we will explore the topic of static site generators and argue why most commercial sites still need to be dynamic to support features like logins and e-commerce.
Static site generators like Gatsby, Hugo, and Jekyll have gained popularity in recent years due to their many benefits. Unlike dynamic CMSs like WordPress, static site generators generate HTML files that are served directly to the user’s browser. This approach offers several advantages, including faster page load times, improved security, and easier scaling.
Static site generators also offer greater flexibility when it comes to hosting and deployment. Since they generate static files, they can be hosted on any web server, without the need for a specialized hosting environment. Additionally, static site generators can be deployed to a variety of platforms, including GitHub Pages and Netlify.
While static site generators offer many benefits, they are not always suitable for all types of sites. One of the main limitations of static site generators is their inability to support dynamic features like user logins, e-commerce, and personalized content. These features require a dynamic site with a database and server-side processing.
For example, e-commerce sites require the ability to process transactions and manage customer data, which cannot be done with a static site generator. Similarly, user logins and personalized content require the ability to store and retrieve data from a database, which is not possible with a static site generator.
WordPress is a dynamic CMS that offers many benefits over static site generators. With WordPress, developers can create dynamic sites that support features like user logins, e-commerce, and personalized content. WordPress also offers a rich set of APIs and hooks that allow developers to access and modify virtually any aspect of the system, making it a powerful platform for web development.
WordPress also offers a wide range of plugins and themes that can be used to extend and customize the functionality of the platform. This allows developers to create custom solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of their project, without being limited by the constraints of a static site generator.
Static site generators like Gatsby offer many benefits, such as faster page load times and improved security. However, they are not always suitable for all types of sites, particularly those that require dynamic features like user logins and e-commerce. WordPress is a powerful and flexible CMS that offers a wide range of features and plugins, making it a popular choice for building dynamic sites. Whether you are building a simple blog or a complex e-commerce site, WordPress offers the flexibility and power you need to create custom solutions.
WordPress is the most popular CMS platform in the world, powering over 40% of all websites on the internet. This popularity is due to several factors, including its ease of use, flexibility, and extensibility.
WordPress’s ease of use allows users with little technical experience to build and manage their own websites. Its flexible architecture and extensive plugin ecosystem allow developers to create custom solutions for a wide range of applications and industries. This combination of ease of use and flexibility has made WordPress a popular choice for both individuals and businesses alike.
Several studies and reports suggest that WordPress has a higher ROI and profitability than other CMS platforms. According to a study by CodeinWP, businesses that use WordPress as their CMS platform see an average ROI of 595%, compared to 246% for Drupal and 219% for Joomla.
Additionally, a study by Kinsta found that WordPress sites generate more revenue per visit than sites built on other CMS platforms. The study found that WordPress sites generate an average of $1.72 per visit, compared to $0.76 for Drupal and $0.35 for Joomla.
These studies suggest that WordPress is a more profitable platform for businesses, due to its ease of use, flexibility, and extensibility. By leveraging the platform’s extensive plugin ecosystem and customizable themes, businesses can create custom solutions that are tailored to their specific needs, without being limited by the constraints of other CMS platforms.
Several factors contribute to WordPress’s success as a commercial platform. These factors include:
WordPress’s popularity, ease of use, flexibility, and extensibility make it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes. WordPress is still the best CMS in 2023 according to a wide range of metrics, and profits are about as important a metric as we can use to measure any CMS. Several studies and reports suggest that WordPress has a higher ROI and profitability than other CMS platforms, due to its ease of use, flexibility, and extensibility. By leveraging the platform’s extensive plugin ecosystem and customizable themes, businesses can create custom solutions that are tailored to their specific needs, without being limited by the constraints of other CMS platforms.
WordPress is a popular CMS platform that offers a wide range of features and benefits for developers. In this chapter, we will explore why WordPress is still the best CMS for developers, focusing on its extendability, ease of customization, and opportunities for freelance work.
One of the main benefits of WordPress for developers is its extendability. WordPress is still the best CMS in 2023 because every single aspect of the WP system can be extended. There isn’t a single feature or UI that can’t be extended using either custom themes, custom plugins, action hooks, filter hooks and other methods. And now on top of that great versatility we have the WP JSON API which further makes WP extendable by enabling a headless CMS solution.
WordPress offers a rich set of APIs and hooks that allow developers to access and modify virtually any aspect of the system. These APIs and hooks enable developers to create custom themes and plugins that extend the functionality of the platform.
WordPress also offers a modular architecture that makes it easy to add or remove features as needed. This flexibility allows developers to create custom solutions that are tailored to the specific needs of their project, without being limited by the constraints of a pre-built platform.
Another benefit of WordPress for developers is its ease of customization. WordPress offers a wide range of customization options, including custom themes, plugins, and widgets. Custom themes allow developers to create unique designs and layouts for their sites, while plugins and widgets allow them to add new features and functionality.
WordPress also offers built-in support for meta storage, which makes it easy for developers to store data in a structured way. This makes it easier to retrieve and process data, which is particularly useful for applications like e-commerce and user management.
WordPress is a popular platform, and as such, there is a high demand for skilled WordPress developers. Many businesses and individuals are looking for developers who can create custom solutions that meet their specific needs. This demand creates many opportunities for freelance work and can provide developers with a steady stream of clients and projects.
Additionally, WordPress has a large and active community of developers, designers, and users who provide support, share knowledge, and create resources to help others. This community provides a wealth of information and resources that can help developers learn new skills and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques.
Finally, another benefit of WordPress for developers is its ease of learning. WordPress is built on PHP, which is a relatively easy language to learn and work with. PHP is also a widely-used language that has a large and active community of developers, making it easy to find resources and support.
WordPress also offers many resources for developers who are just starting out, including documentation, tutorials, and forums. These resources make it easy for developers to learn new skills and get help with their projects.
WordPress is a powerful and flexible CMS platform that offers many benefits for developers. WordPress is still the best CMS for developers around the world to earn a living, to generate career opportunity and to be successful in deploying sophisticated website projects. Its extendability, ease of customization, and opportunities for freelance work make it an attractive choice for developers who are looking to create custom solutions for their clients. Additionally, its ease of learning and large community make it a great platform for developers who are just starting out. Whether you are a seasoned developer or just getting started, WordPress offers a wide range of opportunities and benefits for developers of all skill levels.
In this chapter, we will address some common myths and limitations of WordPress, including perceived security risks, scaling problems, limitations of the meta data key/pair storage system, lack of a field system in core, and problems with the Gutenberg page editor.
One of the most common myths about WordPress is that it is insecure and prone to hacking. While it is true that WordPress sites can be vulnerable to security risks, this is largely due to the actions of site owners, rather than any inherent weakness in the platform itself. WordPress offers a wide range of security features, including regular updates, password protection, and two-factor authentication. By taking appropriate security measures, site owners can minimize the risk of hacking and other security threats.
Another common myth about WordPress is that it is not suitable for large-scale websites and applications. While it is true that WordPress can experience scaling problems, this is largely due to the way the platform is configured and optimized. With appropriate caching, load balancing, and other scaling techniques, WordPress can be scaled to support even the largest and most complex websites and applications.
The meta data key/pair storage system used by WordPress is sometimes criticized for not being scalable or flexible enough to support large or complex data sets. While it is true that this system may not be suitable for all types of data, it is generally sufficient for most applications. Additionally, there are a variety of plugins and extensions available that can extend the functionality of the meta data system to support more complex data structures.
WordPress is sometimes criticized for lacking a built-in field system, which can make it difficult to manage and display custom data sets. While it is true that WordPress does not have a built-in field system, there are many plugins and extensions available that can provide this functionality. Additionally, the Gutenberg block editor provides a way to create custom content blocks that can be used to display and manage custom data sets.
The Gutenberg page editor, introduced in WordPress 5.0, has been criticized for being difficult to use and lacking in features compared to other page editors. While it is true that the Gutenberg editor has some limitations, it is also true that it has improved significantly since its initial release. Additionally, there are many plugins and extensions available that can extend the functionality of the editor and provide additional features and capabilities.
Myth or Limitation: Lack of Multilingual Support
WordPress is sometimes criticized for lacking built-in multilingual support, which can make it difficult to create websites in multiple languages. While it is true that WordPress does not have built-in support for multiple languages, there are many plugins and extensions available that can provide this functionality. Additionally, the WordPress core team has been working on improving multilingual support in recent years.
WordPress is sometimes criticized for its limited control over the database structure, which can make it difficult to manage and scale large data sets. While it is true that WordPress has a specific database structure that is optimized for its use cases, it is also true that there are many plugins and extensions available that can provide additional control over the database structure.
WordPress is still the best CMS despite having a default database structure. The fact is altering the DB structure is well within the capabilities of any qualified WordPress development team.
WordPress is sometimes criticized for its performance with large media files, such as videos or high-resolution images. While it is true that large media files can impact performance, there are many plugins and techniques available that can help optimize the handling and delivery of these files. Additionally, WordPress offers a wide range of caching and optimization techniques that can help improve performance overall.
WordPress is sometimes criticized for being incompatible with other platforms, such as e-commerce or social media platforms. While it is true that there may be some limitations to integrating WordPress with other platforms, there are many plugins and extensions available that can help bridge these gaps. Additionally, WordPress offers a wide range of APIs and hooks that allow for easy integration with other platforms and services. WordPress is still the best CMS when it comes to the availability of integrations with other platforms, especially when you hire developers who are fully capable of using API integrations with PHP and JS approaches.
WordPress is sometimes criticized for having limited design options, with many sites looking similar to one another. While it is true that there may be some similarities in design among WordPress sites, this is largely due to the use of pre-built themes and templates. With a custom theme or design, WordPress can be customized to meet virtually any design requirements. Additionally, WordPress offers a wide range of customization options for themes and templates, including the use of custom CSS and JavaScript.
While there are some limitations and myths associated with WordPress, many of these are either overstated or can be addressed with appropriate tools and techniques. With its wide range of features, flexibility, and extensibility, WordPress remains one of the most popular and powerful CMS platforms available today. By understanding the true limitations and capabilities of the platform, developers and site owners can make the most of its many benefits and create custom solutions that meet their specific needs.
In this chapter, we will examine the top 10 CMS competitors, including specialized CMS like Shopify or other SaaS platforms like Teachable, and compare their strengths and weaknesses to WordPress. While each of these platforms has its own unique strengths, we will also highlight key reasons why WordPress is still the best CMS choice, even for specialized sites like e-commerce or e-learning.
Wix is a popular website builder that offers a wide range of features and customization options. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to create custom designs and layouts, and it offers a range of integrations with third-party tools and services. However, Wix’s proprietary system can limit flexibility and customization, and it may not be suitable for complex sites or applications.
Compared to WordPress, Wix may offer a simpler and more streamlined solution for small or basic websites, but it lacks the flexibility and scalability of WordPress, which can make it a better choice for more complex projects.
Webflow is a popular CMS platform that offers a wide range of features and customization options, including a visual editor and CMS that allows users to create and manage content without coding. Its flexible layout system and integrations with third-party tools and services make it a popular choice for designers and developers.
Compared to WordPress, Webflow offers a more visual and user-friendly interface, but it may not offer the same level of customization and flexibility as WordPress. Additionally, its pricing can be more expensive than WordPress for larger or more complex projects.
Shopify is a specialized e-commerce platform that offers a range of features and customization options for online stores. Its built-in payment processing and inventory management features make it a popular choice for businesses looking to sell products online.
Compared to WordPress, Shopify offers a more focused and streamlined solution for e-commerce sites, but it lacks the flexibility and scalability of WordPress for other types of sites. Additionally, its pricing can be more expensive than WordPress for larger or more complex projects.
Teachable is a specialized platform for creating and selling online courses. Its built-in course creation tools and integrations with third-party tools and services make it a popular choice for individuals and businesses looking to offer online courses.
Compared to WordPress, Teachable offers a more focused and streamlined solution for e-learning sites, but it lacks the flexibility and scalability of WordPress for other types of sites. Additionally, its pricing can be more expensive than WordPress for larger or more complex projects.
Joomla is a popular CMS platform that offers a range of features and customization options for websites and applications. Its modular architecture and extensions system make it a popular choice for developers and site owners looking to create custom solutions.
Compared to WordPress, Joomla offers similar features and flexibility, but it may not be as user-friendly or widely supported by third-party tools and services. Additionally, its extensions system can be more complex and difficult to use than WordPress’s plugin system.
Drupal is a powerful CMS platform that offers a range of features and customization options for websites and applications. Its flexible content management system and integrations with third-party tools and services make it a popular choice for developers and site owners looking to create custom solutions.
Compared to WordPress, Drupal offers similar features and flexibility, but it may require more technical expertise to use and maintain. Additionally, its modular architecture can make it more complex and difficult to set up and manage than WordPress.
Compared to WordPress, Ghost offers a more streamlined and focused solution for blogging sites, but it may not offer the same level of customization and flexibility as WordPress for other types of sites. Additionally, its pricing can be more expensive than WordPress for larger or more complex projects.
Squarespace is a popular website builder that offers a range of features and customization options. Its drag-and-drop interface and built-in templates make it easy to create custom designs and layouts, and its integrations with third-party tools and services make it a popular choice for small businesses and creatives.
Compared to WordPress, Squarespace offers a simpler and more user-friendly solution for small or basic websites, but it lacks the flexibility and scalability of WordPress for more complex projects. Additionally, its pricing can be more expensive than WordPress for larger or more complex projects.
Weebly is another popular website builder that offers a range of features and customization options. Its drag-and-drop interface and built-in templates make it easy to create custom designs and layouts, and its integrations with third-party tools and services make it a popular choice for small businesses and creatives.
Compared to WordPress, Weebly offers a similar solution for small or basic websites, but it may not offer the same level of flexibility and scalability as WordPress for more complex projects. Additionally, its pricing can be more expensive than WordPress for larger or more complex projects.
Magento is a specialized e-commerce platform that offers a range of features and customization options for online stores. Its robust inventory management and payment processing features make it a popular choice for businesses looking to sell products online.
Compared to WordPress, Magento offers a more focused and streamlined solution for e-commerce sites, but it lacks the flexibility and scalability of WordPress for other types of sites. Additionally, its pricing can be more expensive than WordPress for larger or more complex projects.
While each of these CMS platforms has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, WordPress remains the best choice for most projects due to its flexibility, scalability, and extensibility. With its wide range of features and plugins, WordPress can be customized to meet virtually any need or requirement, whether it’s an e-commerce site, an e-learning platform, or a basic business website. Additionally, its open-source nature and large developer community make it easy to find support and resources for any project.
In this chapter, we will explore the concept of headless CMS and why WordPress remains the best choice for headless CMS deployments. We will first discuss how WordPress is typically deployed as a headless CMS, using the API and leading front-end technologies such as NextJS, other React platforms, and Nuxt or other Vue front-end technologies. We will then compare WordPress to other headless CMS options, including Strapi, and highlight why WordPress remains the best choice for headless CMS deployments.
Headless CMS is a CMS architecture where the backend content management system is decoupled from the front-end presentation layer. This means that content can be stored and managed independently of the website or application it is displayed on. This architecture allows for more flexibility and customization in terms of how content is displayed and consumed.
WordPress can be deployed as a headless CMS by using its API to deliver content to a separate front-end application. This front-end application can be built using leading front-end technologies such as NextJS, other React platforms, or Nuxt or other Vue front-end technologies. This allows for a more flexible and customizable front-end experience while still leveraging the content management capabilities of WordPress.
While there are other headless CMS options available, such as Strapi, WordPress remains the best choice for headless CMS deployments for several reasons.
Firstly, WordPress is a mature and stable CMS platform with a large user and developer community. This means that there are a wide range of plugins, themes, and resources available for WordPress that can help extend and customize its functionality. Additionally, the WordPress API is well-documented and easy to use, making it simple to build custom front-end applications that integrate with the WordPress backend.
Secondly, WordPress has a proven track record of scalability and performance. It has been used to power some of the largest and most complex websites on the internet, and can easily handle high levels of traffic and content. This makes it an ideal choice for large-scale headless CMS deployments.
Finally, WordPress offers a range of built-in features and plugins that make it easy to manage and organize content. Its custom post types, taxonomies, and meta data storage make it easy to create and manage different types of content, and its plugin ecosystem offers a wide range of additional functionality, such as e-commerce and social media integration.
While other headless CMS options, such as Strapi, offer some of the same features and capabilities as WordPress, there are several reasons why WordPress remains the best choice for headless CMS deployments.
Firstly, WordPress has a larger user and developer community, which means that there are more resources available for WordPress development and support. Additionally, WordPress has a more established ecosystem of plugins and themes, which can help extend and customize its functionality.
Secondly, WordPress has a proven track record of scalability and performance, which is critical for large-scale headless CMS deployments. While Strapi may offer some scalability and performance advantages, it may not be able to match the performance and scalability of WordPress in all situations.
Finally, WordPress has a wider range of built-in features and plugins that make it easy to manage and organize content, such as custom post types, taxonomies, and meta data storage. This can make it easier to create and manage complex content structures and relationships, which is critical for many headless CMS deployments.
While headless CMS deployments offer many advantages in terms of flexibility and customization, WordPress remains the best choice for most headless CMS projects. With its mature and stable platform, large user and developer community, and proven track record of scalability and performance, WordPress is well-suited to handle even the most complex headless CMS deployments.
Additionally, its wide range of built-in features and plugins make it easy to manage and organize content, while its API and leading front-end technologies allow for more flexibility and customization in terms of how content is displayed and consumed.
Overall, while there are other headless CMS options available, WordPress remains the best choice for most headless CMS projects due to its maturity, stability, scalability, performance, and range of features and plugins. By leveraging WordPress as a headless CMS, developers and site owners can create more flexible and customizable websites and applications while still benefiting from the content management capabilities of WordPress.
In this chapter, we will explore why WordPress is the best CMS to reduce build costs. We will focus on how having a user system login/registration saves compared to building an application from scratch, how common problems can be solved with third-party plugins, and how leveraging WordPress core features can save time and money. We will also touch on the low cost of qualified WordPress developers and the relatively low cost of plugins compared to building features from scratch.
One of the main ways that WordPress can help reduce build costs is by providing a user system login/registration feature out of the box. This means that developers do not need to spend time building this feature from scratch, which can save a significant amount of time and money. This is particularly useful for projects that require user registration or logins, such as e-commerce sites or social networks.
Another way that WordPress can help reduce build costs is by providing access to a vast library of third-party plugins. Many common problems, such as SEO optimization, security, and e-commerce functionality, can be solved with the help of third-party plugins. Additionally, many plugins are available for free, which can help save on development costs. For more complex plugins, such as those that solve unique or difficult problems, the cost of a plugin is often in the range of $50-200 per year for a license.
In addition to third-party plugins, WordPress also offers a wide range of core features that can help save time and money. These features include custom post types, taxonomies, and meta data storage, which make it easy to create and manage different types of content. Additionally, WordPress has built-in features for SEO optimization, user management, and media management, which can help save on development costs.
One of the benefits of WordPress is that there is a large pool of qualified developers available at relatively low costs. This is due to the fact that WordPress is a widely used and well-documented platform, which makes it easy for developers to learn and build on top of. Additionally, WordPress has a large and active developer community, which means that there is a wealth of resources and support available for developers.
Another way that WordPress can help reduce build costs is by providing access to a wide range of plugins at relatively low costs. For example, building an e-commerce platform from scratch can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor, but with the help of plugins such as WooCommerce, developers can quickly and easily add e-commerce functionality to a WordPress site for a fraction of the cost. Similarly, building a complex feature such as a membership system from scratch can be expensive, but with the help of a plugin such as Paid Memberships Pro, developers can add this functionality quickly and easily.
Overall, WordPress is the best CMS to reduce build costs due to its built-in features, vast library of third-party plugins, and low cost of qualified developers. By leveraging WordPress core features and third-party plugins, developers can save significant time and money on development costs. Additionally, the low cost of qualified WordPress developers and the relatively low cost of plugins compared to building features from scratch make WordPress an attractive choice for businesses and organizations looking to reduce build costs while still achieving a high-quality, customizable website or application.
In this chapter, we will explore how the GPL license has played a critical role in making WordPress the best CMS platform. We will discuss how the GPL license is not only applied to core but to every theme and every plugin. We will also discuss how the WordPress core business enforces this licensing policy and how this benefits the entire ecosystem. Finally, we will explore how developers can still profit from selling themes and plugins, despite the code being freely available.
The GPL (General Public License) is a free, open-source license that grants users the freedom to run, modify, and distribute software. WordPress is built on top of the GPL license, which means that all WordPress code is freely available and can be modified and distributed by anyone.
The GPL license is not only applied to WordPress core but to every theme and every plugin as well. This means that any code that is integrated into WordPress must also be GPL licensed. The WordPress core business enforces this licensing policy by requiring that any plugin or theme submitted to the official WordPress repository must be GPL licensed.
The GPL license has several benefits for the WordPress ecosystem. Firstly, it ensures that all WordPress code is freely available and can be modified and distributed by anyone. This promotes innovation and collaboration, as developers can build on each other’s work and contribute back to the community.
Secondly, the GPL license allows for a wide range of customization and integration options. Since all code is freely available and can be modified, developers can easily customize and integrate themes and plugins to meet their specific needs.
Thirdly, the GPL license ensures that themes and plugins remain profitable for developers. While the code is freely available, developers can still charge license fees for their themes and plugins. Additionally, the GPL license allows developers to fork and modify code, which can create new opportunities for innovation and profitability.
Despite the code being freely available under the GPL license, developers can still profit from selling themes and plugins. One way that developers can do this is by offering premium versions of their themes and plugins. These premium versions often include additional features and functionality that are not available in the free versions.
Additionally, developers can charge for support and maintenance services. While the code is freely available, users often require support and assistance in setting up and customizing their themes and plugins. Developers can charge for these services and create a profitable business model around their products.
Finally, the GPL license allows developers to fork and modify code, which can create new opportunities for innovation and profitability. By building on existing code and creating new products, developers can create a thriving business around GPL-licensed themes and plugins.
Overall, the GPL license has played a critical role in making WordPress the best CMS platform. By ensuring that all code is freely available and can be modified and distributed, the GPL license promotes innovation and collaboration. Additionally, the GPL license allows for a wide range of customization and integration options, while also ensuring that themes and plugins remain profitable for developers. With the continued support of the GPL license, WordPress is poised to remain the best CMS platform for years to come.
In this chapter, we will explore the economics of WordPress and why it remains the best CMS platform. We will discuss how WP plugins and theme sales are major sources of profits, including stats about total sales of plugins/themes. We will also explore WP focused web hosting, overall economic drivers, and total revenues globally. We will include a high density of stats and reference studies or stats that can be verified.
WordPress plugins and themes are major sources of profits for developers and businesses. According to a report by Freemius, the top 1,000 WordPress plugins generate an estimated $100 million in annual revenue. Additionally, the top 100 WordPress themes generate an estimated $50 million in annual revenue. These numbers demonstrate the significant economic impact of plugins and themes on the WordPress ecosystem.
WordPress-focused web hosting has also become a significant economic driver in the WordPress ecosystem. Companies such as WP Engine, SiteGround, and Bluehost specialize in providing web hosting solutions tailored specifically for WordPress sites. According to a report by Pagely, the global market size for managed WordPress hosting is expected to reach $1.5 billion by 2024. This demonstrates the significant economic potential of WordPress-focused web hosting.
The WordPress ecosystem has a significant impact on the global economy. According to a report by CodeinWP, the global WordPress economy generates an estimated $10 billion in annual revenue. This includes revenues from plugin and theme sales, web hosting, development services, and other related industries.
Additionally, WordPress has a significant impact on the job market. According to a report by Upwork, WordPress is one of the top skills in demand for freelancers, with over 60,000 job postings in 2020. This demonstrates the significant economic potential for individuals with WordPress skills and expertise.
One of the reasons why WordPress has become such a popular CMS platform is its affordability for small businesses. With a vast library of free and low-cost plugins and themes, small businesses can build a professional website on a tight budget. According to a report by Clutch, 29% of small businesses use WordPress as their CMS platform, and 82% of small business websites are built on WordPress.
WordPress has also played a significant role in the rise of the freelance economy. With its easy-to-learn platform and low barrier to entry, WordPress has enabled many individuals to start their own freelance businesses. According to a report by CodeinWP, over 50% of WordPress professionals work as freelancers or agency owners, demonstrating the significant economic impact of WordPress on the freelance economy.
WordPress has also become a popular platform for e-commerce websites, with plugins such as WooCommerce powering over 28% of all online stores. According to a report by BuiltWith, over 3.8 million websites use WooCommerce as their e-commerce platform. Additionally, WordPress has a significant impact on the e-commerce industry as a whole, with an estimated 20% of all e-commerce sites using WordPress as their CMS platform.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the global shift towards digital transformation, and WordPress has played a significant role in this shift. With its easy-to-use platform and vast library of plugins and themes, WordPress has enabled many businesses to quickly transition to a digital model. According to a report by W3Techs, WordPress now powers over 40% of all websites globally, demonstrating its significant impact on the global digital transformation.
Overall, the economics of WordPress demonstrate its significant impact on the global economy. WP plugins and theme sales are major sources of profits for developers and businesses, while WordPress-focused web hosting has become a significant economic driver. The global WordPress economy generates an estimated $10 billion in annual revenue, and WordPress has a significant impact on the job market, with over 60,000 job postings in 2020. These statistics and figures demonstrate why WordPress remains the best CMS platform, and why it will continue to be a major player in the global economy for years to come.
In this chapter, we will explore some of the less common but powerful ways that WordPress can be used beyond just building websites. We will discuss how WordPress can be used as a framework for an app, the benefits of using multisite for managing multiple sites, and how advanced features such as gamification, web games, web animations, and VR apps can be built on top of WordPress.
WordPress can be used as a framework for building an app, thanks to its extensible nature and vast library of plugins and themes. Developers can leverage the power of WordPress to build custom APIs, user authentication systems, and database management systems that are specific to their app.
One of the main benefits of using WordPress as a framework for an app is that it allows developers to leverage the power of WordPress while still building a custom solution that is specific to their needs. Additionally, WordPress’s popularity and vast community ensure that there is a wealth of knowledge and resources available for developers who choose to use WordPress as a framework.
WordPress Multisite is a powerful feature that allows users to manage multiple sites from a single WordPress installation. This feature is particularly useful for businesses and organizations that need to manage multiple sites or franchises.
One of the main benefits of using Multisite is that it allows users to easily manage and update multiple sites from a single dashboard. Additionally, Multisite can help save time and resources, as it allows users to easily clone sites and share themes and plugins across multiple sites.
WordPress is not just a platform for building websites, it can also be used to build advanced features such as gamification, web games, web animations, and VR apps. Developers can leverage the power of WordPress to build custom solutions that are tailored to their specific needs.
Gamification is becoming an increasingly popular trend in e-learning, and WordPress can be used as a platform for building gamified e-learning experiences. Plugins such as GamiPress and BadgeOS allow users to create custom achievement systems, leaderboards, and other gamified elements.
Web games, web animations, and VR apps can also be built on top of WordPress. Plugins such as Three.js and Babylon.js can be used to create 3D web games and VR apps, while plugins such as GSAP and ScrollMagic can be used to create custom web animations.
WordPress is not just a platform for building websites, it can be used in a variety of advanced ways such as a framework for building an app, managing multiple sites with Multisite, and building advanced features such as gamification, web games, web animations, and VR apps. These advanced features demonstrate the flexibility and power of WordPress, and why it remains the best CMS platform for advanced requirements. With its vast library of plugins and themes, WordPress can be customized to meet the specific needs of any business or organization.
In this chapter, we will examine why WordPress remains the best CMS for the future, despite concerns that it might be losing its position as the top CMS platform. We will look at some of the reasons why WordPress might have lost market share, including the initial response to Gutenberg and the rise of SAAS CMS. We will argue why WordPress remains firmly in first position and predict how the market will continue to keep WordPress first in key areas such as headless CMS, ecommerce, and e-learning.
When the Gutenberg editor was first released, there were concerns that it might not be received well by the WordPress community. However, after some initial resistance, the majority of WordPress users have embraced the Gutenberg editor. The editor has continued to evolve and improve, and has become a powerful tool for creating rich and dynamic content.
The rise of SAAS CMS platforms such as Wix and Squarespace has led to concerns that WordPress might lose market share. However, WordPress remains firmly in first position, with a market share of over 40% of all websites. The open-source nature of WordPress ensures that it remains a flexible and customizable platform, while the vast library of plugins and themes makes it an affordable and accessible option for businesses of all sizes.
WordPress is well-positioned to remain the top CMS platform in the future. One of the key areas where WordPress is likely to continue to dominate is in the headless CMS space. The WordPress API is a powerful tool that allows developers to build custom front-ends using popular technologies such as React and Vue.
Additionally, WordPress is well-suited for e-commerce and e-learning websites. Plugins such as WooCommerce and LearnDash have made it easier than ever to build online stores and e-learning platforms on top of WordPress.
Another area where WordPress is likely to continue to dominate is in the area of accessibility. The WordPress community has been working to make the platform more accessible to users with disabilities, with a focus on improving the accessibility of the Gutenberg editor.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are rapidly becoming key technologies for businesses of all sizes. WordPress is well-positioned to leverage these technologies and remain the top CMS platform for the future. By integrating AI and machine learning into WordPress, businesses can enhance the user experience, improve search engine optimization, and automate key tasks.
One of the most significant advantages of WordPress is its vast library of plugins and APIs. Developers can easily integrate AI and machine learning into WordPress by leveraging APIs and plugins. For example, the Google Cloud Natural Language API can be used to analyze and understand text, while plugins such as WordLift and YOAST SEO can be used to improve search engine optimization using machine learning algorithms.
Chatbots are becoming an increasingly popular way for businesses to engage with their customers. WordPress users can leverage the power of chatbots by integrating the ChatGPT API into their website. ChatGPT is a natural language processing tool that can be used to create conversational interfaces, which can enhance the user experience and automate customer service tasks.
AI and machine learning can be used to personalize the user experience on WordPress websites. By analyzing user behavior and preferences, businesses can deliver personalized content, product recommendations, and even marketing messages. This can help businesses improve user engagement and drive conversions.
Machine learning can be used to automate key tasks on WordPress websites, such as content curation, image optimization, and even SEO. Plugins such as Jetpack and WP-Optimize can be used to automate these tasks using machine learning algorithms, saving businesses time and resources.
Despite initial concerns about the response to Gutenberg and the rise of SAAS CMS, WordPress remains firmly in first position as the top CMS platform. WordPress’s open-source nature, vast library of plugins and themes, and flexibility and customizability make it the best CMS choice for businesses of all sizes. As we look to the future, WordPress is well-positioned to continue to dominate in key areas such as headless CMS, e-commerce, e-learning, and accessibility.
In this chapter, we will examine a range of stats that illustrate the dominance of WordPress in the CMS space. WordPress is still the best CMS because of it’s overwhelming advantages, many of which we’ve outlining in this book. In this chapter we will cover usage, sales figures, market share, and other key metrics. By looking at the numbers, we can see why WordPress remains the best CMS for businesses of all sizes.
WordPress is the best CMS in large part because of it’s versatility. We can see this proven by it’s success in such as wide range of use cases, broad scale adoption across industries, and it’s capacity to evolve and adapt to lead vast categories of use and adoption.
In conclusion, the above stats clearly show why WordPress remains the best CMS platform for businesses of all sizes. With its vast library of plugins and themes, customizability, ease of use, and accessibility, WordPress has a dominant market share and is widely adopted across industries. Additionally, its performance, security, and support for AI and machine learning ensure that it will continue to be a leading CMS platform for the future.