When starting a business website or blog, some people out there have concerns about WordPress.
They wonder how a free platform could possibly serve them well, questioning areas like security and scalability. W
ell, those questions often have very little merit, since the vast majority of websites in the world are running on the popular WordPress content management system.
In fact, over 74.6 million sites currently use WordPress, and that number grows every day.
Since there are so many options out there for content management systems (CMS), like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla! and Blogger, where do you start with your choice?
Well, judging by the name of this site, and the amount of people who are currently using the WordPress interface, it’s fairly clear as to where we stand. WordPress is not only used by small-time bloggers who write their ramblings on their lunch hours.
Keep reading to learn about popular brands using WordPress. After that, we’ll look into why WordPress is so popular.
In an effort to keep the internet open and accessible to all, Mozilla blog uses an equally open source platform to power its site: WordPress. Enjoy beautiful images, a subscription box, and of course social share buttons as Mozilla Blog aims to get their message out.
Reuters covers everything from politics to money management, and every single article they publish is created and edited through WordPress. Thousands of articles and videos go through the Reuters website, showing that even the hottest publications can scale up to deliver content in an efficient manner through WordPress.
BBC is a website that complements the popular television network. It brings documentaries, movies, drama, and comedy to a huge audience. Plus, it boasts airing the internationally known show Doctor Who. So, it seems fitting to use an equally globally known CMS for its website – WordPress.
As one of the biggest and most popular brands using WordPress today, the Walt Disney Company has to be mentioned in our roundup. Taking advantage of WordPress’ blog style layouts and easy to add featured images, this company ensures you have all the breaking news that’s Disney-related right at your fingertips.
Even the top bands use WordPress to reach out to fans. The Rolling Stones need no introduction, but WordPress has shown to provide a solid website for managing the waves of fans who visit the site for concert tickets and band updates.
Not every Sony website uses WordPress for a content management system, but PlayStation sure does. Offering a truly accessible and visually appealing website and blog for people to engage with, PlayStation creates the perfect magazine style layout for gamers of all kinds.
Apparel company IZOD proves that WordPress works wonderfully for setting up a clean and attractive eCommerce site. Small stores are known to start on WordPress, and once the orders roll in to the point that your head starts spinning, you can rest easy knowing that WordPress always has your back.
Just like many of the entertainment companies in the market today, AMC uses WordPress to build their website upon. Featuring full-width images that grab people’s attention, compressed navigation that doesn’t take the focus away from content, and the easy to read blog layout, this website is great for any moviegoer wanting to know more about what’s coming out next.
This leading educational group understands the power of WordPress and what it can help bring their large following. From written content to full blown video clips and TED talks, this website even has the ability to let people live stream from all over the world.
If you know anything about technology you know TechCrunch. As one of the largest technology publishers in the world, TechCrunch relies on WordPress to ensure site loads remain fast for the huge amounts of traffic it receives on a daily basis.
Political movements are known to utilize WordPress to spread their messages, and these sites are not strangers to loads of traffic, so a sturdy CMS is a necessity. Wonkette is a left-leaning blog and it has been on WordPress from the start.
The Publication needed a platform that would let it share content in a magazine layout and allow readers to share their thoughts in a forum. And WordPress was the answer. With scrolling carousels, social sharing capability, and a built-in search function, people arriving on this site get engaged right away and have the urge to share all the great stuff they find.
As the leading social network in the world, it makes sense that it would use the most popular CMS in the world to build its blog website. With a simple style full of whitespace, an easy to use navigation system, and featured images that encourage people to click, Facebook takes advantage of the power of WordPress to get news to their readers.
BuzzMachine, a high-ranking blog created by Jeff Jarvis, is an oasis for those interested in learning more about living in the digital age. It’s also a prime example of how a small blog can scale up quickly on WordPress.
Laughing Squid provides a daily dose of unique art, culture and technology from around the world. Similar to BuzzMachine, this blog began its quest on the WordPress interface and has remained faithful with all of its success.
This magazine style news site relays all the latest news to its readers in a minimal and simple style. Built on WordPress, it can handle lots of traffic and lends itself to high engagement thanks to things like featured images, post excerpts, and even video content.
Large featured images, video content, and all the best news related to the Star Wars saga is what you’ll find on this WordPress powered website. Share your favorite content, shop the latest merch, and of course, enjoy the huge sliders with all your favorite Star Wars characters.
Variety is another popular news site that requires a powerful foundation like WordPress to handle the influx of traffic and site engagement. Whether you want to subscribe to their magazine, connect on social media, or join their newsletter, Variety has you covered.
Even entire countries looking to build their official websites understand the need for a reliable platform like WordPress. Whether you’re thinking of vositing Sweden, want to move there, or already live there and want to know what to do next weekend, this website has it all. Even better, you can find exactly what you’re looking for just by glancing at the thumbnail images that lead to blog posts.
Another Sony property that uses WordPress is Sony Music. The large slider header that automatically plays for you, the live Twitter feed, and of course, and the stunning blog layout that provides all the information you could possibly need are just some of the things this exceptional website provides users.
Boingo is a unique website in that it presents site visitors with a static homepage that is filled with video content. To navigate the site, simple follow the mega menu that comes with neat and seemingly insignificant hover effects that only catch your eye of you’re paying close attention.
Just like Facebook Newsroom, the Microsoft News Center uses WordPress to display all the latest tech news it can in the most visually appealing way possible. In a grid-like fashion, this blog has beautiful featured images, blog excerpts, and a detailed footer section for exploring all the topics you need to in a pinch.
There’s something to be said about retail giants like Target using WordPress to power their blogs. After all, WordPress was originally built as a themost powerful blogging platform around. Now, you take it far beyond that, just like Target has, without sacrificing the content portion of the site.
The Harvard Gazette is a one-of-a-kind website featuring a right hand side navigation menu that’s hidden too. It also comes with a simple email opt-in box, topic categories for easier reading, and a dedicated events section for those wanting to attend educationally-based happenings in the area.
Wolverine Worldwide is an online retailer that strives to provide environmentally friendly products to people across the globe. And using WordPress as their content management system helps them get the word out about their vision and mission.
Snoop Dogg is a creative that knows what it takes to appeal to his fans. In an effort to share news, sell products, and release new music to the masses, he uses WordPress as his CMS. And thanks to impressive hover and animation effects, you find yourself wanting to stay on his site and explore more – even if subconsciously.
If you’re already using WordPress for your own website, chances are you’ve heard of cPanel. And if not, know that it’s one of the most user-friendly and popular control panels for web hosting companies around. Once again, we see popular companies using popular platforms to power their websites.
For a man that runs as fast as lighting, there’s no denying he demands his website to load just as fast. And since Usain Bolt has more going on than just his athletic feats, he’ll need a string and reliable platform like WordPress to help him run his online business and blog.
Marks and Spencer for Business is the perfect online shop for finding gifts that are office related. Your boss, clients, employees, and even you can benefit from passing along a special gift to those that play a large role in your career success. And with built-in FAQ sections, online shops, and blog sections, this website needs a platform like WordPress to help it stay afloat.
Convenient dropdown FAQ sections, large header images, and built-in social sharing buttons help this fellowship connect those with likeminded interests. A member login, online store, and event schedule help keep people updated on everything that’s happening.
If you want to go beyond the Etsy shops and see what’s happening in Etsy news, this is the site to visit. Etsy Journal relies on the features of WordPress, like featured images, built-in search functionality, and mega menu options to spread the word about handmade crafts from around the world.
Find jobs, locations, and products using this intuitive website built on WordPress. Lazy loading images make this site load blazing fast, the translated content is great for reaching an international audience, and of course, the well-known orange color scheme is found throughout the site.
Another country relying on the WordPress CMS is the United States. With the official white house website needing to reach a huge audience, stay online all the time, and be able to relay a ton of written information at once, it’s no wonder that once again WordPress is being put to good use.
Zillow is known for having advanced filtering systems in place to help you find your next home, office, or investment property. But more than that, Zillow wants to share trending housing market news to those interested, complete with featured images and the option to share via social media.
Talking about communities, businesses, products, and news is all happening on the official Yelp blog. A large header image, translation dropdown with dozens of languages, and a live Twitter feed are lend a helping hand to the Yelp company in establishing itself as a leading company connecting people to amazing businesses in their community.
The Next Web knows what it takes to cater to the tech world and all its lovers. It also knows the importance of building a website on a reliable platform. Ad space for monetization, dedicated deals sections, and a thriving blog section with lots of engagement all help The Next Web succeed.
University of Washington shows us that even those in the field of education can utilize what WordPress has to offer. Stunning icons, dedicated text blocks, social share buttons, and even a smooth parallax scrolling background make this stand out website engaging and convincing enough to sign up for school.
If you want a career in the tech world, the IBM Career Blog may be just the spot for you. Career advice, news, social media networking, and finding a job are all things found or possible here. And thanks to the rock solid platform this site is built on, you can expect to be able to access it every single day until you land your dream job.
Much like cPanel, GoDaddy knows better than to not use WordPress for their blog. After all, they’re a web host that promotes the platform in their hosting platforms. Featured images, whitespace, grid layouts, custom fonts, and much more make this web hosting blog an easy to read website for anyone looking to learn more about doing business online.
Glassdoor has a lot more to offer people than just salary comparisons and job reviews. Of course, those are helpful. But so is tapping into what’s happening in the job force, how to make our workdays more productive, and how to balance our personal and work lives. This blog is all blog and functions seamlessly with the help of its platform.
Though maybe not the most visually appealing website on this list, Larry King Live knows what it takes to handle a ton of traffic, written content, and user engagement. Archives to old news posts, links to social media, and even the CNN schedule is supported with WordPress and a simple, news-styled theme.
As someone that knows what it’s like to be in front of and behind the camera, Felicia Day also knows what it takes to establish a strong online presence. Upcoming appearances, an online store, her best projects, and a fun and bold color scheme are all made possible thanks to WordPress.
With endless scroll, Venture Beat offers readers everything tech news and event related. They have a prominent newsletter signup section, plenty of blog posts with featured images and clear titles so you know what you’re about to read, and a focus on whitespace like we haven’t seen in awhile.
Evernote’s blog has a little bit of everything. For example, it has a log in page, product/features section, blog posts galore, a community forum, help section, and much more. Just like it tries to make the lives of people with a lot on their plate easier, so does the platform it’s built on.
The Angry Birds website needs to be able to handle movie streaming, animations, online shopping, games, and much more. That’s why building from the ground up, this website must be string enough to handle all the resource strain, without sacrificing the user experience. That’s just another reason why WordPress is used by so many popular brands.
This may get you wondering why WordPress is so popular. Since many of you are probably leaning back and forth between one or two CMS options, let’s explore why these huge corporations, blogs and artists turn to WordPress.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never built a website in your life, because WordPress is known to make it easy for just about anyone to use. Company executives often state that they can even turn to non-technical employees to make updates on a WordPress site.
The WordPress dashboard has clear tabs on the left, and each step is explained with nice details and instructions. Not to mention, you can pretty much Google any questions you have if needed.
There’s not much to say about this besides telling you to click on the links I posted above. The primary glory of WordPress comes into play since you can customize just about anything you want. Include a slider, change around your header, create animations, implement stunning graphics and more.
The frontend of your website is what all of your customers or readers are going to see, and WordPress looks sleek and stylish once you complete your customization.
Recommended Reading: 6 Drag And Drop Page Builder Plugins: Build Any Website With Zero Effort
As you can see from the companies we talked about above, small and large companies can run equally as well on WordPress. My personal site doesn’t receive nearly as many viewers as Laughing Squid, but WordPress works perfectly for both. The only area you might have to change as you grow is your website hosting–to support more visitors.
Isn’t it nice when you don’t have to pay for something? Since WordPress is an opensource project, you can download the files and start your website within a few minutes.
Can you imaging how many companies would use WordPress if they didn’t have ownership of their data? Huge companies like IZOD and TechCrunch generate loads of data. Some of this data is sensitive, while other data is rather valuable. WordPress is only a means to publish your content. You own everything that goes through your site.
Since WordPress is an opensource project it is technically run by anyone who wants to contribute. This means that the support forums are not moderated by a group of employees sitting in a single room. The input comes from all over the world, bringing in new perspectives and allowing you to ask questions that get answered quickly.
Click here to learn how to publish a WordPress site in just 15 minutes. Even the non-techie people can do it.
Themes let you turn the frontend of your site into something beautiful without any coding knowledge. Plugins are similar to how apps make your iPhone so cool. Without plugins, you need to learn how to code in order to implement a contact form or social media buttons. With WordPress, plugin developers complete all the work for you.
In this age of mobile use, any platform without responsiveness is already starting out by neglecting a strong percentage of readers or customers.
That’s it for learning about some of the most popular brands using WordPress!
If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to see our guide on What is WordPress? What Can it do & Is it Right for You?
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View Comments
Great list. But i guess you missed some like Wired.
After all again an awesome article :)
Nice job :) Cool list, of famous sites. Wordpress the best forever :)
Hi Brenda,
You can find a complete list of brands at - http://wordpress.org/showcase/archives/
They published and sorted by a date.
Regards,
Igor