I started building websites in 1997, back when the internet was young and boring. Everything was tables and spacer GIFs. Flash was just starting to catch on. If you wanted to change a font, you were basically asking for trouble.
But I was hooked.
Since then, I’ve seen the web go through a lot of phases. Flash came and went. Blogging blew up. Responsive design became the new standard. Then came the “apps will replace websites” era, and now we’re all talking about AI like it’s going to build everything for us.
Through it all, I’ve worked with tons of platforms and stacks. But despite all the new tools and trends, I still use WordPress.
Not because I’m stuck in the past. Not because I don’t know how to use anything else. I still use WordPress because it works—for me and for my clients.
It’s Not Flashy, But It Gets the Job Done
WordPress isn’t trendy, and that’s part of what I like about it. Trends come and go, but WordPress has stuck around because it just works. It gives people a way to create and manage websites without having to pay for a proprietary system or worry about losing control of their content.
While a lot of platforms have come and gone, WordPress is still powering over 40% of the internet. That doesn’t happen by accident.
I Know It Like the Back of My Hand
After working with WordPress for almost 20 years, I know how to make it do what I want. I’ve built custom themes, plugins, APIs, membership systems, multilingual sites—you name it. I’ve figured out which tools work, what to avoid, and how to get projects launched without wasting time.
That saves me time, which saves my clients money. Everyone wins.
Clients Don’t Care About the Stack
Most of my clients couldn’t care less what their site is built on. They want something that works. Something they can update on their own. Something that doesn’t break every time they change a sentence or swap an image.
With WordPress, I can give them that. Whether it’s a local nonprofit, a scrappy startup, or a bigger company that just wants to manage content without jumping through hoops, WordPress checks all the boxes.
I’m Not a Plugin Hoarder
I’m pretty plugin-agnostic. In most cases, I’d rather build functionality directly into the theme than rely on a plugin—especially for things that are tightly connected to the design or user flow.
There are some solid, well-supported plugins out there, but I like keeping things lean. Fewer moving parts means fewer things to break, and it makes it easier to control the experience from top to bottom. If I can write a few lines of code instead of adding another dependency, I will.
That’s another reason I stick with WordPress: it gives me the freedom to do things my way.
WordPress Can Scale—If You Know What You’re Doing
I’ve heard people say WordPress can’t scale. That’s just not true. I’ve worked on sites that handle hundreds of thousands of visitors a month without blinking.
The difference is in how it’s built. Good hosting, smart caching, clean development, and a little backend tuning go a long way. WordPress isn’t the problem—bad setups are.
Yep, I’ve Seen the Drama
If you’ve been paying attention to the WordPress world lately, you’ve probably seen the drama. Decisions from Automattic that don’t sit right with the community. Acquisitions that raise eyebrows. Longtime contributors feeling pushed out. It’s messy.
I don’t love all the changes. Some of them feel rushed. Some feel like they’re all about money. And some are just plain confusing.
But despite all that, the core platform is still solid. The open-source community still matters. And the freedom WordPress gives you—freedom to own your site, to move hosts, to extend and customize—that’s still worth a lot.
I’m not here because everything is perfect. I’m here because it’s still the best tool for the job, and I want to be part of the group that helps keep it that way.
Not a Fanboy. Just Practical.
I’m not married to WordPress. If something better came along that worked for my clients and fit the way I build sites, I’d use it.
But so far? Nothing else checks all the same boxes. WordPress is free, flexible, well-supported, and endlessly customizable. It lets me build fast, hand off something reliable, and keep projects moving without reinventing the wheel every time.
That’s good for my clients. And honestly, it makes my life a whole lot easier too.
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