WordPress websites in 2011 stats – in full force on the Web
In 2011, it was determined that 20-25% of all new websites were built on the WordPress platform. When I first started building websites in 2010, WordPress was just a blogging platform that nobody respected. Oh how the tables have turned. WordPress came out in 2003 for the purpose of providing better typographical elements for bloggers on the World Wide Web. Since this time, it has grown to be the world’s biggest and most robust blogging platform. WordPress has come a long way over a short period of time.

It’s Free!
One of the best things about WordPress is that it’s absolutely free to use under the guidelines of the Open Source Initiative (OSI). Designers and developers such as myself are becoming more and more attuned to the dynamic nature of this superior CMS platform. The diversity of is usage is huge. From a small mom-and-pop shop, to a huge Fortune 500 company, this platform is multidimensional and can benefit any business no matter the size or complexity.

Totally customizable
WordPress can be customized with a variety of plug-ins and themes, many of which are free or cost very little to implement. With the evolution of web design, many designers choose WordPress because of the vast library of theme foundations to build upon, and customizable interfaces. Since the development of the iPhone and many mobile devices alike, graphic and web designers have now had to start catering to responsive web design. Many WordPress themes are available for purchase with responsive design in mind. For those of you that do not know, mobile responsive design caters the elements of the website to whatever device you’re using based on the size screen of your device. Many of these themes/templates are supported by the developers that develop them, and the community of users that also use them. Most the time when these themes are purchased, they will be supported for life.

According to Quora, information below indicates a breakdown of the CMS market share:

CMS market share:
Wordpress has over 53%
Joomla has over 9%
Drupal has 6%
Others make up the remaining 30%

WordPress.com versus WordPress.org
WordPress.com is a free blogging platform that requires very little customization. Along with WordPress.com, anyone can register a domain name with this service, and have a click and point user interface to design their own website without any custom coding. With this being said, the options are still very limited. If you would like to learn more information about WordPress.com and the statistics surrounding it, check out this page: http://en.wordpress.com/stats/ These statistics are only a live representation of the amount of WordPress.com websites, (not including) WordPress.org websites.

WordPress.org on the other hand is also free but requires a great set of technical skills in order to implement a 100% customizable website and user experience. WordPress.org can virtually be installed on any hosting platform out there today. With this specific installation of WordPress, the options are virtually limitless. If you are unsure how to customize your WordPress.org website, contact us today.

Making your decision carefully
When thinking about building a new website, keep WordPress in mind, as it is the way of the future. Now that you are informed, go out and make a wise decision based on this information, and other information sources on the Web.

About The Author: Josh McCoy

My name is Josh McCoy, owner/oursmartweb. I am a business leader, SEO Strategist, author/blogger, and web designer. I help companies (like yours) achieve smart solutions for successful results.