The WPforOps Manifesto

We Declare

WordPress is a business operations platform. Website building is just one feature.

This is not a prediction. This is not a vision. This is what already exists.

The Reality

WordPress evolved:

  • 2000s: Blogging platform
  • 2010s: Website builder
  • 2020s Business operations platform

The technology evolved. The capabilities expanded. The implementations multiplied. Only the perception stayed stuck.

 

What We See

Businesses everywhere are already using WordPress for operations:

Companies using WooCommerce with no online store, just inventory tracking. Organizations running booking systems entirely through WordPress. Teams managing workflows, submissions, and internal processes on WordPress.

They're doing it. They just don't call it that.

When you ask them, they say: “Oh, that's just our WordPress site.” They don't recognize what they've built.

Nobody named this phenomenon. Until now.

 

The Three Problems

Problem One: Developers

Developers and agencies carry the same limited perception as everyone else. They pitch websites when they could pitch operational platforms. They build one thing when they could build entire systems. They don't present WordPress as an option for operations because they don't see it themselves.

Problem Two: Business Owners

Business owners don't know WordPress is an option for operations. They pay for multiple SaaS tools when WordPress could handle some of those needs. They don't realize the WordPress site they already own could consolidate operations where it makes sense.

Not because the tools don't work. Because nobody showed them WordPress as an option.

Problem Three: The Ecosystem

The WordPress ecosystem is undervalued. Dismissed as “just for websites” when it can power operational systems. Capable of serving as a unified platform but not recognized for it. The capabilities exist. The awareness doesn't.

 

The Opportunity

For Agencies:

The website business model is limiting. The operations business model is expansive.

Operational projects mean:

  • Project values 2-3x higher than traditional websites
  • Monthly recurring revenue instead of project churn
  • Client relationships measured in years, not months
  • Premium positioning as operational consultants, not just web developers

The same skills. Different framing. Multiplied revenue.

For Businesses:

WordPress consolidation delivers immediate ROI.

Businesses pay for multiple SaaS subscriptions to handle operational needs. WordPress + plugins can handle some or all of those needs at a fraction of the cost.

Potential cost reduction: 50-90%

Plus operational benefits:

  • Single platform for staff
  • Integrated data flow
  • No vendor lock-in
  • Full data ownership

Lower costs. Better integration. Complete control.

What this means:

Agencies multiply revenue by repositioning their work. Businesses reduce costs by consolidating their tools. WordPress becomes the economic choice, not just the technical one.

The economics aren't theoretical. They're already working for those who see it.

 

What We Believe

We believe in informed choice. Business owners should know WordPress is an option for operational needs. Not the only option. An option.

We believe SaaS tools are valuable. Many specialized SaaS tools excel at what they do. But WordPress can handle many operational needs businesses currently use SaaS for. And WordPress can integrate with SaaS tools when specialized functionality is needed.

We believe in consolidation where it makes sense. Not everything needs to be on WordPress. But many operational functions can be unified on one platform, reducing fragmentation. WordPress can serve as the hub, integrating with specialized tools where needed.

We believe perception shapes possibility. When developers see WordPress as only a website builder, they don't present operational options. When business owners see WordPress as only their website, they don't explore operational uses. When the industry sees WordPress as only a CMS, opportunities remain invisible.

We believe naming creates recognition. What exists but isn't named remains invisible. What's invisible can't be considered, can't be valued, can't be chosen.

We believe WordPress for Operations already exists. We're not creating something new. We're revealing what's already here. The plugins exist. The implementations work. Businesses already use them. We're just naming it.

We believe in economic sense. Agencies earn more from operational projects than one-time websites. Businesses save more by consolidating on WordPress than fragmenting across SaaS tools. WordPress operational solutions offer better ROI than most specialized alternatives. The economics favor consolidation where WordPress capabilities match operational needs.

 

What We Reject

We reject the assumption that WordPress is “just for websites.” We reject the perception that stopped evolving in 2010. We reject hiding options from business owners because of outdated assumptions. We reject the idea that specialized means superior in every case. We reject limiting what WordPress can do because of what WordPress once was.

 

 

What We Embrace

We embrace WordPress as a unified platform with integration capabilities. We embrace consolidation where it makes sense, integration where it doesn't. We embrace WordPress as one option among many, not the only option. We embrace SaaS tools for specialized needs while recognizing WordPress can handle core operations. We embrace making WordPress for Operations visible so it can be chosen.

 

 

Our Principles

Principle One: Recognition Over Invention

We don't need to build WordPress for Operations. It already exists. Our role is to document it, name it, reveal it, make it visible as an option.

Principle Two: Options Over Mandates

WordPress doesn't need to replace every tool. It needs to be recognized as a viable option for operational needs.

Principle Three: Integration, Not Isolation

WordPress can serve as a unified platform that integrates with specialized SaaS tools. It's not either/or. It's both/and.

Principle Four: Pragmatism Over Ideology

Use what works best for each need. WordPress for many operational functions. Specialized SaaS where it excels. Integration when both are needed.

Principle Five: Informed Choice

Business owners deserve to know WordPress is an option. Developers deserve to know they can present operational solutions. The market deserves to see what WordPress has become.

 

 

The Vision

A world where:

Business owners consider WordPress for operational needs, not just websites. Agencies build sustainable revenue through operational retainers, not just project fees. Developers present WordPress as an operational platform option. Businesses reduce SaaS costs by 40-70% through strategic WordPress consolidation. WordPress gets recognized for its operational capabilities, not just content management. Companies consolidate core operations on WordPress while integrating specialized tools where needed.

That world already exists in pieces. We're making it visible as a whole.

 

 

What WordPress for Operations Means

WordPress for Operations doesn't mean replacing every SaaS tool.

It means recognizing WordPress can handle many operational needs:

  • Customer management
  • Workflow automation
  • Booking systems
  • Inventory tracking
  • Internal processes
  • Project management
  • And more

While also integrating with specialized SaaS tools when needed:

  • Advanced analytics platforms
  • Specialized CRMs for complex sales processes
  • Industry-specific compliance tools
  • Enterprise-grade communication systems

WordPress runs your core operations. Specialized SaaS tools handle specific needs. Integration makes them work as one system.

 

 

The Call

If you're building operational systems on WordPress: Document your work. If your business runs operations on WordPress: Share your story. If you see WordPress as a viable operational platform: Spread the word. If you're integrating WordPress with SaaS tools effectively: Show how it works.

The perception shift starts with recognition.

 

This Isn't a Movement

We're not starting something. We're naming something.

WordPress for Operations already exists. Scattered. Unnamed. Unrecognized as an option.

We're making it visible.

 

 

We Are

Developers building systems, not just sites. Business owners consolidating where it makes sense, integrating where it doesn't. Advocates revealing options, not pushing mandates.

We see WordPress for Operations. And we're helping others see it as an option too.

 

Therefore

WordPress is a business operations platform. Not the only option. An option.

The capabilities exist. The implementations work. Businesses already use them.

WordPress for Operations is here. It's time we recognize it as a viable choice.

 

 

This manifesto is open. Share it. Adopt it. Spread it.

WordPress for Operations doesn't need to replace everything. It needs to be recognized as an option.

 

 

Great Opomu
Author, The WPforOps Manifesto.
WordPress Advisor & Strategist.

My WordPress Story
Platform Over Pages