Disadvantages of WordPress Websites for Business

Disadvantages of WordPress Websites for Business

Your business is as reputable as your website, which is why it is equally important to select a website platform that both protects your users as well as reinforces your image as a reliable brand. However, perhaps because it is simple to use, or just made popular by bloggers, many business owners have turned, or are considering if they should turn, to the Wordpress platform for building their business website.

But, though an excellent platform for blogs, which is its original intent, Wordpress is not as great for business websites for many reasons.

It Poses All Kinds of Security Risks, Which Threatens Your Credibility

For customers to take action on your site, they must view it as trustworthy and secure, which WordPress simply cannot promise. The Wordpress platform is susceptible to security weaknesses, including malware, such as malicious redirects, which redirects visitors to your site to a malicious website, and more.

Since Wordpress is free to download, it means that everyone, even those with malicious intent, can download the platform. Once a person with malicious intent downloads the platform, it's just a matter of time before they discover the various security risks, which will enable them to develop a script that can be used to hijack or attack any other Wordpress site or sites.

Furthermore, Wordpress is notorious for its broken plugins. When a plugin breaks, it puts the entire site at risk.

Lastly, Wordpress requires constant updating, which can be time-consuming and frustrating. However, failing to keep up with the updates will leave your site vulnerable to hacks.

Incompatible Plugins

Plugins for Wordpress are written by different people, which presents several issues. There is no guarantee all the plugins will be compatible, which often results in a crash. The more plugins you utilize, the more it increases the risk.

Secondly, should a plugin break, since they are created by literally thousands of different people, there is little chance you will find the support you need to get your site back working as it should.

Lastly, because the plugins are created by random individuals, it also does not rule out the possibility that a hacker can create plugins, which can make your site vulnerable.

It's Not Optimized for Google, Which Can Affect Your Search Engine Rankings

The Wordpress platform is also not search engine optimization (SEO) friendly, which is essential for getting you in front of potential customers. One issue is that it is susceptible to spam, which is frowned upon by search engines. This means if your site contains a significant amount of spam, which Wordpress is infamous for, your ranking will be low on Google because it affects the user's experience. It can also lead to penalties, such as blacklisting, by Google, as well as other search engines.

Wordpress also requires a lot of coding, which, over time, makes your site heavy and causes it to load slow. A slow loading site creates a negative user experience; therefore, it can not only cause visitors to abort your page, but it also affects your ranking on Google due to the retention rate.

Limited Theme Options

Wordpress also has limited theme options, which means you will be choosing from a list of preset themes that many other users also have access to. This means your design could end up resembling another user's design, which can cause visitors to mistake their site for yours.

However, when you choose a web developer to create your business website, it ensures your site is uniquely yours, so it stands out. It is also copyrighted, which means no other site can duplicate it.

Unsecure Web Hosting

Wordpress servers are not the most secure. If a malicious individual hacks just one website on one of the various company servers, it puts the majority of the webspace in danger of attacks. Therefore, you will need to invest in secure hosting to ensure your site is protected.

No Wordpress Support

There is no official Wordpress development team, which means should you run into issues with your site, there is no support team to assist you. Instead, you will have to track down the original publisher of your website, who may or may not still be around, or you will have to try to figure it out on your own.

Otherwise, you will have to hire a developer to fix the issue or delete as many plugins ins as possible, which can hinder your site's functionality and make it susceptible to attacks.

Furthermore, Wordpress puts out updates at least once every few months, which means you will also need to update your website each time an update is available to keep your site secure. However, updating your site usually requires technical knowledge, which means you will most likely need to hire somebody to apply the update each time they become available, which can be costly.

Also, each time you update your site, it affects the plugins, which can cause your site to crash and be costly to fix.

In the end, your website is a direct representation of your business and, in many cases, the only contact some people will ever have with your brand; therefore, it needs to be done right to create a lasting impression that will make them want to take action, continue their support, and also recommend you to friends. Otherwise, you risk saving a few bucks for a less than stellar site, which in the end could end up costing you more money in third party developer fees, secure web hosting, and lost sales. 

About the Author

Craig Corbel is the VP of Marketing for Solution Web Designs, a leading online marketing firm that build websites. Learn more by visiting their websites.