As a brick and mortar business proprietor, I knew zilch about website making only one year ago (Feb./09).

I set out to start a marketing campaign online. Am I ever glad I did.

I first had to learn how to develop a website. I had paid for 2 websites and blogs, but they were a disappointment because I had no traffic. I figured if I learned how to make my own site and do the website optimization, then I could take control of my website marketing. I was right.

I set out to try a number of self-help solutions. I used site builders (free and paid) and several blogging platforms. After getting familiar with many solutions. I decided WordPress was the way to go, for now and it had a strong future.

So, after a year’s worth of research, my 12 reasons, as a an entrepreneur, for using WP are as follows.

1. This has more to do with why build your own web sites in the first place. I didn’t want to rely on anyone because I realized growth was on the world wide web. I wanted full management of my web marketing and advertising campaign.

2. Save money by not having to pay for every new website. I realized a good world-wide-web marketing and advertising campaign included numerous internet websites. If I could build one web site, I could build many. The same with SEO costs; I didn’t want to pay thousands every month. So I learned to do it myself.

3. The future of almost every business is on the internet. Once I grasped that, it was a no-brainer for me to learn how to take my business online in a way that I could do it myself.

4. WP practically free. The WordPress software is free. Many themes (i.e. templates) are free. All you need to pay for is hosting, which costs less than $7 monthly. That $7 per thirty days with good services will let you host a limitless number of websites.

5. Speed. Once you are familiar with WordPress, you will be able to build websites very quickly.

6. Cutting edge development. Because there is a huge WordPress community contributing to its development, WP is constantly improving enabling better and better internet websites. It’s not constrained by private ownership.

7. Unlimited functionality. For nearly just about every need, an enterprising developer has created a plugin that solves that need. Most plugins are free; and if not free, relatively inexpensive.

8. It does not get much easier than WordPress. Seriously, once you get it installed, you’re looking at a very simple user interface within which you control the development of your web page. Of course if you know coding you can do some additional customization, depending on the theme. However, to get a decent web page up, you do not need to know coding.

9. SEO for WP is both excellent and easy. The search engines like WP (at least that’s what I’ve read; I must say my website and blogs do well). Best of all, the SEO plugins and/or SEO-ready premium themes make optimizing your WP internet site a breeze.

10. Unlimited Web site styles. Whether you need a corporate web site, e-commerce web site, a news site, etc., WordPress delivers. Again, it’s each and every one in the WP theme you get that will help with your internet site style, layout, and functionality.

11. Content Management System. What this means is it’s easy to add content. Without a doubt, WordPress is one of the easiest internet site platforms for adding content – whether images, videos, articles, etc.

12. For greatest ease and the nicest looking website, there are lots of paid themes available – ranging in price from ten dollars to over one hundred dollars. I use premium themes exclusively now because they’re well-coded and in my view, look the nicest. I also love the many very easy customization options available with premium themes.

Take it from someone who has tried numerous web site builders, blogging platforms, and hired web site designers; WP is the way to go. If you can, consider a premium WP theme, especially one that uses the parent/child WordPress framework. You won’t be disappointed.

Need great website template reviews? If so, check out this Genesis Theme review, StudioPress’ newest theme using the latest WordPress parent/child framework.