Every few years, the same conversation resurfaces. In the beginning of our business, this used to scare the poop out of me because I built my entire business around WP. I used to think, thank goodness Buffalo, NY is a few years behind in the tech department, so I have some time. Yet, year after year, my nervous system settled... Year after year, the same questions:

Is WordPress dead?
Is it outdated?
Should serious businesses be moving to something newer, simpler, or more modern? The short answer is no.
The longer answer is that WordPress stopped being trendy a long time ago, and that is exactly why it still matters.

Don't believe everything you read on the internet, as you know the sky is always falling.

At Rakos Media, we do not choose platforms based on hype cycles or X discourse. We choose platforms based on durability, ownership, scalability, and how well they support a business five years from now, not just at launch. WordPress continues to win on all four. This is not nostalgia. It is strategy.

The Market Share Reality That Still Matters

WordPress currently powers over 43 percent of all websites on the internet and holds more than 60 percent of the CMS market. That means more sites run on WordPress than every other CMS combined.

Yes, platforms like Shopify and Wix are growing. Shopify sits under 7 percent of total websites. Wix is around 5 percent. They serve specific needs well, especially for fast launches and standardized setups. But WordPress is not competing in the same category.

WordPress is infrastructure.

WordPress powers blogs, service businesses, ecommerce stores, publishers, universities, nonprofits, membership platforms, learning portals, and complex hybrid models that do not fit neatly into templates. When a business needs flexibility without surrendering ownership, WordPress remains the most proven option on the table.

Its market share peaked around 2021 and has slightly declined since. That decline is often misread as weakness. In reality, it reflects maturity. When a platform becomes foundational, it stops being searched out of curiosity and starts being used out of necessity.

Google Trends confirms this pattern. Search interest for WordPress peaked years ago, but even today, it still outperforms every other CMS when compared side by side. The conversation has not disappeared. It has evolved.

The Plugin Economy Is a Signal of Health, Not Chaos

One of the most misunderstood aspects of WordPress is its plugin ecosystem.

WordPress currently offers over 73,000 free plugins and themes in its official repository. In 2025 alone, thousands of new plugins have already been submitted, representing a massive year over year increase. Developers are not abandoning WordPress. They are doubling down on it.

Popular tools like WooCommerce, Elementor, Yoast, Rank Math, Advanced Custom Fields, and performance focused plugins continue to maintain millions of active installations. At the same time, new tools are emerging around AI assisted content, automation, accessibility, performance optimization, and security.

This ecosystem is not a liability when handled correctly. It is leverage.

The problem is not plugins. The problem is uncurated stacks built without strategy. That is where most WordPress horror stories come from.

WordPress Core Is Still Actively Evolving

Another myth we hear constantly is that WordPress stopped innovating. It did not.

The block editor is no longer experimental. Gutenberg is now deep into advanced phases focused on collaboration, editorial workflows, performance, and layout control. Full Site Editing has matured significantly. Block themes are more stable. Headers, footers, templates, and layouts can now be controlled visually without relying on heavy page builders.

Is it perfect? No.
Is it improving steadily? Absolutely.

WordPress development follows a long arc. It favors stability over spectacle. That is not exciting to watch, but it is exactly what businesses need when their website is tied to revenue, SEO, and operations.

Why Rakos Media Chooses WordPress

We build on WordPress because it gives our clients ownership, flexibility, and long term control without locking them into platform rules that can change overnight.

• You own your site. (sooooo important)
• You own your content.
• You own your data.
• You control your hosting.
• You are not subject to sudden pricing changes, feature removals, or algorithmic penalties hidden behind platform terms.

From an SEO standpoint, WordPress remains unmatched in technical flexibility. Schema, site architecture, internal linking, performance optimization, and AI visibility strategies are far easier to implement correctly when the platform does not restrict access.

From a business standpoint, WordPress scales with you. A site can start simple and grow into something far more complex without requiring a full platform migration later.

This is the difference between renting space and owning land.

Why We Use Divi as Our Primary Theme Framework

WordPress is the foundation. Divi is the interface layer we intentionally choose on top of it. Divi is not about visual flash, not because of it's page builder, not for templates. It is about reducing friction. For our clients, Divi dramatically minimizes the learning curve. The visual editor is intuitive, predictable, and consistent. Clients can update text, swap images, adjust sections, and publish content without needing to understand code, block patterns, or backend complexity. This matters more than most agencies admit.

A website that a client is afraid to touch becomes stale. A website they feel confident using stays alive.

For our team, Divi reduces technical debt. We can build structured, reusable layouts, global styles, and modular systems that stay consistent across the site. Updates are easier to manage. Client training is simpler. Troubleshooting is faster because the framework behaves predictably. Divi also allows us to standardize builds without templating clients into sameness. Every site can still feel custom, but the underlying system remains clean and manageable.

This balance is intentional.

Our Typical WordPress and Divi Tech Stack

We believe in lean stacks, not bloated ones. Every tool must earn its place. A typical Rakos Media build includes WordPress as the CMS, Divi Theme as the visual framework, a performance optimization layer tailored to the host environment, security hardening appropriate to the business risk level, SEO tooling aligned with the site’s growth goals, and minimal but powerful plugins that support specific functions rather than overlapping features. We avoid stacking multiple builders, multiple optimization plugins, or redundant SEO tools. That is where instability and conflicts are born. This approach minimizes technical issues for us to solve and reduces overwhelm for clients. When something breaks, we know exactly where to look. When updates roll out, we can test and deploy confidently.

This is not about cutting corners. It is about building systems that are resilient.

WooCommerce Fits the Same Philosophy

When ecommerce is involved, WooCommerce integrates naturally into this stack. WooCommerce remains the most widely used ecommerce platform in the world because it offers something SaaS platforms cannot.

Control.

You control product logic, checkout behavior, shipping rules, payment flows, integrations, and data ownership. You are not boxed into predefined limitations or escalating fees tied to growth. WooCommerce has matured significantly in recent years. Onboarding is smoother. Block based product layouts are improving. Payment and shipping integrations are more modern and reliable. For businesses that value flexibility and long term scalability, WooCommerce paired with WordPress remains a powerful combination.

Who WordPress Is Really For:

• WordPress is not for founders who want zero responsibility and zero customization. It is not for those who want to launch something today and never touch it again.
• WordPress is for businesses that see their website as infrastructure, not decoration.
• It is for brands that care about SEO, content depth, authority, automation, and ownership. It is for teams that want to evolve their digital presence without rebuilding from scratch every few years.

That is why major publishers, universities, nonprofits, and enterprise organizations still rely on WordPress. They are not sentimental. They are pragmatic.

Interestingly, many businesses that leave WordPress for no code platforms eventually return. They enjoy the speed at first, then hit walls around customization, SEO, integrations, or cost creep. What felt easy at the beginning becomes restrictive at scale.

The Real Thought Reversal ( I love these!)

• WordPress is not outdated. It is seasoned.
• It does not chase trends because it does not need to. It quietly supports a massive portion of the internet while newer platforms cycle through reinvention.
• At Rakos Media, we build on WordPress because it aligns with how we think about business. Strategy over tactics. Ownership over convenience. Systems over shortcuts.
• The goal is not to impress other marketers. The goal is to build digital assets that work, adapt, and endure.
• WordPress still does that better than almost anything else on the market.

And that is why we continue to choose it. POW!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WordPress still relevant in 2025?

Yes. WordPress continues to power over 40 percent of all websites and more than 60 percent of the CMS market. While newer platforms gain attention, WordPress remains the most widely used and supported system for businesses that want ownership, flexibility, and long term scalability.

Why does Rakos Media choose WordPress over platforms like Wix or Squarespace?

We choose WordPress because it gives businesses full control over their website, content, and data. Unlike closed platforms, WordPress allows advanced SEO, custom functionality, and long term growth without platform restrictions or forced upgrades.

Why does Rakos Media use the Divi Theme specifically?

Divi minimizes the learning curve for clients while reducing technical complexity for our team. Clients can confidently edit content without fear of breaking the site, and we can maintain clean, modular builds that are easier to support, update, and scale.

Is Divi bad for performance or SEO?

No, not when built correctly. Performance issues come from bloated stacks and poor configuration, not Divi itself. We build lean Divi sites with optimized assets, clean layouts, and performance tooling tailored to the hosting environment.

Does WordPress still receive updates and improvements?

Yes. WordPress core development is active, including ongoing improvements to the block editor, Full Site Editing, performance, and collaboration tools. The platform continues to evolve steadily rather than chasing short term trends.

Why do large organizations still use WordPress?

Major publishers, universities, nonprofits, and enterprise organizations rely on WordPress because it scales, integrates with complex systems, and supports large volumes of content. These organizations choose WordPress because it works reliably at scale.

Is WooCommerce still a good choice for ecommerce?

Yes. WooCommerce remains the most widely used ecommerce platform on the web. It offers complete ownership of the store, flexible customization, and deep integration with WordPress, making it ideal for businesses that want control rather than platform dependency.

Is WordPress harder to manage than no code platforms?

WordPress can require more initial setup, but it offers far greater flexibility and control over time. With the right tech stack and guidance, managing a WordPress site becomes straightforward and far more powerful than most no code alternatives.

Who should not use WordPress?

Businesses that want zero customization, no long term control, or a temporary site with no growth plan may be better suited to closed platforms. WordPress is best for businesses that view their website as a long term digital asset.