Hey there! As a web developer with over 15 years of experience building sites with WordPress, I‘m excited to provide this beginner‘s guide on using WordPress as a content management system (CMS).
WordPress absolutely dominates the CMS market – it powers over 43% of all websites on the internet!
Now you may be wondering:
- Why is WordPress so popular?
- What are some real-world examples of big brands using it?
- Is it the right CMS for my website project?
This guide will answer all of that and more using data, expert insights, and actionable tips to help you make the right CMS choice. Let‘s get started!
Contents
Why Choose WordPress as a CMS?
There are several key reasons why WordPress is the first choice CMS for everyone from hobby bloggers to Fortune 500 companies:
Flexible & Customizable
With thousands of free themes and over 55,000 plugins, WordPress can be modified to suit any website design need. You can easily add ecommerce shops, membership sites, social networks, and more.
Easy to Use
The WordPress admin dashboard is intuitive and easy to navigate, even for total beginners. You don‘t need any coding skills to build professional sites on it.
SEO-Optimized
WordPress sites have built-in SEO best practices that help maximize search traffic. This includes optimized permalinks, metadata, sitemaps, and more.
Scalable
WordPress can handle insane amounts of traffic. Large enterprises like Microsoft, CNN, Forbes use it to power their high-traffic sites.
Open Source & Free
WordPress is open source software with a large developer community constantly improving it. The core CMS is 100% free to use.
Trusted Security
As the world‘s most popular CMS, WordPress offers excellent security with frequent updates and patches. Top security experts contribute to it.
With WordPress offering so many advantages, it‘s no wonder over 426 million websites rely on it!
Now let‘s look at some real-world examples of big brands using WordPress as their CMS.
25 Well-Known Sites Using WordPress
WordPress powers websites across all industries and niches. Here are 25 big name sites using it:
Media Publishers
- The New York Times
- TechCrunch
- Variety
- MTV
Tech Companies
- Microsoft News Center
- Amazon Jobs
- Sony Playstation Blog
- Spotify for Artists
Ecommerce Stores
- Tesla
- Mercedes-Benz
- Porsche
- Rolls Royce
Nonprofits
- Amnesty International
- World Wide Fund for Nature
- Wikimedia Foundation
Universities
- MIT
- Harvard University
- University of Cambridge
- Oxford University
Government Sites
- The White House
- USA.gov
- Indian Embassy
- UK Police
Musicians
- Taylor Swift
- Justin Bieber
- Rihanna
- Kanye West
Influencers
- Kim Kardashian
- Oprah
- Gary Vaynerchuk
- Marie Forleo
This list just scratches the surface. There are over 75+ million WordPress sites active today!
Now let‘s go deeper into the benefits of using WordPress as your CMS.
5 Key Benefits of Using WordPress as a CMS
As an expert developer whose clients have included Fortune 500 companies, here are the biggest reasons I recommend WordPress as a CMS:
1. Easy Content Management
WordPress makes content creation easy for non-techies with its visual editor and widgets. You can focus on writing great content instead of learning complex systems.
2. Built-in SEO Tools
The Yoast SEO plugin lets you optimize pages for search engines. You can add meta descriptions, target keywords, tweak site structure, and more.
3. Active Community & Support
With a large active community, you can get help quickly on forums. The documentation covers everything to get you started.
4. Mobile-Ready Themes
Hundreds of free and paid themes are fully responsive to look great on all devices. No mobile app required.
5. Affordable Scalability
Caching and optimization plugins like W3 Total Cache allow WordPress sites to smoothly handle millions of visitors.
While other CMS options like Drupal have their strengths, I‘ve found WordPress to offer the best all-round value for most of my clients.
Now let‘s move on to some tips to help you get started…
Tips to Start Your WordPress Website Project
If you‘re looking to use WordPress for your own website, here are 5 tips:
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Choose hosting wisely: Avoid cheap shared hosts. Go with managed WordPress hosts like Kinsta for speed and security.
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Install essential plugins: At minimum, get a security plugin like Wordfence and optimization plugin like LiteSpeed Cache.
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Pick a versatile theme: For flexibility, choose a popular multipurpose theme like Astra that you can customize extensively.
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Take security seriously: Follow WordPress security best practices like strong passwords, backups, and prompt updates.
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Consider a page builder: Visual builders like Elementor help build custom layouts without coding knowledge.
Starting a new website project? I offer 1-on-1 WordPress consulting to help you launch your site quickly. Feel free to contact me here and I‘ll be happy to help!
So that sums up this beginner‘s guide on how WordPress can be used as a CMS for your next website project. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to building anything from personal blogs to high-traffic sites on WordPress.
Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments! I‘m always happy to help fellow beginners with their WordPress journey.
