Managing a company website should be straightforward. A team might need to add a staff profile, update a service description, or change office hours. These everyday edits keep information accurate and customers engaged. Yet for many small and medium-sized enterprises, even simple updates create frustration. Instead of logging in and making changes directly, staff open a ticket, wait for a developer’s reply, and then receive another invoice.
Across Japan and internationally, many organizations face the same challenge. WordPress sites often look polished but are difficult for non-technical staff to edit. The issue usually is not WordPress itself. It lies in how the site was built, often with hardcoded templates, proprietary page builders, or custom themes that restrict access.
When updates are hard, sites quickly become stale. Marketing slows, announcements go unpublished, and campaigns miss their moment. Over time, the website shifts from being a business tool to becoming a bottleneck.
The good news is that this can be fixed. WordPress has evolved into a flexible, client-friendly platform. This article explains why so many SMEs feel stuck, what a modern build looks like, how to assess a current setup, and what to do if a site feels locked down.
Why Everyday Editing Feels So Hard
Consider a common scenario. A new staff member joins the company, and the “Our Team” page needs an update. Ideally, this should take a few minutes: upload a photo, write a short profile, and publish. But often the team page is locked inside a custom-coded template. There are no fields in the dashboard to add a new entry, so a developer must be contacted.
Or take something even simpler. An office adjusts its opening hours. Updating a line of text on the contact page should be effortless, yet the content is inaccessible in WordPress because it was written directly into the theme code. A task that should take seconds becomes another round of requests and delays.
Multiply these small frustrations over months and years, and the result is lost time, higher costs, and staff who feel dependent rather than empowered. The website, which should be a living reflection of the business, becomes an obstacle.
These challenges are not theoretical. Many companies have delayed product launches because changing a homepage banner required outside help. Others struggled to post urgent announcements, such as holiday closures or service disruptions, because their news sections were locked down. The cumulative impact of these delays is lost sales, confused customers, and teams disconnected from their most important digital channel.
How So Many WordPress Sites Got Stuck This Way
The irony is that WordPress began as a platform for publishing. Its original purpose was to make content management simple. So how did so many sites end up difficult to edit?
The reasons are often rooted in development practices from the past decade.
Hardcoded templates were the norm for a long time. They gave developers full control and precision, but the downside was obvious: all the text and images were baked into code, completely out of reach for editors.
Then came page-builder plugins like WPBakery, Divi, and Avada’s Fusion Builder. They sped up site launches, but often left behind messy shortcode-filled content and fragile, over-nested layouts. Turn off the builder and you’d see raw codes like [vc_row], [et_pb_section], or [fusion_builder_container]. For non-technical staff, even the smallest edit felt like a gamble, and breaking the responsive design was way too easy. Newer versions have gotten better, but older setups still make everyday editing a headache.
A third factor is the reliance on custom themes. These often prioritized aesthetics or developer workflow rather than client usability. Content and design were tightly bound together, so even a minor change risked breaking the page structure.
These choices were often rational under the constraints of the time—whether to move fast, hit a design brief, or keep things tightly controlled. In some cases, agencies even structured sites in ways that made clients dependent on ongoing support contracts. Whatever the intent, the outcome was similar: attractive websites that turned routine edits into a challenge.
The Shift Toward Modern, Editable WordPress
The landscape has shifted significantly in recent years. With the release of the Gutenberg editor, better known simply as the block editor, WordPress began a new era. Instead of editing through rigid templates or clunky builders, users could create and manage content visually, arranging modular blocks on a page.
WordPress is not just popular, it is dominant. As of 2025, it powers over 43 percent of all websites and holds more than 60 percent of the global CMS market (WPZoom, Invedus). This ubiquity makes the usability of its editing tools a business-critical issue.
The uptake of newer tools has been steady. According to the 2023 WordPress survey, 39.9 percent of respondents reported using the block editor exclusively, with another 20.2 percent using it alongside the classic editor. Enterprise adoption is rising too, with research showing that over 80 percent of organizations now use either block-only or hybrid editing structures (Neuralab).
This shift is also reflected in real-world usage. In the past three years, more than 264 million posts have been created with the block editor (AIOSEO). That figure demonstrates that Gutenberg is not a niche experiment but a mainstream publishing tool used by millions.
The industry is clearly moving away from developer-only editing environments toward client-first structures. The block editor allows entire page layouts, including headers, footers, and templates, to be managed within WordPress without touching code.
On top of this foundation, new tools like Bricks, GenerateBlocks, and Kadence Blocks have emerged. These expand the functionality of Gutenberg, offering more design flexibility while remaining accessible to non-technical staff.
The strength of WordPress also lies in its ecosystem. There are now more than 55,000 free plugins in the official WordPress directory, covering everything from SEO to e-commerce to security. This breadth of choice ensures that businesses can adapt their sites to new needs without custom development, provided the core build is client-friendly.
What a User-Friendly WordPress Site Looks Like
So what does this look like in practice? A well-built, editor-friendly site makes content management intuitive. When logging in, the backend mirrors the structure of the live site. Pages are built from blocks that can be edited, rearranged, or reused. Common elements like staff profiles or product listings are created as custom post types with clear input fields.
Consistency is maintained through reusable patterns. For example, if a site uses a standard format for news updates, that pattern is saved. Adding a new post becomes a matter of filling in a form rather than designing from scratch.
The experience is straightforward even for new staff. With a short training session, or often just a walkthrough, non-technical users can publish confidently. There is less reliance on developer intervention, and the marketing team can move at the speed of the business.
Here are a few hallmarks of a client-friendly build worth looking for:
- The ability to edit all core content directly from the WordPress dashboard.
- Reusable block patterns that keep branding consistent while making updates quick.
- Custom post types for recurring content such as staff bios, news, or product cards.
- A clear, uncluttered backend with minimal reliance on shortcodes.
These elements ensure the website feels like a tool the team owns, not a system they borrow.
Assessing Where You Stand Today
If it is unclear whether a site empowers or hinders its users, the first step is a simple audit. Start by listing the key areas of the website that require frequent updates: staff pages, service descriptions, product information, news posts, or operating details.
Next, log in to the WordPress dashboard and attempt a few updates. Can a new staff member be added without outside help? Can contact details be edited directly in the editor? If not, note where the blocks occur and why.
A thorough audit might include:
- Identifying which content is editable directly from the dashboard.
- Checking whether changes risk breaking the layout.
- Reviewing which plugins or builders are in use.
- Looking for duplicate functionality, since multiple builders layered together is a red flag.
- Asking staff how comfortable they feel making updates.
Documenting this will help determine whether the issues are minor annoyances or systemic barriers. Sometimes a handful of fixes can solve the problem. In other cases, a rebuild may be the only sustainable solution.
Options If You’re Stuck
Once the current state is understood, there are several possible paths forward.
Targeted fixes are the lightest option. Developers can unlock specific sections by converting them into editable blocks or custom fields. For example, a hardcoded staff page can be rebuilt so each profile is a post type, editable through a simple form. This keeps costs low and solves immediate pain points.
A partial rebuild goes further. If multiple sections are problematic, migrating those into block-based templates while retaining the rest of the design can strike a balance. This approach is less disruptive than a full redesign but significantly improves usability.
A full rebuild is often the cleanest solution for older sites. If the current build relies on outdated plugins or fragile custom code, starting fresh ensures a sustainable foundation. A block-friendly theme combined with reusable patterns makes the site future-proof and easier to maintain.
Finally, there is the option of switching platforms. While WordPress continues to dominate, powering over 43 percent of all websites, some businesses opt for platforms like Webflow or Squarespace. These can be appealing for their simplicity, but they often lack the flexibility and ecosystem WordPress offers, especially for SMEs with growth in mind.
Key Questions to Ask When Planning a Redesign
When planning a redesign, the conversations held with an agency or developer are critical. Key questions include:
- Will all core content, such as team bios, product pages, news, and contact details, be editable through the WordPress block editor?
- Are block-based themes being used so layouts can be adjusted without code?
- How will common patterns be created to ensure consistency while enabling flexibility?
- Will the backend be structured clearly so non-technical staff can navigate it?
- What training or documentation will be provided to help the team take ownership?
Developers who prioritize client empowerment will welcome these questions. Their answers will reveal whether they see the site as something the client owns or something they control.
Why This Matters for Business Leaders
This conversation is not just about technology. It is about how a business communicates. A website that requires a developer for every small change slows marketing down. Announcements are delayed. Campaigns lose momentum. Customers receive outdated information.
On the other hand, a website that staff can edit freely becomes a growth asset. Teams can respond quickly, publish updates instantly, and experiment with content without fear of breaking the site. The difference is not just efficiency, it is agility.
Agility translates into measurable ROI. Faster campaign launches mean more timely customer engagement. Up-to-date product pages mean fewer lost sales. Accurate staff profiles strengthen recruitment and credibility. Even internal morale improves when staff feel empowered to manage the company’s digital presence. In competitive markets, these small efficiencies add up to significant advantages.
The importance of usability is underscored by broader trends. Research shows that 71 percent of small businesses now have a website (Forbes Advisor; Digital Silk). For SMEs, this highlights that an editable, easy-to-maintain site is no longer optional but central to competitiveness.
Your Website Should Work for You, Not Against You
The frustrations many businesses feel today are real, but they are not permanent. WordPress has evolved, and the ecosystem around it is moving toward empowerment, not restriction. Whether through small fixes, partial rebuilds, or a complete redesign, it is possible to create a site that serves the team and supports the business.
Netwise has seen many SMEs make the transition from locked-down sites to flexible, client-friendly builds. The transformation is striking. Staff who once dreaded updating the website begin to take pride in managing it. Marketing teams that were stuck waiting for developers suddenly move with speed and confidence.If your WordPress site feels like it is holding the business back, there is no need to settle for frustration. A client-friendly build can give staff the freedom to publish with confidence and the flexibility to keep pace with the business. Get in touch with Netwise to explore how your website can work for you, not against you.
