If you asked a developer why he or she uses WordPress, chances are that you may get a variety of different answers. The reason behind this wide range of answers is the fact that WordPress itself is constantly evolving and has a number of different benefits. We look at a number of different reasons why the WordPress community is so passionate about this publishing platform and explain why benefits will work for you as well.

The amount of themes

If you search Google, chances are that you have come across various free and premium themes for WordPress. These are without question one of the reasons that people choose WordPress, there is a seemingly limitless number of options available. There are out-of-the-box themes available free of charge whereas premium themes can run anywhere between $20 and $1000. The sheer number of options you have available is a major reason to go with WordPress.

The hosting compatibility

If you are going to use a platform to make your posts easier, you need a platform that is going to be supported by almost all webhosts. Almost all hosts will offer a WordPress option and some (such as HostGator) automate the installation of WordPress altogether.

The flexibility and ease of use

Even though the themes are great and the massive hosting acceptance is fine, perhaps the main reason so many people rely on WordPress is its flexibility and ease of use. Whether you need a straightforward blog, an e-commerce site, or a fancy portfolio, you can do anything with WordPress thanks to the “famous five minute install.” Even though WordPress may have started as a blogging platform, it has blossomed into a complete Content Management System (CMS). Add in the fact that you can insert just about anything you want to your WordPress installation with a simple plugin, and you will understand why so many users prefer to use WordPress.

The (potential) speed

Now when we talk about the speed benefits of WordPress, we are talking about the fact that it has the potential to run lightning fast. Once of the best ways to do that is by installing W3 Total Cache. This reduces the overall data that the server has to load every time that someone loads your website. Of course, WordPress can slow down a bit if the end user “bloats” it, adds unnecessary or similar plugins that do very little but slow down the overall loading times. As a CMS, WordPress is incredibly fast.

The community

The real reason that WordPress is constantly evolving is the rather amazing WordPress community. These are people that develop the plugins you rely on, provide free themes that you can use on your blog, and help you when you are stuck. Ultimately, they ARE WordPress. From this great community we get the solid ideas that only seem to make WordPress better. As WordPress gets better it draws in more of a community, ultimately becoming the bigger and better version that we are seeing today.

Even though there are benefits we have not listed, these are five of the easiest to identify. If you have any feedback about why you use WordPress or an alternative you are passionate about, leave a comment!