WordPress

WordPress is an open-source content management system that allows you to build and manage websites, blogs and online shops without writing code. The system runs on a server using PHP and MySQL, and offers a visual editor in which you can create pages, upload media and publish content. Worldwide, around 43 per cent of all websites run on WordPress, ranging from sole traders to multinationals. For Dutch SMEs, it is an accessible way to get online quickly and make changes themselves without having to call in a developer every time.

How WordPress works: themes, plugins and the WordPress core

WordPress consists of three layers. The WordPress core is the basic software that you install. A theme determines the appearance and layout of your site. Plugins add functionality, such as contact forms,SEO optimisation or online shop capabilities via WooCommerce. You manage everything via the WordPress dashboard, a user-friendly interface which you log into using a username and password. As soon as you publish content, WordPress automatically generates the HTML pages that visitors see in their browser. Updates for the core, theme and plugins can be installed with a single click, although this does require regular WordPress support and maintenance to ensure security and speed.

From blog platform to full CMS: our development since 2003

WordPress was created in 2003 as a fork of b2/cafelog, a simple blogging system. Developers Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little wanted a user-friendly platform that anyone could use and customise for free. The first versions were aimed at bloggers, but from version 3.0 onwards, WordPress evolved into a fully-fledged CMS with bespoke post types, menus and widgets. Nowadays, it’s just as suitable for building corporate websites, portfolio sites and online shops. The open-source licence means that thousands of developers worldwide contribute to the code, themes and plugins. This makes WordPress flexible, but it also means you need to choose carefully which extensions you install.

What WordPress offers small and medium-sized companies

For a United Kingdom SME, WordPress offers three specific advantages. Firstly, you can update content yourself without a developer, saving time and money on news articles, product pages or team photos. Secondly, you can easily integrate with tools you already use, such as Google Analytics, Mailchimp or your CRM system. Thirdly, you can scale as your business grows: start with a simple five-page site and expand later with a blog, knowledge base or online shop. A professional web design on WordPress combines speed, search engine visibility and conversion rates, provided you invest in a good theme, reliable hosting and regular updates. Our experience shows that companies that actively manage WordPress are, on average, able to respond more quickly to market changes than companies with a bespoke system without a CMS.

WordPress is suitable for many scenarios, but the choice depends on your company's business model, technical capacity and growth expectations. Below are four specific applications in which WordPress has proven its worth for Dutch SMEs, plus a decision-making framework to help you determine when it is better to choose an alternative.

Corporate website with a knowledge base and a focus on SEO

A B2B service provider with ten to fifty employees often uses WordPress as a central hub for services, case studies and knowledge articles. You publish blog posts yourself, add FAQs and optimise pages for search engine optimisation using plugins such as Yoast or Rank Math. Thanks to its flexible URL structure, schema markup and fast loading times, WordPress performs well in Google, provided your technical SEO is in order. A common mistake is that companies install too many plugins, which slows down the site and increases security risks. Limit yourself to a maximum of ten active plugins and only choose extensions with regular updates and good reviews. In practice, we see that companies which publish content monthly achieve a measurable increase in organic traffic within six months.

Online shop using WooCommerce for physical or digital products

You can combine WordPress with the WooCommerce plugin to create a fully-fledged online shop. You manage products, stock, dispatch options and payments via a single dashboard. Suitable for catalogues ranging from ten to a thousand products, depending on your hosting and optimisation. WooCommerce integrates with Dutch payment providers such as Mollie, iDEAL and Adyen, and with delivery partners such as PostNL and DHL. The advantage is that you have full control over data and functionality. The downside: if you have more than five hundred products or complex stock management, you’ll run into performance limitations. In that case, a dedicated e-commerce platform such as Shopify or a bespoke solution is often more efficient. Choose WordPress with WooCommerce if you want to be able to customise it yourself, have a limited catalogue and want to save on monthly licence fees.

Portfolio or showcase site for creative agencies

Photographers, architects and design agencies use WordPress to present their work visually with large images, videos and interactive galleries. Page builders such as Elementor or Bricks make it possible to build pixel-perfect layouts without coding. You can upload projects, add case studies and customise the site without a developer. Do bear in mind file sizes: unoptimised images slow down the site and harm your SEO performance. Compress images using tools such as ShortPixel or EWWW Image Optimizer, and use lazy loading to load only visible content. A well-built portfolio site on WordPress loads within two seconds and scores at least 90 on Google PageSpeed Insights, provided you invest in fast hosting and a lightweight theme.

When WordPress is the right choice and when it isn’t

Choose WordPress if you want to manage content yourself, have the budget for high-quality hosting and are prepared to carry out monthly updates. It suits companies that are growing, experimenting and want to adapt quickly. Do not choose WordPress if you are building a highly customised application with complex user flows, real-time data exchange or strict compliance requirements that demand bespoke architecture. Dedicated solutions are also often more reliable in the case of extremely high traffic spikes or mission-critical systems where downtime is unacceptable. In practice, we find that WordPress works excellently up to around one hundred thousand visitors per month, provided you invest in caching, a CDN and managed WordPress hosting.