When considering an affordable business website, you might wonder if WordPress is easy to use? You don’t want to make the switch from your current website software only to find WordPress is so complicated that you end up needing someone else to manage it for you.
And having a website that is so difficult that you need to pay someone else completely misses the point of having a more affordable DIY website for your business.
Use offers of free trials to compare, not build
Every website business – Squarespace, Rocketspark, Wix, Shopify – wants to convince you that their website editing software (also called a CMS, Content Management System) is the most user friendly, the easiest to use compared to everything else out there.
The trick is to get you reeled and start using it. This is why they all offer free trials.
They know that once you’ve spent time getting over that steep learning curve (which happens when you start using anything new, no matter how “easy” it is) that you won’t switch because you’ve invested all that time learning how to use it (the sunk cost fallacy, in this case the cost is your time).
The problem is you need to keep paying whatever they charge if you want to keep your website. Unlike a standalone, self-hosted WordPress website (that we build for you) these services are paid monthly and the costs can quickly add up. For a very basic Shopify plan, you’re paying about $50 a month, plus any extras you want, and most other services are about the same. That’s $600 a year. And as soon as you stop paying, you lose your whole website. It’s like the difference between owning or renting a house.
See also: How much can you save converting from Shopify to WordPress (WooCommerce)?
The takeaway? Don’t get sucked in by a free trial. To be more specific, don’t use a free trial to build your website, only use it to compare services. That way, you can make a more objective choice about what service to go with.
So, is WordPress easy to use?
Getting back to the original question – how difficult is it to use WordPress?
Well, the answer isn’t that straightforward. I think it is, and it’s is the most popular CMS in the world (over 60% market share) and powers more than 45% of all websites. It wouldn’t have got there if it was really difficult to use.
That said, maybe you might find it complicated. As mentioned above, anything new has a learning curve. If you expect to master it in a few minutes then you might want to rethink your expectations.
The best thing I can do to answer the question is give you some reasons why I think WordPress is a good choice for businesses who want to own and manage their own website. I’ll also walk through a demonstration of the actual editor so you can see it in action (if you’d like a demo, just get in touch and we can organise a risk-free trial so you can give it a go).
4 reasons WordPress is a great choice for a business website
WordPress is widely recognized as one of the most user-friendly Content Management Systems (CMS) available, and its popularity is a testament to its ease of use. With a vast user base ranging from beginners to experienced developers, WordPress has consistently proven itself as the go-to platform for building websites.
1 – User-friendly interface
In the 15 years I’ve been using WordPress the interface has come a long way, while other CMS options (like Drupal or Joomla lagged behind, waaaaay behind). Everything is accessible from a side panel, meaning there’s a lot less time wasted just trying to get around. Functions like adding a page or editing style can easily be opened in a new tab, making it even quicker to get back to your starting point.
2 – Heaps of support and training options
Because WordPress is so popular, there are literally thousands of YouTube videos offering tutorials, and plenty of local IT trainers offer 1 on 1 support or remote assistance. It’s like owning a Toyota Corolla, you rest easy knowing there’ll always be someone around to help, and you don’t have to be locked into just one provider.
3 – Flexible editing options
With services like Squarespace or Wix, you don’t get a choice with the editor. It’s one size fits all, love it or hate it. But with WordPress you’re not boxed in. If you don’t like the default WordPress page editor, there are plenty more to choose from. We regularly use Elementor as it offers a nice balance between control and functionality.
4 – Greater control
With a self-hosted WordPress website from us, you have something you won’t get with other providers – much greater control over your website. With other providers they control the top end of your website, meaning you can be limited with future development of your site. They could even remove functionality if they deem it’s for the greater good. With a self-hosted WordPress site, there are essentially no limits. Customise to the extreme, change the database, run whatever script services you want – you wont be wasting your time always looking for workarounds or having to buy expensive plugins because you can’t customise your site.
WordPress website editor walk-through
Here’s a quick overview of the admin side of WordPress. In this example, I’ll show you both the default WordPress editor and Elementor. As mentioned above, there are also other page editors you can choose from.
Should you choose WordPress for your new website?
Great question. Maybe. Maybe not. Ultimately, it will depend on what suits you and your business, but it should definitely be on your list of options. Remember, most other providers have massive marketing budgets to spend on persuading you to go with them. Shopify alone had revenue of over $US1.7B last year.
WordPress is an open-source editor that doesn’t have the same sort of advertising spend so a lot of business owners never even consider it when getting a new site, they just go with whatever seems to be the popular go-to options. The same thing happens with domain registrations and renewals – our domain prices are about half of big providers like Freeparking and 1st Domains but they still get the big majority of sales – its all about marketing and market exposure.
And, if you’re worried about the technical aspects of having a self-hosted WordPress website, don’t be. We offer a full install and managed hosting service for just $12.90 a month.
If you do have any questions about WordPress, just ask. There are no stupid questions – except which Super Rugby team is the best 😉
We can take care of the whole process and get you into your own self-hosted WordPress website in a matter of days – no strings attached!