More than 25% of all web sites are powered through WordPress, which is written in PHP. That includes this site. I have been using WordPress since 2005, and even did full time WordPress development from 2012 to the end of 2015.
WordPress is so popular due to its simplicity, but there have been bumps along the way. The WordPress core code works well, but due to backward-compatibility mandates, it can be a bit, well, messy. That makes development a challenge, but doesn’t really detract from the end-user experience. Combine this ease of installation with top-notch tools like Beaver Builder, and you can create an attractive site with compelling content very quickly, and without writing a single line of code. You can even get a free site at WordPress.com.
There really isn’t a quicker way to get a site up and going with the ability to manage users, content, comments, and media. I don’t do much WordPress development any more, but I still “dabble”. And I maintain a handful of sites in WordPress.
- Free sites: https://wordpress.com/ (hosted by them)
- Source code, plugins, themes: https://wordpress.org/ (hosted by you)