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Which of these choices would you prefer? One that involves custom programming costing $3000 or more, requires a knowledge of complex programming languages in order to make even simple changes to the content, and requires a complete redesign (again costing thousands of dollars) if you decide the look is outdated? Or a website that is built on free software, allows you to easily update content yourself and you can select from thousands of clean, professional looking designs that can be added to the site in a matter of minutes? No brainer, right? If you aren’t familiar with it, an introduction to WordPress is in order. WordPress, originally used solely for blogs, has morphed into an incredibly powerful Content Management System you can use to easily and inexpensively create a very professional and functional website for your small business. Here are 7 reasons WordPress may be the perfect option for your small business’ website: 1. It’s FREE. Simply go to WordPress.org and you can download the software - for free! The only thing you’ll have to pay for is hosting (which you’ll have to do for pretty much any business website). The good news is there are a number of quality hosting companies where you can host your WordPress site for just $5 - $10 per month. And many of them offer an option called Fantastico (at no additional charge) that lets you install WordPress in just a few clicks without having to download the software. Which leads us to reason 2 for using WordPress . . . 2. Ease of Use. Besides being easy to install, WordPress is very easy to use. Sure, if you’re technically challenged, there will be a learning curve in using WordPress. But there are plenty of tutorials around on the web to help you. And once you get the hang of things it’s quite easy to add or update content - it’s basically like using a word processing program like Microsoft Word. You don’t need to have a programming bone in your body to successfully maintain a WordPress site. 3. Themes. Think of a theme as a template. It will change the look and feel of your WordPress site. It can also change the behind-the-scenes workings of your site to provide additional functionality. You can choose from thousands of different themes - some are free, some you have to pay for. And if you can’t find one that quite suits your requirements, you can hire a designer to create a custom theme for your WordPress site. With themes, it’s easy to get a clean, professional looking site without paying a lot for custom design work. And if one day you decide you don’t like the look of your site - no problem. Find a theme you like better, activate it in WordPress and you instantly have a new look and feel to your site - all without having to change the blog posts or pages on your site. 4. Plugins. A WordPress plugin is software that extends the out-of-the-box capabilities of WordPress. Plugins, which are extremely easy to install and update, can do things like improve site security, fight spam, let you track visits to your website, automatically backup your site, improve search engine optimization, and much more. And the vast majority of plugins won’t cost you a penny! 5. Search Engine Optimization. The search engines LOVE WordPress sites. Add a few SEO-friendly plugins and then you’ll really be in good shape. 6. Technical Support. WordPress does not offer tech support for you to email or call with your questions. However, have no fear, there are still a ton of options for you if you have an issue you need addressed. You can turn to the forum on WordPress.org, which is a very active community of WordPress users who are always willing to help those having problems with the software. In addition, there are a bunch of other websites, message boards and blogs that you can turn to for advice. There are also plenty of wordPress experts for hire to assist you. Whatever issue you may encounter, help is always close at hand. 7. Freedom. If you self-host a WordPress site, you are in control. You can easily make changes to your content, add new blog posts or pages to your website, update it’s appearance, etc. And if you decide to hire somebody to help you do these things, there’s no shortage of qualified, low-cost help available. There you have seven reasons to strongly consider WordPress to power your small business’ website. To be certain, there are definitely situations where having a custom programmed website created by a reputable, qualified professional is the way to go. For most small business owners, however, WordPress will provide all that you need to get a professionally looking website that you, and the search engines will love. It’s a highly functional, flexible and cost-effective option that is hard to top. Adam Kreitman is a Saint Louis online marketing consultant. While he is not a designer, he got tired of seeing small business clients with overpriced, poorly designed websites so he started helping clients develop sites using WordPress. To get the word out to a larger audience he started a website which provides tips, video tutorials and resources for using WordPress for business. |
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