blog_open_sourceIf you ever doubted that WordPress, the open source CMS software used my many small companies is up to the task of providing a robust website, here is the definitive answer. If these Fortune 500 companies have faith in running their websites with WordPress, as listed in this WordPress.Org’s article, than so can you:

  1. Best Buy is the largest speciality retailer of consumer electronics in the United States. The company, which is based in Minnesota, has more than 150,000 employees and $40 billion in revenue.
  2. The mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world.
  3. Sony Music Entertainment is a United States music corporation owned and operated by Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony Corporation, and includes such music labels as Columbia Records, Epic Records, RCA Records, and numerous Sony Music national companies.
  4. The official site for rapper and actor LL Cool J.
  5. The engaging UX/design and the large scale of the Bates.edu site powered by WordPress – over 130 networked sites and over 100,000 pages/posts.
  6. The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) was founded by Dr. Jane Goodall with the inspirational message that the well-being of our world relies on people taking an active interest in all living things.

The most amazing experience working with WordPress is the open source community. Designers, Developers and people all over the world design and create sites, develop plugins, create themes or build websites from the ground up. Just within the relatively small community of one particular theme, DIVI by Elegant Themes, are 8000 + members in a Facebook Forum from all over the world. If you have a specific question, you can post it at midnight and it is someone in Portland, Oregon or Pakistan will answer your query within a few hours. We help each other. It is free.

Some developers have created plugins to enhance the already great features of the aforementioned DIVI Theme. For a small one time fee of $20 you can extend the rather static form module in the theme with DIVI KK Modules, by James King. Elegant Themes Marketplace has many other plugins and Child Themes you can buy to add even more design features and functionality. You can also chat with them online in the Facebook group or email them through the website.

Last but not least, the website you build is yours. You don’t have to pay monthly fees (except for hosting and domain fees). You can switch host companies and migrate your site whenever. You can decide to add a shopping cart. You can blog or not. You can edit your text and posts or not. You can rant. You can sell. You can save the environment. Ain’t it Awesome?