Is WordPress still the right choice for a small business website?

WordPress runs a huge share of the web, and for good reason. But "popular" and "right for you" aren't the same thing. Here's an honest look at when it fits, and when it's more than you need.

When WordPress is a good fit

• You publish a lot, with a team. Multiple authors, editorial workflows, scheduled posts and lots of categories are what WordPress was built for.
• You need a specific plugin. If your business depends on a particular WordPress plugin, such as a booking system, a membership area or an online course platform, rebuilding that elsewhere can cost more than it saves.
• You have someone to look after it. With a developer or agency handling updates, backups and security, many of WordPress's downsides go away.

When it's more than you need

• Your site is mostly pages that rarely change. Services, about, contact, a few blog posts. That's most small business sites.
• Nobody is really in charge of updates. If plugin updates pile up until something breaks, the site is quietly becoming a risk.
• You're paying for hosting built for a database you barely use. WordPress needs a server running PHP and a database for every visit. A pre-built site doesn't.
• Speed matters to you. Pre-built pages served from a global network are fast by default, without caching plugins.

Questions to ask yourself

1. How often does the content on my site actually change?
2. Who updates WordPress, the theme and plugins, and how often?
3. Which plugins do I truly rely on, and what do they do for visitors?
4. What do I pay each year for hosting, premium plugins and maintenance?

If your answers are "rarely", "nobody, really", "a contact form and SEO", and "more than I'd like", WordPress is probably doing more work than your site needs.

Moving doesn't mean starting over

Leaving WordPress used to mean a redesign and a gamble with your search rankings. It doesn't have to. Your content, design and every URL can come with you, and you can keep editing your site through a simple dashboard.

Not sure which camp you're in? Our free site scan looks at your site and tells you what it's built with and what a move would involve.