Why We Moved Away From WordPress So Early
When Andrés and I started building websites, WordPress was one of the first things we tried. It made sense. There were themes, plugins for almost everything, and you could get a website running pretty quickly. But we didn't stick with it for very long. The problem wasn't that WordPress was bad. It was that we quickly realized how complicated a "simple" website could become. You'd install a plugin…
Andrés and I began constructing websites, initially opting for WordPress. This decision was logical. The platform featured an array of themes and plugins, enabling swift website deployment. However, our stay with WordPress was short-lived. We soon discovered the complexities that arise when attempting to create a straightforward website.
Installing one plugin for a particular feature, and another for a different purpose, often resulted in incompatibility issues. Updates frequently caused disruptions. Customizing beyond the theme's capabilities could quickly become tedious. The most frustrating aspect, for us as novices, was pinpointing the exact cause when something went awry.
As we grappled with managing an increasingly intricate WordPress setup, we opted for a different path. We began constructing websites from scratch using React. This meant grappling with fundamental aspects of web development: project structuring, form handling, API integration, deployment processes, database management, and the maintenance of the site post-launch.
We experienced our fair share of failures and setbacks, but each incident provided invaluable lessons. Eventually, we transitioned to utilizing Next.js for the majority of our projects, gradually expanding our tech stack to incorporate AWS, Supabase, PostgreSQL, Python, APIs, authentication services, email providers, and various third-party integrations.
The most significant advantage of this approach was the hands-on, project-driven learning experience. Each project necessitated a deeper understanding of a new technology. We also recognized that custom solutions don't inherently equate to superior outcomes. For businesses requiring straightforward, self-managed blogs or websites, WordPress remains a viable option.
However, when businesses have unique needs, we prefer the flexibility to tailor the solution to their specific requirements rather than constraining their operations within the limitations of a plugin or theme. This philosophy underpins our current approach at Developwave. We remain agnostic to specific frameworks or technologies, tailoring our stack to the unique challenges of each project.
Currently, this primarily involves using Next.js and TypeScript, complemented by the requisite backend services and infrastructure. Reflecting on our decision to depart from WordPress, I am grateful for the extensive learning experience it provided. It taught us more than simply identifying the right plugin to install. And we continue to learn.
This, I believe, is what I will primarily write about: the projects we are building, the challenges we encounter, and the knowledge we acquire in our pursuit of enhancing software development. Should you wish to learn about our ongoing projects, please visit developwave.com.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
