You may think of WordPress as the content management system (CMS) underpinning personal and small business blogs everywhere. And that’s very true.
However, many larger enterprises rely on WordPress as well. According to recent statistics, nearly half of the world’s top million websites use WordPress as their CMS. Also of note: WordPress powers almost 15% of the top 100 sites in the world. Top brands using WordPress include Best Buy, CNN, NBC, the NFL, TED, and UPS.
For an enterprise, a website is the face of the brand and a significant driver of revenue. WordPress is a mission-critical technology for the organization.
Are you using or considering WordPress for your enterprise? If so, you need to know the pros and cons of using WordPress as an enterprise CMS. In addition, you need to understand why you need a trusted partner to maintain your WordPress site.
Benefits of WordPress for Enterprises
There are several reasons why WordPress is an excellent CMS for enterprises. One clear benefit of WordPress is its ease of use. In an enterprise, marketing or operational teams can make website updates without having to engage technical personnel. That means that you can keep your site current and on-brand at all times.
But WordPress offers much more than easy upkeep. WordPress’s real power lies in its capability for companies to customize their sites to suit their unique business requirements. You may be able to handle some customization in-house, but others may require support from WordPress experts.
Plugins and Integration Capabilities
One reason WordPress is so popular is that it is flexible and extendable. At present, there are more than 55,000 plugins available through the WordPress plugin directory. Plugins let you add functionality to your website–such as lead and contact capture, SEO optimization, and more.
Often, enterprises need to integrate their websites with operational systems–including CRM, marketing automation, payment gateways, and others. To meet these needs, many technology solution providers support WordPress integration.
If you have unique integration needs, you can turn to an expert WordPress developer. Experienced developers can work with you to link homegrown or industry-standard solutions to WordPress to help streamline your operations.
Headless CMS Capabilities
Another benefit of WordPress is that it supports headless CMS capabilities. What is headless CMS? Simply put, it separates the presentation layer that displays content from the CMS. This approach lets you create content in a single CMS, but distribute it to multiple channels.
For internal marketing teams, a headless CMS offers a single space for content creation. Content is dynamically distributed to each channel using application program interfaces (APIs). Through this approach, you can keep your content current and ensure it aligns with the delivery channel–which may include microsites, apps, or others.
Challenges of WordPress for Enterprises
WordPress’s flexibility and ease of use have a dark side. Why? Installing plugins is effortless, and it’s easy to have dozens of plugins attached to the site that you never use. Over time, excessive plugins can cause performance issues. Worse yet, plugins can leave you vulnerable to malicious hacks or attacks.
In truth, security is the #1 challenge for WordPress sites. According to one web security study, plugins are the source of 98% of WordPress hacks. Anyone can create a plugin. And there are no development or maintenance standards for them. Unfortunately, cyber attackers often take advantage of this situation.
Another challenge: WordPress doesn’t provide enterprise support. WordPress doesn’t offer any warranty or have accountability for performance. And while standard documentation for WordPress is available, you need an experienced coder to implement it.
Do these concerns mean WordPress isn’t suitable for enterprises? Not at all. If you opt for WordPress as your enterprise CMS, you need a regular maintenance process and expert support.
Enterprises Need a Trusted WordPress Maintenance Partner
Enterprises have specialized and often complex website requirements. Having a proven CMS as the backbone of your site ensures that your brand presence is available online 24/7. For many enterprises, WordPress is an ideal CMS solution.
Why WordPress? The CMS’s simplicity makes it perfect for regular updates by non-technical users. And the massive library of WordPress plugins, along with third-party integrations, can add power and value to your site.
But that doesn’t mean you should go it alone. Often, enterprises need more than standard plugins and integrations can offer. Expert developers can customize your site to meet your precise business needs.
Also, WordPress is notorious for being a prime target for cyber attackers. The unfortunate lack of plugin standards and enterprise support can leave your site at risk. However, regular maintenance by expert WordPress professionals keeps your site and plugins current to guard against bad actors.
If you use WordPress as your enterprise CMS now–or are considering making the switch–make sure you have your maintenance needs covered. Here at Curious Minds, you can test drive any of our WordPress maintenance and support plans without risk or commitment. By protecting your enterprise site today, you can keep your business on solid ground and plan for future growth.
