Why we struggle with Wordpress, and how to fix it

I’ve been designing and developing websites for over half of my life, but lately, it seems that I’m hearing more and more comments like this:

“...it’s good to know that you focus on Wordpress, because I don’t know any other developers who do.”

Maybe it's just the circles I run in, but I'm surprised by that. After all, we’re in a time when tech companies are sneaking shady usage rights clauses into their terms of service, and creating barriers between you and the subscriber list you worked so hard to build (looking at you, Substack). Keeping control of your online presence is vital, and Wordpress is free and open-source.

So, if you’re feeling beholden to platforms like Wix or Squarespace, let’s look at a few of the common complaints about Wordpress–they may be easier to solve than you think.

Wordpress sites need maintenance

I’ve actually gotten a few clients because they came to me for help after their Wordpress website was hacked. It does happen. Then again, data breaches at massive corporations also happen.

The thing to note is this: in every one of those hacked Wordpress sites, their core software and plugins were woefully out-of-date. 

Wordpress and its plugins regularly release software updates–that’s partly to add or enhance features, but it’s also to improve security. If you don’t install those software updates, you’ll be more vulnerable to hacking.

Fortunately, it takes just a couple of minutes to install updates, and Wordpress now offers the ability to quickly see what needs update, and even set plugins to auto-update:

1. Go to Dashboard > Updates and select which plugins, themes, etc., you want to update. The WordPress core software can also be updated or even reinstalled from the same page.
2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and click the “Enable auto-updates” link for the plugins you want to auto-update. 

The Wordpress block editor is actually pretty solid these days

Some of the old themes are pretty clunky, but if you haven’t tried the Block Editor in Wordpress, it boasts a lot of capabilities that were missing from the Classic Editor:

• Layout for columns, grouping elements, and drag-and-drop reordering and repositioning
• Set headings, formatting, and even apply background colors and font styles right in the editor
• Create and save “Patterns” that you use often in your website layout, so you can easily drop them into new pages
• Easily toggle between desktop, tablet, and mobile views

It’s not quite a WYSIWYG editor, but with your default design styles set, you can pretty easily change and rearrange your content without having to touch any code.

Wordpress plugins can make you and break you

One of the things I like about Wordpress is how incredibly extensible it is. It’s flexible enough that I can build custom architecture for larger orgs, to make their content easier for users to navigate and for them to manage.

I’ve also seen the flip side of this, however: I got called in to untangle some other developer’s Wordpress build… and found that there were nearly 50 active plugins. All those plugins added potential for code conflicts that could break their website… not to mention a boatload of excess code that was bogging down their site speed.

Plugins are terrific for adding functionality, but it’s important to be choosy about what you use:

• Is it actively maintained? Has a plugin been updated in recent memory? You’re in the clear! Do you see a warning that the plugin is “not compatible with your version of Wordpress?” Maybe pump the brakes.
• Is it trustworthy? If a plugin has at least a few thousand downloads and good ratings, it’s generally a safe bet.
• Do you actually need it? If you’ve installed a plugin that you no longer use, there’s no reason to keep wasting bandwidth on it. Delete it from your website, and you’ll have one less thing to think about.

Basically, keep it lean on plugins, and you’ll have a much smoother experience.

“But I don’t want to do any of this.”

If things like plugins and site maintenance sound like too much decision-making, I get that. It often does take more effort to dial in an online marketing presence that you have the freedom to take anywhere.

Here’s the thing, though: even if you aren’t on Wordpress, you still need to maintain your website. It may not mean updating software, but you should at least update content regularly, and ensure the information on your website stays current. 

If you don’t, it can hurt your search engine rankings–especially with AI-assisted search coming to the fore. AI-assisted searches want to deliver results the AI is certain about. If it finds conflicting information online about your business, you’ll get de-prioritized in search results.

Basically, no matter what platform you land on, you should still be thinking of your website as a living thing that evolves over time, just like you and your business.

More than anything, though, I want folks to use the right tools for them, but with full awareness of what trade-offs you’re making… because in the tech landscape we’re dealing with, there’s always some kind of trade-off. It’s just a matter of which ones you can better tolerate.