So, you’ve decided to get yourself a shiny new site and, you’re currently looking at providers. Not only that but, you’ve shortened your shortlist to just two – Umbraco and WordPress and……that’s where you’ve got stuck.
Never fear, at Digital Phablet, we’ve made it our mission to unravel the mysteries of these two systems to help you decide which is right for you.
WordPress
Originally created, more or less, for bloggers, one thing you no doubt know about WordPress is that it’s free. Another thing you might know is that it has built-in PHP (originally known as Personal Home Pages) – which means that it can be served in any hosting environment.
These two things, in a nutshell, account for the huge popularity of WordPress, along with the fact that it’s relatively easy to set up a new site, even if you’re not techie-minded.
It’s said that WordPress now powers around 30% of all websites on the internet – which is pretty impressive when you consider that there are about 1.8 billion sites currently online. One thing you need to know about WordPress is that there are about a squillion plugins available for it.
Some of these you’ll probably need and some you won’t. Similarly, there are lots of plugins that fit into the ‘stuff you might want’ categories, such as SEO tools and fancy website themes. Although some of these plugins are free to download, you’ll have to hand over your hard-earned cash for others such as the website themes.
The Good Stuff
- Free to set up and get started
- Easy peasy to set up – even without technical knowledge
- Tons of plugins available to help you change the look of your site as well as supersize your SEO
The Bad Stuff
- Vulnerable to hackers
- Some plugins can cause issues
- Security patches can cause plugins to stop working after an update
Conclusion: WordPress is a good all-round system for those who are looking for a basic but functional website that doesn’t have to do anything particularly clever or complex. If choosing to go with WordPress, it’s a good idea to have somebody technically minded look over your set up to spot any potential security issues.
Umbraco
Created as a CMS (Content Management System), Umbraco is built on Microsoft. NET framework and is supported by a global community of developers. Umbraco essentially offers users a blank canvas on which to design and build their site – so some technical prowess is required.
Although this requires a level of expertise, it also offers a large amount of freedom in design and functionality. Umbraco comes with a whole bunch of in-built bells and whistles including SEO tools and you can get your hands on themes and design packages through USkinned and Craft Theme for Umbraco CMS.
The Good Stuff
- Powerful Content Management System
- Used and trusted by huge brands including Heinz, Microsoft, and Warner Brothers
- Flexibility on design and build
- In-built tools
The Bad Stuff
- Most add-ons for Umbraco are paid
- Technical know-how is necessary for set up
- Umbraco is not optimised for website speed and performance
Conclusion: Umbraco is a really good system for businesses who need a powerful and reliable CMS – and have the expertise available to set up and run it.
The Verdict
Although both systems work well, we would categorise WordPress as best suited to SMEs who just need a working site – whereas Umbraco has the oomph to handle the capacity needed for larger businesses.
By Ben of ultimate banners co-founder of the rapidly growing printing company.