Top 10 Reasons I Recommend WordPress Websites

I’m often asked why I recommend WordPress (.org) websites over other platforms. Below are the top 10 reasons that I recommend WordPress for most business owners, especially those who aren’t particularly tech-savvy.

NOTE: This article refers to wordpress.org sites, not wordpress.com

Top 10 Reasons I Recommend WordPress Websites:

1)   User friendly (for the site owner)! The backend of a WordPress site is easy to work with, even for those that aren’t super tech-savvy.

2)   User experience AKA UX (for site visitors)! By this I mean how your visitors experience your site. WordPress sites are easy for visitors to navigate. A bad user experience can cause you to lose business. Let’s be honest, when you visit a website, if it isn’t easy to navigate and doesn’t have the features or functions that you’re looking for…will you come back? Probably not. Will you want to connect with that company via social media? Maybe; but not likely (especially if the connect buttons aren’t there or are hard to find). When you read a blog post, how likely are you to share it if the social sharing buttons aren’t readily available? Not very.

3)   SEO friendly! There are plugins to ensure that your site is indexed by search engines and help you with keyword suggestions for blog posts and pages. The best SEO plugin I’ve found is WordPress SEO by Yoast.

4)   Easy breezy edits! Updating or making changes on WordPress sites are easy breezy, no matter how tech-savvy you are (or aren’t). No depending on a designer to makes changes for you.

5)   Customizable! There are thousands of themes to choose from (some are even free!) and many are designed for specific niches or industries. Even if the basic theme isn’t perfect, it can be customized to make it look just the way you want…and need.

6)   PLUGINS and Widgets!!! There are thousands of plugins that can add virtually any functionality you want to add to your site with just a simple download! Again, very little tech knowledge needed. Plugins and widgets enhance your marketing, SEO, and user experience.

7)   Social media integration! There are great plugins that allow your visitors to connect with your business on your social media sites. One of the first things visitors look for if they want to connect with you via social media, is look for the “social connect” buttons on your site (buttons that take them to your Facebook Page, Twitter account, YouTube channel, etc). If they don’t find them they most likely won’t go searching for you on the various social platforms. I’m currently using Social Sharing Toolkit on my site.

8)   Social sharing integration! If you have a blog on your site, you certainly want readers to share your posts with their communities. Having plugins like DiggDigg and/or Shareaholic on your blog page encourages readers to share your wisdom – because it’s makes it easy for them!

9)   Mailing list integration! Email marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies you can implement. Visitors opt-in because they want the information you have to offer (as well as specials, sales, etc). You can easily set up integration with MailChimp, Aweber, Constant Contact, or any email provider of your choice.

10)    NO designer “hosting” fee! Many clients have come to me with inadequate sites, a designer that won’t make changes in a timely manner, AND designers that are charging them up to $100/month for hosting. Really! With a WordPress (.org) site you pay the hosting company about $6-10/month, YOU can make the changes yourself and your site will work FOR you, not against you!

Do You Need a Designer?

Will you still need a designer for a WordPress site? Most likely. There are many elements in the initial set up of a WordPress site that the average person won’t know how to do on their own. Having a secure site that is properly set up is of utmost importance so a trusted designer is vital. You can have the site done for you, as is most common, or you can choose a designer to work with you during the design process.

If you choose to hire a designer to build your site for you, be sure that they understand your goals and objectives. Remember, it doesn’t matter how beautiful your site looks if it lacks the functionalities that your business requires or if it is difficult for visitors to navigate. You can find tips for creating a successful website here and here.

For business owners who want more in-depth knowledge of building and managing a site, there are designers that work WITH you to build your site. One such company that I trust and recommend is BlogAid. In addition to your input, MaAnna Stephenson of BlogAid literally works with you to build the site, teaching you the ins and outs of WordPress, site security, working with plugins, and on and on. I’ve built a site with MaAnna and it was a great experience! She taught me so much about using WordPress and made me a very happy and secure site owner. I’m glad that I can now pass on what she taught me to my own clients.

Why I DON’T Recommend the “Other” Platforms

There is nothing inherently wrong with sites on other platforms. Well, okay, to be perfectly honest, yp.com, web.com, wix.com, and others, plain and simple…won’t advance your marketing/SEO efforts, or user experience – which are three of the main components of a great website! Therefore, you’re basically wasting your money – and time. If you use one of the free or cheap site-building platforms…well, sadly, you’ll get what you pay for. If you hire a designer who suggests setting up your site on one of these platforms, run. They are not looking out for your best interests. They are looking for the cheapest, quickest way to build a site and aren’t taking into consideration marketing, SEO, user experience, or site management and you’ll most likely have to return to them to make changes to the site which will cost more money in the long run.

You shouldn’t have to pay $3000 for a great WordPress site, either. There are designers who will charge that much or more for a WordPress site – and charge you for monthly hosting. That’s insane! You can buy your domain and hosting and you’ll be able to learn to manage the platform so that you won’t be dependent on a designer to manage or make changes to your site.

Yes, a good site that will work for you will cost money; there’s no way around it. The important thing to remember is that your website is the online hub for your business. It is often the first introduction a potential customer has with your brand and if your site looks like your 8-year-old designed it, what does that say about the care you take in your business? Likewise, if your website doesn’t include the necessary SEO components, you may as well not even have a website because no one will be able to find it. If they do stumble upon it and the marketing components aren’t there, they’ve hit a dead end and you’ve likely lost a customer.

Making an investment in a great website will not only save you money in the long run, it will also help you make money by allowing potential customers to find and connect with you in the ways that work for them.

Do you need a new website or need to spruce up your existing site? Contact Seek Social Media today and let’s get started on a website that will work for your brand.