WordPress is growing in size and stature at an ever-increasing rate. In fact, the headline figures show that around a quarter of the web is powered by our favorite CMS.
But, why are people drawn to WordPress? Who are its users?
Today I want to look specifically at one of the most prominent groups of WordPress users: entrepreneurs.
Why are aspiring money-makers, perhaps more than any other group, choosing to power their business with WordPress? Here are five reasons why WordPress and entrepreneurs are a perfect fit.
1. Like-minded people
There’s a well-known saying: “like attracts like”; this certainly applies here.
WordPress already possesses a core group of successful entrepreneurs among its ranks. With so many existing entrepreneurs using WordPress to power their business, it’s understandable that other entrepreneurs are drawn in.
Even more important is that many WordPress entrepreneurs are strikingly candid about their successes and failures—they blog about them regularly on their website with full transparency. Budding entrepreneurs can learn a lot from these people, and they will often end up following the experts’ well-trodden path.
Of course, not every WordPress user would consider themselves a “business owner.” Even the one-man freelance developer has gone out on a limb to find clients and get established, though. That’s an impressive feat in itself, and one that requires at least some degree of entrepreneurial flair.
With that in mind, the WordPress community really is an entrepreneurial hotspot, bursting at the seams with innovative spirit. There’s a lot of knowledge and expertise being shared, and new entrepreneurs want to tap into it.
2. User friendly
Another of WordPress’ major strengths is that it’s easy to use.
An entrepreneur’s focus should be on their business; they does not want to have to solve endless website problems.
Fortunately, WordPress meets these needs perfectly.
Claiming that WordPress is “easy to use” can be viewed as subjective, and its somewhat true—a brand new WordPress user is unlikely to code a theme from scratch, all by themselves. However, they probably can install a theme and a few plugins to give them a good looking, fully-functional website; in that respect WordPress is objectively user friendly.
WordPress also allows entrepreneurs to manage their website going forward with minimal fuss. Adding new content, integrating new functionality, and embedding different forms of media are all easy to do in WordPress.
For those that get stuck, there’s loads of great resources for learning WordPress, too—you’re already reading one! Other than (the awesome) Torque, sites like WPBeginner immediately spring to mind.
3. WordPress community
The WordPress community is the platform’s biggest asset.
It’s hard to image a group of more talented, open, and helpful people. Where else would you find people helping direct competitors with their business? It’s a little crazy when you think about it, but it’s also really great.
This sense of community drives the platform forward, and helps new users find their feet.
If you’re struggling with something—whether it’s a specific concern like security, or a big-picture problem like the direction of your business—there always seems to be someone willing to jump in and help out. Often for free.
In many ways, the WordPress community is the embodiment of the pay it forward movement.
This sense of community and the on-hand support network makes WordPress very appealing to entrepreneurs.
4. Cost effective
If you’re in business, keeping costs down will always stand you in good stead.
Getting started with WordPress really doesn’t cost much. With some basic WordPress know-how, for just a few hundred bucks you can have a great looking website, fit for purpose.
What do you really need to get started?
- WordPress core: This is completely free.
- Hosting: Good hosts start at around $20-$30 per month.
- Domain: You can pick one up for less than $10.
- WordPress theme: There are plenty of great free options, and most premium themes will set you back around $50.
- WordPress plugins: You can get most functionality for free, but most premium plugins cost anywhere from $10-$100. You probably won’t need more than a few, either.
That’s a brief list of your main costs. People usually think of starting a business as an expensive pursuit. Sure, it can be, but by using WordPress it doesn’t have to be.
5. Versatility
How will your business make money?
Whatever your answer to that question, WordPress has your back. It’s a versatile platform that meets the needs of practically any entrepreneur—in fact, I’ve previously written about how to monetize WordPress here.
Launching an eCommerce store? Check.
Membership site? Check.
Advertising and affiliate revenue? Check.
Businesses of all shapes and sizes are WordPress-powered. Even if your budget is tight, you can still build a beautiful, functional website that fits the bill.
A few seconds over on Envato’s ThemeForest marketplace illustrates this point.
There are more than 5,000 WordPress themes available on ThemeForest, all for less than $60. Sure, not all themes are created equally, but the number of specialist, niche themes to choose from is most impressive.
Hotels, golf clubs, wedding planners, nightclubs, charity event organizers, churches, schools—you name it, there’s a theme for it. Then there are the versatile, multi-purpose themes that you can tug and pull at until you’re left with the website you want.
The same applies for plugins, too. There are plugins for almost every function imaginable, which means you can make your website do everything it needs to, all without touching a single line of code.
It’s this depth that attracts entrepreneurs to WordPress—you can build a seemingly-tailor-made setup for any type of business.
Looking at the success of a service like HappyTables, the WordPress entrepreneur’s future looks even brighter. We’re going to see far more hyper-focused solutions hitting the market, giving niche entrepreneurs everything they need to build and run their website. That’s right: building a website with WordPress is going to get easier!
Final thoughts
It’s important that the community understands why different users are attracted to WordPress, as this allows the platform to grow in the right direction and to meet all the different users’ needs.
When it comes to entrepreneurs, though, WordPress and its community are naturally aligned. With such a helpful group of people—not to mention all the different themes, plugins, and services available for WordPress—it’s unsurprising that entrepreneurs make up a healthy proportion of WordPress users.
If you’re a budding entrepreneur, hopefully today’s post will give you the push you need to jump in and start using WordPress!
Why were you drawn to WordPress? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!
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