Item: WordPress
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

WordPress is used to power my staffing organization's website for blogging, taking in resume's from job candidates, and for seeking business from employers. We use WordPress to handle form data, post regular content, and host media. WordPress is used by the entire organization, though it is only directly managed by the Strategy department. We have also used WordPress to handle a small amount of eCommerce.

Pros and Cons

Simple to Use
Highly Customizable

Slow page speed compared to other options
Can have security issues if not updated vigilantly

Return on Investment

Easy to update website.
Site can be updated by non-technical professionals.

Alternatives Considered

Drupal

It was important for our business needs that it be easy to manage our website for non-technical staff. WordPress was significantly easier to use compared to Drupal. While it is possible that staff could have been trained on Drupal, WordPress required minimal training in order for our staff to post blogs and make content changes. Drupal also didn't have the same level of online support that WordPress had. If there was anything we wanted to do with WordPress, we could easily find how to do it with a quick Google search. This was not the case with Drupal.

Other Software Used

Wrike, Microsoft Dynamics 365 (formerly Microsoft Dynamics CRM), MS SharePoint

Likelihood to Recommend

WordPress is a perfect content management system for someone with limited web development experience. It is the simplest content management system for getting a site up and running without writing a single line of code. Complex business needs like eCommerce can be handled by various plugins that save you from having to do any scripting. The multitude of available themes allows users to find an aesthetic for their website that they like without having to create their own. WordPress is strong for smaller businesses that need to put out web content but may lack the technical skills to manage a more complex content management system.

The flip side is that if heavy customization is needed for a project, another CMS might be preferred. WordPress can have security problems if there is any delay with updates, which means sites that hold a large amount of user data may prefer a more secure option. It is difficult to optimize WordPress for speed. If page load speed is important, a site can be better optimized using other content management systems. Some WordPress plugins also have recurring fees, so other systems may be cheaper if you can meet your business needs using them.

WordPress for Blogging and Business

Overall Satisfaction with WordPress