There is basically no way to deny the fact that building a business website using WordPress as the underlying platform is highly beneficial for business owners. With limited web design and developing knowledge, any business owners can have a well-designed and fully-functional website.
WordPress as a CMS was designed especially for the user that does not know much about the technical side of building sites. Using the right plugins and theme designs, you can create an impressive website. Due to this, there is a general belief that it is incredibly easy to create something with WordPress. In large part, the belief is correct. Unfortunately, it’s not always the case.
The problem is that, as a business owner, you need to have a great online presence as this is what will eventually bring you profits. Anyone can build a good website using WordPress. But building a great website needs more than WordPress, a few plugins and a nice design template. You need to have a broader understanding on how to make it work for your business – how to convert prospects into leads, how use optimize your website for both site visitors and search engines, and so on.
With this in mind, here are some common mistakes that business owners make and that can be avoided.
1. Choosing An Improper WordPress Theme
One of the best parts of WordPress is that you can easily install a theme. There are thousands that are available for free and hundreds that are paid. Unfortunately, many use free themes that are not often updated or that are not built properly.
It is always recommended to opt for a paid WordPress theme that is built according to the latest web standards and that is often updated. The investment will not be a large one. You can easily find something perfect for your company and really easy to use in one of the big sites that offer WordPress themes.
You also need to know that your web presence is meant to do something for your business – branding, leads, business, and so on. With that said, you also need a WordPress theme that can accommodate better branding, more leads and so on.
2. Not Using Basic SEO Techniques
In general, WordPress is SEO friendly. This is one of the main reasons why professional search engine optimization professionals use the platform. However, it’s a big mistake to think that you don’t need to optimize your WordPress SEO.
Indeed, while WordPress website design means that you rely on the built-in SEO advantages as a foundation, this does not mean that you can simply install the platform and expect everything to be perfect.
After installing WordPress, it is vital that you change permalinks to a proper structure and that you install a good SEO plugin like All In One SEO or WordPress SEO by Yoast. All that you need to do is go through the step by step setup. That would help you build a good on-page SEO structure.
Other than site structure, you also need to SEO your content. Implement on-page SEO best practices, and optimize your content so that it’s both user-friendly and search engine-friendly.
3. Using Too Many Design Elements
In an attempt to do everything to make the site look better, it is easy to end up adding various different design elements that simply ineffective. What you have to do as a business owner is to simply read some articles that are written online about the best possible business site that you can create.
Stay focused and add the design elements that are actually needed for your business. When you add too many, you end up with sites that load slowly, look awkward and feels overwhelming. Remember, you need to make your site visitors feel comfortable visiting your website; this is achieved by using effective web design elements.
Takeaway
One word of advice: If you aren’t sure of what you are doing, don’t DIY your WordPress site design.
In my opinion, the best choice for a small business owner is working with a professional website developer whenever you want to have a WordPress site that is perfect for business. The investment is not as prices as what many think.
Your interest as a business owner is to have a proper web presence to support your business growth, not tinkering with how your website will look and feel. With that said, it is almost always a lot better when you work with a professional WordPress developer.