Why is Drupal Not Meeting Download Rates like Wordpress?

Everyone is looking for a CMS that meets their own individual needs, and two of the bigest players are Drupal and WordPress. Where WordPress is seen as a more simplified tool for the professional blogger, Drupal offers a more robust set of tools and features that would be more commonly attributed with a “professional website”.  So naturally Drupal is far behind WordPress in total number of downloads… wait, what?

When I first compose an article, the first thing I open up is MS Word. It’s basic, user-friendly, and has all the features I want to begin my article. This, too, is the case for WordPress.  For day to day publications, the simple elegance of WordPress’ “What You See Is What You Get” editor can create a feeling of confidence that your members are going to experience your content just as you intended.  Hence, Wordpress is often the go-to because of its simplicity and user-friendliness.

Here are some other reasons WordPress has such an impressive following:

• Large Community – WordPress’ large community makes it easy to reach out to others for suggestions and troubleshooting problems with your site.
• Ease of Use – WordPress features an open layout that is user-friendly and provides pre-programmed plug-ins and templates that you can fit into your ideal site.
• Start Within Minutes – One feature of WordPress is that it takes only a few minutes to get your site up and running. From creation to production, you can have your site up quicker than you would with Drupal. But does that make it better?

A software like Drupal can feel more complicated to use, but that’s what allows it to be a more diverse tool.  But, with great diversity comes great cost; a cost in both time and money.  And with the trend leaning toward cutting costs, are you really getting enough added value to make using a Drupal-based platform worth it?

• Customization Options – Drupal features the most flexible platform for creating your site. Meaning you can create your website exactly how you want it. Through modules, you can set up your website’s template, content, features, etc.
• Security – Drupal has enterprise-level security and provides in-depth security reports, this is why you will find privacy-focused companies and governments using this platform.
• Strong Performance – Websites that use Drupal as their CMS have faster response times on their site and load quicker than any other platform.

So how can an association take advantage of the power of Drupal while maintaining the ease of WordPress? eSuiteTools features a set of modules that fit your organization’s needs and can create a user experience that delights your members and staff alike.  eSuite Tools also offers a patented “Drag and Drop” editor that bridges much of the divide.

For the association, the most important takeaway from this is: don’t just look for a technology provider to throw you an out-of-the-box CMS.  Look for one who offers not only the right tools for the job but one who can guide you through the use of those tools, too.

“Associations have struggled in the past to be on the cutting edge of technology. However, as technology evolves, it has become easier for associations to meet their member’s digital needs. We have been hard at work to give associations the tools they need to be successful in the competitive association arena.” – Vicki Tortorelli – CEO System Solutions Development

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