Umpqua Web Design 541-673-2671 www.umpquawebdesign.com 1
Most small businesses understand the importance of having a company website. A website can act as a virtual storefront and information hub, which is valuable because more and more people are turning to the Internet to learn about products, services, and companies before making purchases. Gone are the days of primarily browsing through paper advertisements or watching television commercials in order to find a new product or service. Instead, consumers would rather get more in-depth information than a 60- second television commercial or newspaper ad will provide them. Therefore, browsing online has now become the #1 way consumers find companies that have what they need. Not all websites are created equally, however. Some are easier to maintain while others take a lot of time and dedication to manage. Some come with an extremely high price tag, while others are affordable for most small businesses. WordPress is a budget-friendly content management system (CMS) that s ideal for local businesses. It s easy enough for a novice with no knowledge of HTML to use, yet it offers an array of helpful tools that make your website more effective when it comes to generating leads and sales. When it was created in 2003, WordPress was primarily used by bloggers. Since then, however, it has gone on to attract over 60 million users, which includes local business owners, Fortune 500 companies, celebrities, and much more. In fact, notable businesses such as the New York Times, UPS, and Forbes use WordPress. WordPress has evolved from a tool to help writers, into a full-service CMS in which businesses can use widgets, tools, themes, plugins, mobile applications, and much more to share their company information. As a small business owner, you more than likely already know that a quality company website is crucial in today s technologically-advanced world. WordPress offers small companies an affordable way to have a professional, high-quality website with a variety of added features to help make your website PROFITABLE. 2
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) WordPress is a powerful CMS, which brings several convenient options to you. With a CMS, you have direct control over your business website and can easily add, remove, or change content on the fly without having to learn any complicated software or programming. This eliminates the hassles and/or wait times of a web developer should you want to make simple changes or publish new content. Instead, you have direct control over the content at all times without worrying about accidentally changing the design of your site, which can cost a hefty amount to have fixed. With WordPress, your website design and your website content are completely separate, putting you at ease when it comes to content management. In addition, you can easily train your employees, colleagues, or anyone else you d like to publish content or help manage your website. You can give different levels of access to different users, making it easy for you to implement an approval process before content is posted. WordPress is SEO-friendly While having a website is important for businesses, it doesn t do much good if you aren t driving traffic to it. WordPress is an SEO-friendly platform filled with tools that help you boost your website exposure. As long as you create unique content with appropriate backlinks, your website has the potential to land high in the rankings of major search engines. Google is especially well-known for placing WordPress sites in the top spots of search results. With frequent website updates and strategically placed keywords, you have a strong chance of having your own website rank high as well. This is important for businesses as studies have shown that most people select a site from the first page on search engine results. 3
If your website is buried on the 5 th or 6 th page, there is a good chance that it will be overlooked. Simple Social Media Integration Plugins Social media is another way in which businesses can gain exposure. In combination with a professional website, you can drive even more traffic to your business website and gain new customers. Social Media usage is at an all-time high and is not expected to slow down any time soon. Therefore, businesses are jumping on the social bandwagon in order to build a loyal following of customers and potential customers. WordPress offers an array of plugins associated with the popular social media platforms, such as Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, and YouTube. Linking your website to your social media pages is easy when using Wordpress; making it pain-free to connect all of your internet properties together, which is powerful for branding as well as ultimate online exposure. WordPress is Easy for Novices If you don t know HTML, WordPress makes the process of maintaining your website extremely easy: you don t need to know HTML to post your content, add images, and make other minor changes to your site. Years ago, businesses had to call up their web designer just to make minor changes, which usually ended up costing them much more than they wanted to spend. However, with the invention of WordPress, businesses have more control over their content; and making simple changes is something that any business owner or staff member can handle within minutes. 4
Scheduling Content in Advance If you have several pieces of written content, yet you don t want to publish them all at once, WordPress allows you to upload as much as you like, and then create a schedule date for each post. This saves times as you won t need to go back each time to post your content. Instead, you can essentially set-it-and-forget-it all while keeping your site s content fresh and updated. RSS Feeds With RSS feeds, your readers will get all of your updates just as soon as they are posted with the RSS feeder tool. They can choose to read your posts via newsletter or by email. Affordable for Small Businesses Many times, small companies either forgo a business website completely because they think it s too expensive, or create a free website that doesn t provide them enough options to be successful. Wordpress websites are very cost-effective because they are somewhat easier to design and are more easily managed. WordPress web designers generally charge less than HTLM designers due to this fact. You probably remember years ago that a company website could cost well into the tens of thousands of dollars. However, those days are gone for most small businesses; WordPress allows any developer to create a fresh, professional website with many bells and whistles without having to spend hours and hours to do so; and this saving is passed on to business owners. Easy Blog Integration Having a blog on your website is crucial for small companies. It not only helps to drive in more traffic, but it lets you show the human and personal side of your business. WordPress, since it started out with bloggers in mind, 5
provides some of the best tools for blogs, which can be incorporated directly into your business website. Mobile Applications More and more people are using their cell phones to browse the Internet, and these numbers are expected to grow. WordPress has a mobile application which allows mobile users to also view your site via cell phones. In fact, WordPress can automatically detect when a user is on a cell phone, and will automatically adjust your website settings for mobile viewing. Simple Media Options WordPress makes it easy to upload and add high-quality photos and videos. With just few simple clicks, you can have brand new images and videos on your website ready for the world to see. Control of Your Community In the past, a chat board or forum was added to business websites in order for customers to engage with each other and ask relevant questions. This led to problems such as heated arguments, off-topic and/or indecent discussions, and automated advertisements and spam from other businesses. With WordPress, however, you are in direct control of your community. In other words, you have to power to lead the discussions via blog posts, Q&A sessions, articles, or however you choose. You can then leave the comment section open for others to engage. Yet, if inappropriate comments are left, you can turn your moderation filters on and screen them out. This not only helps to keep your website professional at all times, but it also prevents spam, and stops competitors from posting untruthful, negative information about your company. 6
Conclusion It s extremely important for your company, regardless of size, to have its own business website. Most people are now looking online for new products and services, and without a proper website, you ll be overlooked for a business that is more accessible. Remember, however, that in order to succeed with your website, you ll need the right tools and options that most free websites can t provide you. As previously mentioned, several small companies have given up on running a business website after limited websites didn t provide the results they were looking for. It s crucial to find a site that will afford you a professional business website without skimping on the options you need. WordPress not only provides you with everything you need to have a successful business website, but it s more affordable than most other web design options. A business website is indeed a marketing and advertising tool; and it s one of the most powerful ways to bring in new business. With a high-quality, informative website, people can easily make their buying decisions from the comfort of their homes. Most consumers don t rely on radio, billboard, or weekly newspaper advertisements anymore. Instead, they expect to find all the information they need about a company online. WordPress can help you provide this, and more, to your current customers as well as potential customers. Many studies have shown that a quality website has the potential to boost a company s customer base significantly. If you are ready to finally have the professional online representation that your company deserves, contact me at 541-673-2671 for a free, noobligation consultation. Umpqua Web Design 541-673-2671 info@umpquawebdesign.com www.umpquawebdesign.com 7