Now that WordPress powers more than 70 million web sites across the Internet, it stands to reason that a certain number of myths would grow up around it.

 

But myths are made to be busted, so let's put these five WordPress myths to the test.

 

Myth 1: WordPress is vulnerable to exploits.

 

WordPress itself is no more vulnerable to hackers than any other software package. It is simply a larger target. Security researchers tell us that once a computing platform passes 10% market share among users, it becomes worth the time and effort needed to exploit it – something Apple is discovering in spades.

 

The key to keeping WordPress secure is to follow some basic best practices in configuration and then keep it patched as updates are released. Yes, vulnerabilities are discovered frequently, but the open-source nature of WordPress means they are also fixed quickly.

 

Myth 2: WordPress plugins are unreliable.

 

WordPress plugins are as reliable as the authors behind them. Some plugin writers are careless hacks, but many are professional-grade coders who pay attention to standards and aim to support their projects for the long haul. The WordPress plugin rating system – not to mention "The Google" – make it fairly easy to find the best plugin for a task. 

 

Myth 3: WordPress is more difficult to use.

 

More difficult than what? Certainly not more difficult than coding HTML by hand. Most people would resort to a webmaster for that. WordPress frees users to make design and content changes on their own with practically no coding experience (although some coding know-how will certainly come in handy eventually).

 

WordPress may be more difficult than certain proprietary point-and-click solutions online, but this ease of use pales in comparison to the risks of investing time and effort into a platform you can't control. That's a really bad idea.

 

Myth 4: WordPress sites are slow.

 

No, cheap hosting providers are often slow – and that's where a great many WordPress installations run. Shared-hosting providers sometimes put hundreds of sites – or more – on a single server. This just invites poor performance. Use a good server and good plugins, and your WordPress site will run just fine.

 

Any site that loads in five seconds or so will get good marks from Google Webmaster Tools, and there are many WordPress enhancements to make sure your site hits those numbers.

 

Myth 5: WordPress is just for blogging.

 

WordPress used to be just for blogging. Now, it has matured into a full content management system capable of everything from the simplest blog to enterprise-level web sites. Just ask Ford, BBC America, Best Buy, and Eddie Bauer, to name a few.