If you’re in the online marketing niche, you’ll come across many different brands and products claiming to offer the best solutions for any marketing problem. And sometimes it can be hard to tell which products are worth buying and which ones you should avoid.
Thankfully, our team has diligently curated an A-Z list with the most vital product comparisons that you need to know about before making any purchase decisions. Whether you’re looking for a new website builder, lead magnet, or digital marketing suite, this extensive guide will help you make the right choice for your needs.
Best Overall – WordPress
This year, it’s fair to say that WordPress has taken the internet by storm and has emerged as the most popular content-management system (CMS) in use. And it’s certainly not a coincidence; WordPress’ popularity stems from its versatility, ease of use, and most importantly, its community-driven open-source development that makes it incredibly flexible and scalable for any business.
Indeed, with over 99% of the market share, there’s little doubt that WordPress truly is the gold standard when it comes to open-source CMS solutions. And with good reason too; not only does it make for a great all-around tool, but it also scales to any size (in terms of both traffic and complexity) and can be customized to suit the needs of the end user.
Let’s examine the reasons why WordPress is the best choice for online marketeers. First off, WordPress comes with a variety of premium themes and plugins that you can take advantage of right out of the box. This makes it easier for any non-techie to get up and running with their new website or blog without having to worry about any complex code or advanced customization. In addition, WordPress offers a wealth of resources online, including video tutorials, documentation, and forums that make it easy to get support when you need it.
Most Popular Content-Management System (CMS)
WordPress is the most popular content-management system (CMS) used on the internet today. In fact, it is the most popular free CMS and the second most popular paid CMS. Launching a new website or blog is now easier than ever before with WordPress; all you need is a web host, a domain name, and you’re ready to go. Even if you don’t have any previous experience, with the right guidance, anyone can become a successful WordPress-based business.
On the other hand, some of the other CMS solutions out there are a little more complicated. While they might have a lower price point or a free plan, the lack of an active community around those products makes it harder for users to get help when they need it.
For example, Take care of business is a premium product that’s been around for a while and has gained a lot of popularity, but it can be difficult to find the exact same features (such as a help desk) in a free plan or a low-priced product that you might buy at a retail store. And because it is a closed source product, you won’t always get the most up-to-date version of Take care of business when you need support.
Scalable, Mature, & Customizable
One of the things that makes WordPress so popular is the fact that it’s been around for many years and has established itself as a powerhouse in the online space, powering millions of websites worldwide. Additionally, as a mature product, WordPress has established itself as a safe choice for internet entrepreneurs who want to launch a new site or blog as it provides a stable environment that is easy to use.
On the other hand, some of the other CMS solutions are still searching for their first stable version and are considered relatively new. For example, Cubber is a product designed for businesses looking to create blog networks and distribute content.
Although WordPress is a mature product, it is always expanding its functionality and adding new features. This makes it even more suitable as a long-term tool for any business website or blog. In addition, with WordPress, once you’ve launched your site or blog, there’s always more you can do, including setting up email campaigns, optimizing content for specific search terms, or putting in place a help desk to receive inquiries or assistance from customers.
Extensive Documentation
When you’re looking for a product with extensive documentation, you’re probably expecting to find a self-help manual or a beautifully written how-to guide. Well, if you’re reading this, then you’re in luck because WordPress comes with an unbelievably comprehensive documentation system that provides you with everything you need to get started.
In addition to having a wealth of online resources, such as documentation, video tutorials, and forums, WordPress also provides an offline documentation library that you can consult when you need assistance. This way, you’ll always have access to the information you need, whether you’re online or offline. And because it is a widely-used and popular product, you’ll also find that many in the community will be more than happy to help you out when you need it, whether you’re a newbie or an experienced web marketer.
Community-Driven Development
WordPress is an open-source product, which means that it is freely available to the public and encourages collaboration and contribution from its users and developers. In addition, anyone can become a member of the WordPress community and offer their help and expertise for nothing.
On the other hand, some of the other CMS solutions, such as Square, Joomla, and Drupal, are proprietary products, which means that they are not freely available to the public. This makes it more difficult for users to get help if they need it as there won’t be a whole community to turn to for help.
In addition, the open-source model allows anyone to contribute and make changes to a product’s code, which in turn, affects everyone, including the original product owner. In other words, with open-source products, the developers are the product’s owners, and the community is a part of the development process.
Product Flexibility
Every year, many new products and brands emerge in the online marketing space, claiming to be the best solution for any problem. And just because they’re new doesn’t mean they offer all the answers; often, it takes a little bit of research to know where to look for the information you need. But with WordPress, this is made easier as there’s a lot of flexibility and compatibility with almost every other CMS solution.
Indeed, through plugins that connect to other systems, such as Big Commerce, you can make your WordPress-based site or blog work with most major e-commerce platforms, allowing users to seamlessly integrate their online stores with their blog or website.
On the other hand, some of the other CMS solution don’t offer the same level of flexibility, which can be a real pain if you’re not prepared for it.