Every business needs an online presence of some sort, whether this is a full blown website or a social media page. With the dawn of drag and drop website builders and the increased functionality of the longstanding WordPress platform, it has never been easier to enhance the online presence of your business. If you know how to turn on your laptop and you have somehow managed to navigate to this blog post, then you are more than capable of trying your hand at WordPress. There are millions of WordPress sites out there. Take a look at these three easy steps to make your WordPress site stand head and shoulders above the rest.
The Basics
You have to get the fundamentals right to stand any chance of being the ‘go to’ website for your target market. Make sure your domain is as close to your company name as possible. Don’t try and be clever and make it too quirky or too long. Keep it concise and memorable.
Once the domain is sorted, you’ll need to sign up with a company who will host your website. Choose a hosting package that will allow one step installation of WordPress and has cPanel as its control platform. This way, you’ll be able to utilize the security and anti-spam features within cPanel that will prevent your website from coming under threat. CPanel is the market leader when it comes to WordPress hosting due to its ease of use and the fact that there is so much information online should you get stuck using it.
Make sure you select a web hosting company that allows frequent backups of your website’s data. This may be handy should something go wrong such as a malware attack and you need to retrieve your files.
The Technical Bits
WordPress is so intuitive that you may never have any need to develop any programming knowledge to design your own theme or change the font on the theme that you have already purchased. The content management system of WordPress allows you to use the sidebars and menus to alter fonts, colors, layout, and features. If you want to add a visitors counter or embed a Twitter feed, you simply have to locate the appropriate widget and add it. The open source software has enabled many techie geeks all over the globe to try their hand a programming, so you don’t have to.
The only technical knowledge that you need a fleeting awareness of is file transfer protocol (FTP). At its most simple, FTP is a manual way of controlling and managing the files on your website. Although WordPress transfers your files and uploads pictures and videos for you, it’s a good idea to research FTP clients for Mac and Windows. By downloading FTP software you are able to retrieve your files, even if your website is inaccessible for any reason. FTP clients are not as daunting as they seem. Many are open source so they are free and the user interfaces contain mammoth amounts of help pages should you find yourself getting in a bit of a muddle.
The Creative Part
When you have your hosting plan, your domain and you are clued up on FTP, it’s time to start getting creative. You’ll need to select a theme. This is no easy task with literally thousands of well-crafted themes on the web. The quality, functionality, and ease of use vary greatly, and you could download a theme for free or pay for an all singing and all dancing fully customized theme if you have the budget. The most important things to consider are the pages you want your website to have and the compatibility that it has with widgets and plugins.
As you begin to customize the theme that you have chosen, consider layout and color. Don’t make the site too cluttered and try to mirror its layout, colors, and font to your company’s brand and logo. Carrying through an ethos in your design exudes professionalism. You may want a homepage, a link to a blog page, contact information and a gallery. WordPress themes allow you to customize your website to match your requirements.
WordPress is the market leader for many reasons. It is intuitive, free and utilized by major brands and corporations all over the world. If you generate a website that echoes the ethos of your brand, looks aesthetically pleasing and has great functionality, you are giving the online presence of your company a well-earned makeover. The visibility of your business will attract more customers and generate more sales, ensuring that your business remains a success for years to come.
