Top 10 Common WordPress Myths Debunked With Real Facts

In spite of the fact that WordPress is widely used across the world to build all kinds of websites including e-commerce sites, there are numerous rumours floating around about what WordPress can and can’t do for you.

You could say that despite providing yeoman service to businesses for the past several decades, WordPress continues to get bad press from certain quarters and remains shrouded in misconceptions.

Today we aim to bust those common WordPress myths for good in this blog. So, let’s begin!

Myth #1: WordPress is Good Only for Blogging

Not a WordPress myth anymore! This was true, yes, but two decades ago. When it was launched in 2003-2004, it was positioned as a user-friendly and stable blogging system that offered flexibility with regard to themes and plugins that allowed extra functionality to the site.

WordPress allowed anyone to create complex websites through a drag-and-drop process; it was possible to automate some aspects of website building. Before long, developers understood that this was potentially very lucrative, and hence started to create plugins and themes capable of fulfilling diverse needs of businesses and individuals. 

Reality: Today, WordPress is used to build any kind of website. Several large websites use WP as their CMS or content management system. A couple of examples: Sony Music, BBC America, and the Walt Disney company. It is a highly effective tool that lets you manage huge volumes of content via a homogenous and scalable system. Anyone who isn’t tech-savvy can easily manage content without having to adjust database entries or code manually.

Myth #2: WordPress Is Not Meant for E-Commerce

This WordPress myth is kind of connected to the first point. Even today there are a lot of people out there who think that WordPress is not good for creating effective e-commerce sites.

Reality: There are a number of WordPress e-commerce plugins available today and you can easily create a powerful ecommerce site using WordPress. The blogging capability of WordPress can in fact be a huge bonus for ecommerce as it allows businesses to inform their customers in detail about what they do, adding more value, engaging customers, and keeping them interested in your offerings.

Today, thousands of ecommerce sites use WordPress. The WooCommerce plugin helps you to make your WordPress site compatible with shopping carts and add other ecommerce functionality. In fact,  42 % of the ecommerce sites you see today are built with this plugin.

Myth #3: WordPress Has Limited Features Because It’s Free

Some critics are of the opinion that since it’s free, WordPress has limited features and/or is compromised. WordPress is an open-source tool and free to use, which means you can make changes to the basic version as you please. You get a free domain name and hosting. This version of WordPress has limitations, that much is true. However:

Reality: There is a way you can get all the amazing features of WordPress by paying a little something. You can pay for a unique domain name and hosting as well. You can use a combo of free themes and plugins and paid ones to build a cracker of a website. You can build your own bespoke theme or purchase premium plugins to incorporate the functionality you want for your website.

Myth #4: WordPress Doesn’t Offer Support

Since it is open source, many people are unsure whom to contact when issues crop up. There is no support centre, so how can we find a solution to our problem?

Reality: WordPress offers several resources to guide you. The WordPress Codex is a detailed guide to how it all works. Think of it as a proactive customer support system that answers commonly asked questions without you having to ask them. A support forum exists where many people who know the system well are more than willing to help. You can also consult service providers and freelancers to guide you when you face problems.

Myth #5: All WordPress Sites Look Alike

Many individual users and small companies tend to use a few popular page builders and themes when they use WordPress for the first time, as they are user-friendly.

Reality: It’s entirely up to the user as to what kind of theme they want to choose; they tend to use ones that are popular in the WordPress ecosystem, unfortunately, and this gives the ‘same look’ feeling. The theme is often customised only after the user is more familiar with the system and the site has been in use for some time, and not immediately after setting it up.

Therefore, the websites look similar not because of any flaw with WordPress, but because of user choices and their failure to tweak the themes to make them reflect their own voice or brand. WordPress is a highly customisable platform; only, you need to have the enough tech chops to modify the basic theme or build your own.

You can always partner with a development firm like us that can build a robust and beautiful WordPress website which stands out from the competition.

Myth #6: WordPress Is Difficult to Use

It is possible that some users may feel overwhelmed while using the platform for the first time, due to the lack of a support team. Due to this reason, many criticise the platform as being hard to use.

Reality: WordPress is one of the most user-friendly platforms you can get. The entire thing is designed to help users publish pages and posts as easily and quickly as possible. Users have a standardised style guide to help them with this. They can then use plugins to extend the functionality of their site and personalise it, delivering excellent user experience.

For example, you can use a plugin to add a feature that prompts visitors to your website to sign up for your email newsletter. You can build appealing web pages in minutes by using themes, templates, and plugins. If you want extensive customisation, the expert WordPress developers at WAC will help you. We can show you countless options for your website’s look and functionality – you are limited only by your imagination!

Customised WP websites can ease adding content with custom backend fields that can populate parts of your front-end design automatically. This makes it easy for the technically un-savvy to manage their own sites. We can safely say that WordPress is way easier to use than other CMSs; it is more scalable and flexible, and can extend website functionality with plug-and-play themes.

Myth #7: Every WordPress Installation Needs a Separate Database

Many WordPress users feel that every WordPress installation necessitates a separate database. For some reason, it is difficult to convince them otherwise!

Reality: Any number of WordPress installations can be executed with just one database. In fact, there are users who treat it as free hosting and install the maximum possible! The database does have limits, of course. In the wp-config.php file, you can edit the database prefix and use it for multiple installations.

You can also share the same table for several WordPress installations, especially when you have to share user access with multiple WP.  The multi-site feature of WordPress lets you build as many sites as you want under one URL; they will function like sub-sites of a single URL with the same plugins, theme, and hosting.

Separate administrators will handle each sub-site, with a super admin having access to all sites. The network between sites can be administered by a network administrator. This simplifies everything, and makes it highly economical.

Myth #8: Plugins Are Risky and Slow Down WordPress Sites

Well, if you install hundreds and hundreds of plugins because you want to have every possible functionality under the sun, then duh, your site is a goldmine for security threats, and is going to crawl like a tortoise. Some experts opine that you mustn’t use more than a couple of plugins on your site. There are also those who feel that plugins are dodgy and unsafe, and it’s best to avoid WordPress altogether for just this reason.

Reality: Do you really want to miss out on important functionality and customisation because you’re afraid your site will get affected? The answer is no. Just imagine you’re going on a hike and you need to pack. Of course, you don’t want to carry tons of stuff; but you also want to pack all you need for a pleasant hike! It’s the same in this case.

How many plugins should you install depends on the types of plugins you want to use and if they are going to load assets on your website’s frontend. Each plugin will impact your website speed differently. To generalise, we can say that 5-50 is okay. Any more, and it is quite likely to slow down your site. You will need to find the sweet spot by trial and error.

As for the unsafe bit – well, let’s just say that plugins in WordPress are as unsafe as the individuals who build and use them! Just get your plugins from a trusted and verified vendor, check reviews and the number of downloads, and purchase those! Again, if you’ve installed a certain plugin but are not using it, it’s better to uninstall it, as an un-activated plugin can make your website vulnerable.

Myth #9: WordPress is Old and On the Way Out

Many WordPress critics feel that it is outdated and will soon become obsolete.

Reality: We have already seen above that 42% of E-commerce sites use WordPress as a base. It’s a free and open-source platform, which means it has grown and continues to be maintained with the help of a large community of professionals. There are thousands of businesses that have been built for the WordPress ecosystem; third parties selling products and services related to the platform.

There is a concerted effort to keep WordPress fast, secure, and current, as both third-party developers and businesses have an interest in ensuring that the platform thrives. It is user-friendly, reliable, dependable, and provides solutions to common problems that can be replicated easily. So, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

Myth #10: WordPress Is Unsafe

This WordPress myth is oft-repeated; WP is not secure, and is highly prone to security threats like hacks. It is true that WordPress sites seem to be hacked at a higher rate than other CMSs, but we have to examine the issue a bit more deeply.

Reality: If you take sufficient precaution to make your site secure by implementing industry best practices, like installing verified themes and plugins, auditing your login procedures, using security plugins, and updating your site regularly, it will remain safe.

In most of the hacked WP sites, the vulnerabilities had stemmed from one of these areas not being properly managed. Running outdated versions of WordPress and PHP, not having a proper security plugin, using unsafe plugins and themes etc. were the main culprits. If you keep updating your WordPress version to the current one, use safe plugins and have robust password management practices, you don’t have to worry about your security at all.

Any content posted publicly is vulnerable to security threats, and you have to take necessary steps to mitigate those threats. If more WP sites get hacked, it’s also because there are far more WordPress sites in existence than any other content management system! WordPress can be exceptionally secure if you do things the right way. 

Press On

WordPress is a simple and versatile platform that lets you build all sorts of websites without necessitating much technical knowhow. And if you want your site to have rich functionality but don’t have a clue how to go about it, Webandcrafts will do it for you.

We will be happy to partner with you on your digital journey and leverage the potential of WordPress to the maximum so that you get the most out of it. We will help you understand the capabilities of the platform and show you how it can be used as a revenue generation engine for you. Your website is after all, the face of your business online, and potential customers may decide on the spot whether to buy or not from you just by glancing at your site.

At WAC, we have a dedicated team of WordPress experts who can mould the website to do what you need it to do; we will craft elegant and robust e-commerce sites that deliver outstanding user experiences to customers and boost conversions. We will ensure that your site is constantly updated and secure, and prevent security risks.

Are you ready to launch a killer WordPress site? Just press the words - Contact Us!