There is no question that having a website is a necessary part of owning and running a small business these days. The idea of starting and updating a website can seem intimidating for many small business owners. After all, cake decorators, accountants and photographers should not have to know about web design. Thankfully, there are just a few keys to demystifying WordPress management for small business owners.
Step One: Understand The Benefits of Using WordPress for Your Small Business
Building and maintaining a website for your small business does not have to be overwhelming, mostly thanks to the near ubiquitous nature of WordPress. WordPress powers at least a quarter of all websites around the world: a total of just below 75 million sites. This is not for no reason. The list of benefits of using WordPress for a small business is long, but some of the major benefits include:
- Create a customized domain name for your business, making it easy for customers to find and remember you.
- Customize the design and the theme of your website, matching it to your industry and your vision for the small business.
- Integrate Google Analytics, which can help you track who is visiting your website, how they are finding you, and how to best market to your target audience.
- Take advantage of built in search engine optimization tools, making your website more competitive and your small business more accessible to those searching online.
- Easily include videos, images and other media on your website, without a limit to online storage space.
- Get email and live chat support either from WordPress itself or from the web management company that you work with.
Step Two: Know What You Are Looking for in Your Small Business Website
Of course, the key to a successful small business website is to customize the website to the business, rather than the other way around. As you get started toward WordPress management as a small business owner, it is important o know exactly what you are looking for in a website.
Do you want to recruit new customers through lead generation, or are you looking for a simple informational site? Will you need updates often, or will it remain static? Answering questions like these can put you on the right track toward understanding what WordPress management will look like for your small business. From there, you start either building or expanding on your website depending on your needs, your vision and your ability.
Step Three: Get the Help That You Need to Manage Your Small Business Website
The reason WordPress websites can seem overwhelming for small business owners is simple: most people do not know how to design or update websites. And that is just fine. Every person has his or her specialty, and unless your small business has to do with Internet technologies you most likely have never worked with web design before. This is where the outside help comes in.
Once you know what you want to do with your website, you can reach out to professionals who know what they are doing with website design and WordPress management. This last step is simple enough: all you have to do is create a list of requirements and provide timely updates. In turn, the professional company can help make the technical changes necessary for the website. This frees up your time and energy to actually run your business, and completely demystifies WordPress management for small business owners.