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Are you planning to build a website but need clarification about using WordPress or building from scratch?
There are many options today for building a website. But when you look at them, things fall into two categories – content management system and writing the website codes yourself.
Several website builders or content management systems let you build any website functions without writing the codes. They make creating a website more accessible and doable for everyone, regardless of technical skills.
On the other hand, writing the codes or building from scratch requires a developer’s knowledge. You must use your programming skills to write custom website codes.
Which option is right for you and why?
This and more are what you will learn from reading this article. At the end of it, I will show you several notable businesses, celebrities, and official government websites built with WordPress.
Let’s dive in.
To Use WordPress or Build From Scratch – Which Option Is Right For You?
WordPress vs coding from scratch has advantages and disadvantages; the option you consider depends on several factors.
If you need complete website control with extreme customizations and bespoke features, consider building from scratch instead of a website builder like WordPress.
This assumes you have web development skills and front-end and server-side programming languages. You must be efficient in writing programming languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and database technologies like SQL, C++, APIs, etc.
Coding your website from scratch can be time-consuming and expensive.
Even if you’re a programming Guru, you should consider the time and resources required to do this versus the goals.
- Do you need website features and functions that are unavailable in content management systems such as WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc.?
- Is it worth it to hand-code your website?
- What do you want to achieve by doing this?
These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before concluding.
WordPress, on the other hand, is the best option if you want to build quickly and avoid dealing with scalability, security patches, fixing bugs, providing updates, code maintenance, etc.
It is the easiest way to build a blog or website without writing the code lines yourself.
WordPress makes creating any website functions, features, and unique design easier and as quickly as possible. There is no need to know anything about HTML, CSS, PHP, or JavaScript; most functions or features are drag-and-drop or block editors.
Most of the technical side of building a functional website is handled by WordPress, so you can focus on growing and managing your business.
Plus, you can extend WordPress core features with plugins, themes, and third-party services. This makes it possible to build unique blog designs, functions, and customization beyond your imagination.
WordPress popularity and adoption are confirmed by the caliber of businesses and organizations using it. You will find Fortune 500 enterprises, government websites, and top celebrities using WordPress:
- Whitehouse (US Government)
- Beyonce
- SnoopDogg
- CNN
- The Rolling Stones.
- Microsoft Corporation
- The Next Web
- TechCrunch
- Sony Music
- Usain Bolt
- MTV News and many others.
The adoption of WordPress by big industry companies, government websites, and celebrities further cements WordPress as the leading CMS worldwide.
As of 2023, WordPress powers approximately 43% of internet websites (considering both custom and CMS platforms)
WordPress is also the biggest CMS market shareholder with 64% (considering only CMS websites), leaving behind competitors like Shopify, Wix, Joomla, and Squarespace in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and fifth positions.
Why You Should Build With Website Builders
Building your website with WordPress is better than coding if you’re a beginner without programming knowledge. Also, it has many advantages, outweighing its disadvantages.
It saves you money, time, and resources and significantly reduces the barrier to starting an online business for non-technical people because WordPress does not require coding.
Whatever the type of online presence or business you intend to build, WordPress lets you do it effortlessly.
You can create it with WordPress, whether it’s an eCommerce business, work portfolios, business websites, creative arts, membership sites, forums, online communities, etc.
Here are eight reasons to build your online presence with WordPress CMS.
Built for Everyone.
Regardless of background knowledge in programming language and digital marketing, WordPress is built to make creating websites easy for beginners.
Even if you have never used a CMS, watching WordPress video tutorials should get you along with using the software.
Installing the core software is a one-click step. All you need is a hosting account and a domain name (assuming you want to host your website and get a custom domain name).
Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or seasoned professional, WordPress is geared towards making creating an online presence as easy as possible.
Manage Content on the Fly
You can manage your website files and content from any device, anywhere, and anytime.
Your website contents do not reside on your personal computer; they live on your hosting provider’s servers in the cloud.
This makes it possible to access your files from any internet-enabled device and any location worldwide.
You can log in to your account to make changes, save draft content, and publish from any device.
No Technical or Design Skills Needed
As mentioned earlier, you don’t need any technical skills, design, or coding knowledge to use WordPress. The software is built to make the entire website development process possible with less effort.
First, there are thousands of freely accessible templates designed. These templates or WordPress themes can be used for most industry, business, and website needs.
As it is, there are over 5,000 free themes in the WordPress themes repository, making it the largest in the industry.
Also, WordPress has plugins that further extend its core function, features, and performance. There are plugins for any website features and functions you can think of.
From SEO plugins to speed, performance, on-page SEO, marketing, integrations, and automation, plugins enhance your website functions.
Built-in Security Features
WordPress is built on top of state-of-the-art security features and measures. It comes with native security measures like spam protection, login page protection, and other security features.
However, you can enhance your WordPress site security with plugins.
For example, plugins protect against unauthorized access to your account, malware protection, brute force and DDoS attacks, and more.
Additionally, ensure you’re regularly updating the WordPress core software, plugins, and themes, using 2-factor authentication, and avoid using nulled or pirated themes and plugins.
Easy to Scale
WordPress is built to support your business from the humble beginning to see you grow into a large-scale or even Fortune 500 business.
WordPress handles every business needs efficiently, whether you’re selling a handful of groceries, operating a small business, sharing your experience with the community, or doing international business.
As your business grows and needs more resources, WordPress grows with you.
Community Support
WordPress enjoys one of the world’s largest communities of web developers, with contributors from over 57 countries, hundreds of tech companies, and thousands of web dev props.
Additionally, WordPress is fully available in over 65 languages and partially translated into 200+ other languages.
WordPress is the only CMS with this level of community support worldwide, and thousands of devs from big companies like Google, Yoast, IBM, Microsoft, and more love it.
As open-source software, developers can contribute to its core software, enhancing its capabilities, features, and core functions.
Regular Updates
Regular updates are another significant reason you should use WordPress instead of building from scratch.
The internet is an ever-changing landscape, making it challenging to keep up with the latest industry and technology changes.
WordPress pushes updates regularly through the years and consistently does this to make its software adapt to the current internet realities and user demands.
These updates are done automatically; you don’t need to do anything to make the changes affect your site.
Developer Friendly with REST API
WordPress is developer-friendly; it allows you to integrate other services and tools with its core function.
Through the WordPress REST API, developers can use WordPress for development purposes. It lets you use headless WordPress for custom mobile and web application developments.
You can use the REST API interface for third-party development without logging into your WordPress.
When You Should Consider Building From Scratch
Hand-coding a website from scratch has its advantages. It offers more control over site structures, design, customization, and flexibility.
If you’re sure you want to do this, here are some of the pros of building a custom code website.
Custom Design
Most website builders like WordPress use template designs that are freely available to everyone using the platform. This can make your website look like everyone else’s.
Writing your website codes means creating something unique that adapts to your specific needs and is entirely different from a template-based website builder.
You imagine your website design, design it, visualize it, and build the code and the structure. You can create the layouts, URL structures, design patterns, etc.
The Code is Yours
The feeling that comes with knowing that the code for your website is entirely yours is fantastic.
You’re the only one who knows and understands how the website is built; you can replace, modify, delete, add, or rewrite the entire code line without breaking into the framework of another product.
Owning your website code allows you to take control of maintenance, security, and customization.
Better Performance
Creating a custom website from scratch can improve performance and user experience.
This is because only necessary and required code lines are considered when you write the codes.
Unlike website builders or CMS, generating unnecessary files, codes, and requests, writing your code frees you up from all these. You don’t have to reference external resources on the page when they’re not needed.
Website builders and content management systems reference third-party services, libraries of frameworks, and resources for all sorts of reasons unimaginable.
You possibly won’t do that in your website development.
Less Vulnerable to Attack
One of the cons of website builders such as WordPress is security breaches. As the most popular content management system, WordPress is the target of website attacks.
Since you’re building custom website codes, your website is less of a target for hackers and other known security threats.
Improve Your Dev Skills
Another significant advantage of building a custom website is developing your coding skills.
Building a custom code website helps you test your programming knowledge, advance your career, and help you learn new development technologies.
Why Should Not Build From Scratch
My arguments here assume you’re not a developer. You want to hire someone to code a custom website based on your needs.
So, most views listed here are relevant if you’re hiring an agency to do it for you.
It’s Expensive
Hiring an agency to code a custom website for you costs money.
While there’s no specific rate, if an agency or freelancer charges you $100 or $500, you should ask questions about the value of the work you’re paying for.
On average, agencies that know what they are doing charge between $3,000 and $10,000 for custom website development.
This figure might be higher than this; it depends on the quality of work, the developer’s years of experience, and the uniqueness and requirements of the website.
You’re not Fully in Control.
The agencies you hire are experts but must include your vision or unique business needs in the design; otherwise, the result will be different than expected.
For example, you might have a specific design layout, features, or functions to incorporate into your website; your developer may not realize your vision. Leaving you with a dissatisfied result and not precisely the design or functions you want.
3rd Party Dependency For Updates
This is common when you hire a web developer; you may need to depend on their expertise to maintain or update your website.
For basic things like updating files, plugins, and writing content, you may need to contact the developer before you can accomplish the task.
This will slow down progress and cause delays in executing essential tasks, especially if you need to learn basic HTML knowledge.
You can be Scammed.
You should be careful who you hire for your website projects; many people who claim they know a thing or two about web development are con artists.
Ask relevant questions, ask for their past work, and check out what type of projects they’ve worked on. You can even ask past customers or seek recommendations from relevant people or communities in the industry.
Ensure you engage the developer in discussion before working together on the project. Make your expectations known and clear, and ensure you have a solid contract agreement before the commencement of the design project.
Where to Find Developers
If you aren’t a web developer but want to code a custom website, hiring someone who can is best.
Thankfully, there are many reliable places to find web development agencies at affordable places. One platform to find freelance website developers is Fiverr.
Fiverr is the world’s largest freelance marketplace for hiring digital marketing professionals for all online services. There, you can get people to build a custom code website for you with unique features and custom design and even help with the management.
Prices can range from $500 to $5,000.
Professional and Brands Using WordPress
If these businesses use WordPress, then it’s obvious you can do incredible things with the WordPress content management system.
From Government official websites, celebrities, and Fortune 500 companies to large enterprise businesses, WordPress powers every category of an online presence.
NASA
Imagine for a moment the official NASA (the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration) websites are powered by WordPress.
The NASA and NASA science websites are built with enterprise WordPress versions.
This site has a gigantic archive of information and millions of media contents, and it connects businesses and people from all kinds of works of life together on its website.
WhiteHouse
Another notable government website powered by WordPress is the WhiteHouse of America.
The WhiteHouse official website has been built with WordPress enterprise solutions since 2018.
Considering the level of advanced security and website features required for this government house, one would question whether WordPress is vulnerable to hackers.
Hilary Clinton
If you think only government websites are built with WordPress, you must consider Hilary Clinton’s website.
Her website is built using the WordPress open-source content management system. The homepage is designed with simplicity in mind and to immediately create an impact on her visitors.
This is one of the most popular politician websites using WordPress.
Rafael Nadal
The blog of Rafael Nadal is a good example of professional athletes and celebrities using WordPress to share their legacy and achievements with the world.
Rafael Nadal is a professional tennis player with a long history as a legend and one of Roger Federer’s fierce opponents.
His website is built with WordPress, the open-source CMS that powers over 43% of the web.
Fans can engage with the sportsman here and visit the shop section to purchase some branded items, including clothes, bottles, and sports accessories.
You can review thousands of other notable websites using WordPress on this page. This can inspire your design creativity and help you clear the confusion of whether to build with WordPress or code from scratch.
Conclusion
Unless you’re convinced your project requires a custom website, creating websites with WordPress content management systems is ideal.
WordPress automatically handles all the coding stuff, including software updates, file maintenance, features, and functions.
Due to its vast number of plugins and themes, WordPress makes it easy to customize your website. Adding more features and functions to your website with plugins to create unique functions is more than possible.
Still, there are situations where building custom websites is the ideal option. For example, if you need to deploy highly customized website projects.
