WordPress is free, open-source software for building and managing websites. According to W3Techs it runs 39.5% of all websites (31 October 2026). For most company sites, blogs and online shops it is a sound choice, provided it is built with few plugins and looked after properly. It is also what our custom WordPress builds run on.
Why WordPress may be the right platform for your business
WordPress is free software that runs almost 40% of all websites. When it is the right choice for a business, when it is not, and what it really costs.
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In short
- What it is: free website software, around since 2003, now behind almost 4 in 10 websites.
- Strengths: easy editing, a huge choice of themes and plugins, it grows with the business, a good base for SEO.
- Weak spot: plugins. In 2025, 91% of new vulnerabilities in the WordPress ecosystem were in plugins (Patchstack).
- Cost: the software is free; you pay for the domain, hosting, build and care.
What is WordPress?
WordPress began in 2003 as a blogging tool and is now used for every kind of site, from a five-page company site to a large shop. It is written in PHP and stores content in a MySQL or MariaDB database. Since version 5.0 (December 2018), pages are written in the block editor: a heading, a paragraph, an image and a button are separate blocks you can move around.
Two names cause confusion. WordPress.org is the free software you install on your own hosting. WordPress.com is a paid hosted service with plan-based limits. In this article, “WordPress” means the first.
Why choose WordPress for a business website?
- Easy to edit. Staff without technical training can change text, swap an image or publish an article. With a well-built theme they cannot break the layout by accident.
- Flexible. Thousands of themes and plugins cover common needs, and a custom theme covers the rest. We build every site on our own theme, without a page builder, so it stays fast and easy to maintain. The three-year difference is costed in Custom WordPress theme vs page builder.
- Scales. The Tandem Export wholesale catalogue, with 10,000+ products, runs on WordPress and WooCommerce.
- A good SEO base. Readable URLs, editable titles and descriptions, and an XML sitemap. It is a base, not SEO in itself: rankings depend on content, speed and structure (see SEO services).
- Secure when maintained. The core gets fixes quickly. Patchstack’s report on 2025 found 91% of new vulnerabilities in plugins, 9% in themes and only six in core, all low risk. Fewer plugins, prompt updates and tested backups do most of the work (website security).
- No licence fee. You pay for hosting, the domain, the build and care. What drives the price is on our pricing page.
When is WordPress not the best choice?
If you need a single page that will never change, or nobody will look after updates, a hosted builder such as Wix or Shopify may be simpler. You pay a monthly subscription, and hosting and updates are their job.
How to get started with WordPress
- Register a domain in your company’s name (see domain and hosting).
- Choose hosting that fits the site: a shop needs more than a brochure site. We can help you choose and set it up.
- Install WordPress. Most hosts offer a one-click install; you can also install it by hand from wordpress.org.
- Pick a theme. A ready-made theme is a quick start; a custom theme fits your brand and carries no unused code.
- Add plugins sparingly. Yoast SEO for titles and descriptions, WooCommerce for a shop, a form plugin for enquiries. Every plugin is code that needs updating.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress free?
The software is free and open source. You pay for the domain, the hosting, the build (theme, content, set-up) and ongoing care: updates, backups and security.
What is the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
WordPress.org is the free software you install on your own hosting and control completely. WordPress.com is a paid hosted service run by Automattic, with limits on themes and plugins depending on the plan. The business sites we build run on WordPress.org.
Is WordPress secure?
The core has a dedicated security team; Patchstack counted only six new core vulnerabilities in 2025. The risk sits mainly in plugins and themes, so keep them few and up to date.
Is WordPress suitable for an online shop?
Yes, with the WooCommerce plugin. It works from small shops to catalogues with thousands of products, as long as the hosting and theme are chosen for the load.
