Image courtesy of Fox_Kiyo

I have been a fan of WordPress for many years. I began using WordPress as a blogger, but soon found that using WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS) was the best option for my needs. I’ve created several websites that are pure CMS or a CMS/blogging mix. I’ve found WordPress to be an extremely adaptable alternative to other website platforms. I joke that it is the chameleon of the web world, changing its face to meet the needs of the environment it is in.

As I pondered the uses of WordPress for small businesses, I came up with three distinct reasons why I would choose WordPress over any other platform.

It’s Very Easy to Add Content to a WordPress Site

Once the system is in place, the business owner can take control. If you are a restaurant owner and you want to change the weekly special on your website, you can do it with ease. If you find that you just can’t find the time then there are inexpensive people who can help you. It shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to change an item on your sidebar or in your website menu list. The days of designers and programers who will not relinquish site maintenance are gone. With WordPress, the ability to take control of your web presence is back in the hands of the website stakeholders.

It’s Fairly Easy to Add Functionality to a WordPress Site

WordPress can adapt. It’s a little more complicated than adding in content, but changing a WordPress site to meet your needs can be done. With WordPress I’ve created blog sites, static pages, e-commerce sites (yes within WordPress not as an aside) and membership sites. You don’t have to limit your website to what the platform can do, now you can design it based on what it needs to do to perform–without spending the big bucks to do it.

It’s Easy to Customize the Layout of a WordPress Site

There are many different free themes and paid themes out there for WordPress. If you don’t have a design in mind you may be able to find a free one that works well. Change a few of the header graphics and colors to match your businesses look and feel and voila! Customized look and feel at a fraction of the cost. If you have an existing design, and a little CSS/HTML knowledge you can adapt your existing design to lay on top of the WordPress loop. WordPress design can be as little or as much as you need it to be.