WordPress is the top choice for over 75 million small and large businesses today. We find that the features available allow the site owners to feel totally connected to their website. Custom design is still popular for larger businesses and they tend to hire an IT person to join their regular staff. Small business and new entrepreneurs however, have no need for this additional coverage. Their changes are few and far between. Websites that do not require day-to-day changes find WordPress the way to go.
WordPress is a popular open source Content Management System (CMS). Professionals around the globe are moving to WordPress with its many plugins available for customization and website enhancement. WordPress boasts over 47,000 plugins. The site owner can add the plugins most appropriate for their business and develop the site at their own speed. There are many tutorials available online which teaches the basic WordPress methods for novice WordPress developers.
Caution WordPress beginners:
It is true that the novice can accomplish many of the simple and basic WordPress functions. However, many of our clients have seen sophisticated WordPress samples and are sorely disappointed when they cannot add the more advanced functions. Please keep in mind that more advanced WordPress websites require programming above and beyond the basic functions.
Should I learn to blog or hire a professional?
The WordPress platform is built for blogging. It is easy to learn this skill if you take time to learn the WordPress software. Many of our clients are beginning to do their own blogging. We offer a blogging workshop quarterly for clients interested in learning the basic blogging methods for WordPress sites. To be successful, consistency is all that matters. Our professional bloggers spend about twenty five to thirty hours per month on any one site. For those of you who do not have this free time, it may be necessary to hire outside help. Contact us for a list of professionals.
Yoast SEO Plugin:
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Site owners should consider purchasing a plugin called “Yoast SEO.” This software will bring the best search engine optimization results. The Yoast software identifies a number of factors which rank your website at a higher level. Following their suggestions the site owner can improve their listing and the goal is (of course) to reach the first page of Google. This is a great plugin. It will help you to create copy and optimize it, improving your chances for SEO success. This is truly a great plugin.
Using this will allow you to check the readability of your content, write better headlines and improve your meta descriptions, header and title tags. You will learn to pay close attention to image optimization since the web is very visual today. Yoast SEO software teaches you to use “long tail keywords” and write compelling, organic content which the search engines love.
Social media plugins for higher visibility:
Social media plugins plays a huge role in attracting visitors to the website and increasing the site’s ROI (return on investment). Social media promotion is especially important for those of you operating an on-line shopping cart and others selling goods and products online. Social media keeps visitors engaged and It is perfectly acceptable today to advertise on social media platforms.
One of the latest methods is for site owners to sync their websites to their company Facebook page to promote their wares on both mediums simultaneously. There are over 100 social media platforms. Most of us are familiar with Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. It is a good idea to research other social media platforms that might enhance your unique business needs.
We hope you all enjoy your Halloween holiday just ahead.
Have those sweet treats available for those kiddies at the door. Hurry back for more next time.
Jean Holland-Rose, Chief Creative Officer and SEO Professional.
