Why I Still Build on WordPress in 2025
Every few months, I hear the same thing: “Isn’t WordPress outdated?” or “Isn’t it clunky compared to the newer platforms?”
The short answer: No.
WordPress powers more than 40% of the internet, from small business websites to Fortune 500 companies. It’s not going anywhere. But like any tool, it’s only as good as the hands it’s in. A poorly built WordPress site can feel like a nightmare. A well-built WordPress site, on the other hand, can be the strongest foundation your brand has online.
Where WordPress Gets Its Bad Reputation
Most of the time, when someone tells me they had a “bad WordPress experience,” it comes down to one of three things:
- Plugin bloat – Their site was stuffed with dozens of unnecessary plugins that slowed everything down and created conflicts.
- Generic themes – The site was built on a one-size-fits-all template that looked okay but wasn’t tailored to their business or audience.
- Inexperienced builds – WordPress is easy to pick up, which means a lot of sites get thrown together without much understanding of scalability, performance, or SEO.
The result? A slow, fragile, hard-to-update site that feels more like a burden than an asset.
That’s not WordPress’ fault. That’s a build problem.
The Strengths of a Well-Built WordPress Site
When built intentionally, WordPress checks every box most businesses (and organizations) need:
- Flexibility – From a single-page site to a multi-site ecosystem, WordPress can scale as you grow.
- SEO-Friendly – Clean URLs, metadata control, and the right plugins make optimizing for search straightforward.
- Content-First – At its core, WordPress is a content management system, which means it’s built to help you publish and manage information effectively.
- User-Friendly – Non-technical staff can log in, edit a page, add a blog post, or upload an image without calling a developer.
- Ownership – Unlike closed systems (Squarespace, Wix, etc.), you own your WordPress site and can host it wherever you want.
How to Avoid Bad WordPress Builds
At Live Oak Media, I don’t treat WordPress as a plug-and-play tool. I treat it as a framework that I customize around each client’s goals. That means:
- Keeping sites lean with only the plugins you actually need
- Building with scalability in mind so the site can grow with your business or organization
- Prioritizing speed and performance so you don’t lose visitors
- Designing with your content and brand at the center, not forcing your business into a cookie-cutter theme
- Setting clients up with training and guidance so they can manage their own content confidently
Real-World Applications
Over the years, I’ve worked on everything from simple, elegant sites for local businesses to complex multi-site systems for organizations with multiple branches.
In each case, WordPress was the backbone. The difference between a site that frustrates and a site that delivers is how it’s built and maintained.
The Bottom Line
WordPress isn’t outdated.
WordPress isn’t broken.
Bad WordPress builds are.
When done right, WordPress is one of the most reliable, flexible, and future-proof platforms out there.
That’s why, in 2025, it’s still my go-to for building websites that actually work.