Why Content Creators Shouldn’t Use WordPress
The double edged sword when using Wordpress
Image by Innova Labs from Pixabay
Introduction
I’m currently working with a client who relies heavily on WordPress for their website. Over the past few months I’ve been building new UI features, solving bugs related to Kadence, and fixing user experiences with php code. In doing so, I’ve had a front row seat to the decisions made with WordPress and its ecosystem of third party tools. And here’s something I’ve noticed: many of these decisions while convenient in the short term, have long term consequences for performance, maintainability, and user experience.
What I’ve seen firsthand is that WordPress often allows non-technical users to build, but it doesn’t necessarily guide them toward building correctly. This distinction is important because small decisions (like choosing a plugin, adding a block, or embedding an iframe) can snowball into performance bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, and frustrating user experiences.
Let’s dig into why content creators, without a developer (or developers mindset), shouldn’t be using WordPress as their go to platform.
WordPress Requires a Developer’s Mindset
On the surface, WordPress seems simple. Drag-and-drop page builders, third-party themes like Kadence, and editors like Gutenberg make it possible to create websites without touching a single line of code. But here’s the catch, building a site isn’t the same as building it well.
Take something simple like a button. A software engineer knows that a button should:
Change the cursor to a pointer on hover.
Be disabled after the user clicks it to prevent duplicate actions.
Provide clear feedback (i.e. spinner) that something is happening in the background if a request is being made.
These may sound like minor details, but they’re what separate a seasoned engineer from a junior engineer. And a frustrating user experience from a smooth one. WordPress doesn’t enforce these practices, it leaves them up to the builder. And unless you’re thinking like a developer, these best practices are often overlooked.
For content creators, this means they might be able to build a page, but they may unknowingly be leaving their users with clunky, confusing, or even broken experiences.
Too Many Plugins
Plugins are one of WordPress’s greatest strength and one of its biggest weaknesses. They offer convenience by letting you add functionality with just a few clicks, but that convenience comes with a tradeoffs:
Every plugin is another piece of code that could slow down your site.
Some plugins introduce security vulnerabilities that put users at risk.
Not all plugins are maintained, leaving your site vulnerable.
I recently removed a file manager plugin from a client’s site because it posed a security threat and it wasn’t necessary. In software development, we have a principle called YAGNI: You Aren’t Gonna Need It. Installing tools “just in case” creates more problems than it solves. But if you’re a content creator without technical knowledge, it’s easy to assume “there must be a plugin for that” without considering whether you really need it or whether it could expose your site to risk.
One Click Could Mean Disaster
WordPress makes it dangerously easy to make bad decisions with a single click (or lack thereof). I’ve seen this firsthand while helping a client improve their web performance.
Their homepage was filled with embedded iframes for Vimeo videos. On the surface, it seemed like a simple way to showcase video content. But behind the scenes, this meant that multiple heavy files were being downloaded the moment someone landed on the site which hurt performance.
This wasn’t a malicious decision. It was a decision made without realizing the consequences. A trained developer would have considered alternatives such as lazy loading to balance performance with user experience.
What Content Creators Should Do Instead
If you’re a content creator and you choose to use WordPress, the best move you can make is to partner with an experienced development team. Platforms like WordPress are powerful, but they require a developer’s touch to truly shine.
Agencies like Boro Dev Agency specialize in bridging the gap between creativity and technical execution by utilizing seasoned developers like myself (I’m currently a lead engineer at Boro Dev Agency) to handle the technical load.
By collaborating with developers who understand the technical side, content creators can lean into their strengths while knowing the user experience and site performance is taken care of. The result is a website that not only looks good but also works seamlessly for every visitor.