WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that enables users to create and manage their website without any prior coding knowledge.
It’s established itself as a popular website platform over the years — the most popular, in fact.
As of 2022, there are a whopping 835 million WordPress websites active on the web. WordPress’s popularity can be attributed to its ease of use and flexibility.
So, what can you do with a WordPress website?
We’ll give you some examples of well-made WordPress sites so you can see the range of possibilities offered by this platform and what benefits it can bring to your business.
Popular WordPress Websites
You may be wondering if WordPress is so popular, why don’t I ever see WordPress on the websites I browse?
There are a few answers for this — some WordPress sites say nothing of their affiliation with the CMS, others tuck it away in their fine print, and others still use masterful coding and design work to make their sites so unique that you’d never guess they’re hosted on a CMS.
Below are some of the most well-known websites that are actually hosted on WordPress:
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines is one of the largest airlines in the United States, offering flights to more than 115 destinations.
While WordPress is mostly associated with simple blogs and small businesses, it’s actually a powerful tool that can be used to create complex websites for companies of all sizes.
Alaska Airlines takes full advantage of this, using WordPress to power its online booking system, flight information pages, and even its corporate blog.
When you land on their homepage, you’re greeted with a simple, yet modern design.
The booking system is easy to use and the site is responsive, so it works well on mobile devices.
AMC
AMC is an American cable television network known for popular shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad. The company also owns IFC, WE TV, and BBC America.
Interestingly, the website is powered by WordPress.
The channel that brings you “The Walking Dead” and “Better Call Saul” also brings you a well-done WordPress website with a video player featuring AMC show clips, an embedded blog, and convenient show schedules.
Bata
This multinational footwear, apparel, and fashion brand, with over 4,000 stores in 70 countries and territories, uses WordPress as its content management system.
Upon visiting their website, you’ll have to choose your country, demonstrating WordPress’s responsive geo targeting capabilities.
Once you’re in, a striking rolling banner display of their recent products and promotions welcomes you along with images featuring their newest items and collections.
BBC America
Even BBC America, a globally-renowned company, uses WordPress for their website.
This visually stunning website has a sleek design that uses large images and videos to great effect and really draws viewers in.
Scrolling down reveals more content blocks with featured content from their shows, articles, and blog posts.
BBC also has a separate site for Wonderstruck, one of their shows. The Wonderstruck website is designed to be a “second screen” experience with content that supplements the show.
It features videos, images, and articles related to the show as well as interactive quizzes and polls.
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools. Just like the rest of these sites, their website is built on WordPress.
They primarily use their homepage to share updates on their work and latest blog posts, but they also have a few other interesting features.
For example, they have an extensive gallery of Creative Commons-licensed photos and a searchable database of over 1 million CC-licensed works.
IZOD
IZOD is an American clothing company that chose WordPress for their website platform. The IZOD website includes a blog, product information, and store locations.
As with any other fashion e-commerce company, the brand showcases their latest arrivals and seasonal collections on their website.
As a content management system, WordPress simplifies the process of keeping IZOD’s website up-to-date with new content.
A notable aspect of their website is the IZOD blog.
The blog features posts about the latest fashion trends, behind-the-scenes looks at photo shoots, and interviews with industry professionals.
Lafayette College
WordPress’s popularity isn’t just limited to businesses and media outlets. Even educational institutions use it as their primary platform.
Lafayette College, located in Pennsylvania, is one such school. Their website uses WordPress to keep students, faculty, and staff updated on news and events.
The website includes a custom-designed theme and various plugins to create a unique experience for visitors. It’s also fully responsive, so it looks great on any device.
For potential students, it provides a comprehensive view of what campus life would be like if they enrolled.
The homepage has all the information you need to know about the college, from admissions requirements to campus news.
The Lafayette College website is a great example of how WordPress can be used for educational purposes. It’s well-designed, informative, and easy to navigate.
National Archives Foundation
Another nonprofit organization that opted for WordPress to host their site is the National Archives Foundation.
They manage and support the National Archives, which is responsible for preserving and providing access to the records of the U.S. federal government.
The National Archives Foundation website is highly visual. It’s easy to navigate and it provides visitors with a ton of information about their programs, initiatives, events, and more.
Their mission is to connect people to their past through the power of story, which is evident in the way they’ve designed their website.
Web visitors can explore featured stories, read about current and past exhibitions, and even get involved with the foundation’s work by making a donation.
The Rolling Stones
Yes, even The Rolling Stones uses WordPress for their website.
The website is clean and simple, displaying full-page spreads of the latest news about the band and clean animations to flip between their headlines.
Their homepage currently promotes their SIXTY concert tour, which celebrates the band’s 60th anniversary.
The website also includes a blog, which the band uses to post updates and behind-the-scenes information for fans.
Sony Music
Still in the media industry, Sony Music is another company with a standout WordPress site.
Music is a very important part of Sony’s business, and their website showcases that with beautiful images and videos throughout the site.
The homepage showcases their featured artists and videos in a way that is visually appealing and easy to navigate.
There’s also a news section where web visitors can stay up-to-date on the latest Sony Music news.
A unique feature in the Sony Music WordPress website is the brand’s use of the Twitter plugin to display tweets from its official Twitter account.
This is a great way to engage with fans and give them a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on with their favorite artists.
TED Blog
You may recognize the TED brand through its powerful conferences and talks — but did you know that their blog is powered by WordPress?
Their website has a minimalist design with a lot of white space that lets visitors focus on the content.
It features a news section as well as easy access to their social media channels for more information about the organization.
The Walt Disney Company
The most magical company uses the most magical website platform — WordPress!
Their company website focuses on corporate news, like career opportunities and social responsibility updates.
It also features an investor relations section where people can stay up to date on the company’s stock performance.
In fact, Disney utilizes a WordPress plugin to display useful stock information for interested visitors.
The White House
There’s nothing more official than the White House — this just proves how popular WordPress is as a website platform.
The White House uses its domain to publish firsthand information about the president, the president’s policies, and other news related to the executive branch of the United States government.
You can find useful resources such as the president’s weekly address, statements, and press releases here.
While the content is more text-based, the website still uses photographs and videos to break up the content and add visual interest.
The design is clean and relatively simple, which helps users focus on the content.
Toyota – Brazil
Now, onto the car manufacturing industry, Toyota’s Brazil website is another great example of a corporate website running on WordPress.
Aside from showcasing their car models, the homepage also features the company’s auto repair services and facilities.
The website has a clean, scrollable look that makes it easy for visitors to find the information they need without feeling overwhelmed.
Vogue
One of the world’s most renowned fashion magazines, Vogue, is powered by WordPress.
The website feels like a digital magazine with the navigation bar featuring categories, such as fashion, beauty, culture, and runway, among others.
Web visitors can find the latest stories right at the homepage.
There’s also a section for #VogueWorld, which serves to display the organization’s highlight reels and behind-the-scenes action.
Benefits of Using WordPress
Millions of people around the world have chosen WordPress — so, why is that? What’s all the fuss about?
Below, we’ll go over the main perks of choosing WordPress to host your website.
It’s Really Popular
As we’ve covered, WordPress is used by a lot of people. This comes with its own advantages; for example, there’s a large community of developers and users for this platform, which has created a wealth of resources online.
If you’re ever stuck on how to do something with your site, it’s likely that somebody else has had the same problem and written about it on their blog or on some social media platform.
It’s Extremely Flexible
WordPress can be used for everything from simple websites to complex membership sites and online stores.
There are two types of WordPress: the self-hosted version (which you can get at WordPress.org) and the hosted version (which you can get at WordPress.com).
Both versions are extremely flexible, but the self-hosted version gives you even more granular control over your website.
However, if you’re not familiar with web design, the hosted version is more beginner-friendly.
It’s Content-Friendly
With WordPress, adding new pages or blog posts is as easy as writing an email. You can also easily add images, videos, and other forms of media to your website.
Plus, if you need to make any changes to existing content, it’s a breeze.
It’s Secure
The WordPress team is constantly working to improve security with each update, making WordPress more secure than most other popular content management systems.
While websites using WordPress as their CMS are not automatically immune to hacking and malware, they are less likely to be targeted than sites using a different CMS. WordPress security is important!
This is because hackers know that they can exploit vulnerabilities in other systems much more easily.
It’s Very SEO-Friendly
One of the main reasons WordPress is so popular is because it’s very SEO-friendly.
This means that when you create content on your WordPress site, it’s easy for Google and other search engines to find and index your content.
WordPress also makes it easy to handle the search engine optimization of your site by making features like meta descriptions, search engine titles, keywords, and alt text easily editable.
This can lead to increased site traffic coming to your site, which can improve brand recognition, bring in sales, and boost your conversion rates.
Curious What We Can Do With WordPress?
We’ve helped brands from many industries, from SaaS to beauty, increase their traffic and conversions with our WordPress expertise.
Check out our case studies to learn more about our projects and how we can revolutionize your business’s web presence.
Conclusion
WordPress is a great platform for any type of website, whether you want a personal blog or a website for your business.
It is user-friendly, has tons of features and plugins available, and is relatively inexpensive, making it financially accessible to beginners and veterans alike.
Still not sure how to start? Contact us today for expert advice.