WordPress is the world's most popular CMS

WordPress on a laptop
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New research has revealed that WordPress is the top content management system (CMS) among enterprise businesses using two or more CMSs and it is also the dominant CMS for headless technology applications.

A new WP Engine report, entitled “The Rise of Multi CMS, WordPress and Headless in the Enterprise”, found that using a CMS is no longer optional for enterprise companies and that headless applications, which control the content that is separated from the display layer or the front-end user experience, are on the rise.

Vanson Bourne surveyed 300 enterprise-level IT and marketing decision makers in the US and UK to compile the new report that is a follow up to a similar survey conducted back in 2017. 

The report shows a marked increase in the use of WordPress among enterprise customers and the popular CMS showed the highest increase in usage when compared to other CMSs including Adobe Experience Manager, Sitecore, Joomla, Drupal and Umbraco.

Enterprise CMS use

One of the most interesting findings from WPEngine's survey was the clear return on investment advantage of WordPress. Of those surveyed, 31 percent viewed ROI as a major benefit of using WordPress and no other CMS scored higher than 27 percent with the average of all other CMSs at 20 percent. Of the IT and marketing decision makers who are already using WordPress, 38 percent saw ROI as a major benefit making the case that once an enterprise is using the CMS, its ROI is even more pronounced.

According to the survey, WordPress and Adobe Experience Manager are still battling it out for the top spot. While Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is still the most commonly used CMS overall at 68 percent, WordPress is catching up fast at 66 percent. At the same time, WordPress use in the enterprise has risen by 16 percent since 2017 and this is driven by businesses using multiple CMSs. Almost half (49%) of enterprises are also planning to expand to additional CMSs in the future.

Founder and CTO at WP Engine, Jason Cohen provided further insight on the report's findings and how enterprises are now using multiple CMSs, saying:

“For today’s enterprise organizations, using a CMS is no longer an option, it’s a mandate. The research results clearly show that not only are most, if not all, enterprises using a CMS, they are most likely using more than one. WordPress is one of the top two leading platforms for both primary and secondary uses, with clear benefits in terms of ease of use, ROI, agility and a faster time to market. It’s also one of the leading CMSs for headless applications, which continue to grow in this all-important market.”

Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home. 

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