Build Your Own Small Business Website with WordPress
Small business owners face many challenges in today’s changing marketplace, and one challenge that may seem overwhelming can actually be very simple to handle- designing and maintaining your own website. Business owners can build their own, personalized and fully functional site using WordPress, for free.
Building your own small business website with WordPress can be easy and quick, and can be done by almost anyone with just a little computer knowledge. If you use the computer on a regular basis, for web browsing or emailing, you can probably learn to build a site in one, short sitting.
Start with These Easy Steps
Start by finding a web hosting service. While WordPress is free, you will still have to pay a small fee for a web host. Bluehost offers easy-to-use and inexpensive services, and they even provide you with a domain name at no cost. Choosing a domain name isn’t hard. It is only used to identify your account, so you can even use your name.
Once you sign up and choose your domain name, login to your account and from the Control Panel screen, scroll down to the WordPress icon and click it. This takes you to the WordPress Install screen. Select 3.0 (Stable) as the version to download, enter your domain name, create a user name and password, check the box to create a new database, agree to the Bluehost terms and click “Complete.” Your website will be created.
Customize Your Website
Begin by choosing a theme for your site. WordPress has hundreds to choose from so you can find exactly the style you want. Use this free website builder with WordPress to quickly install the graphics and designs you want.
Once you sign in to your account, you will see your Dashboard on WordPress, and from here you can name your site, create pages, create more pages, posts, upload photos, and do just about anything you want with your site. It’s completely customizable.
When you build your own small business website, remember to use keywords and phrases that will rank well with the search engines and bring customers to your site. Use every opportunity to include a tag or keyword, like page titles, photo captions, and product or service descriptions.
Load Your Site with Tools
WordPress offers a variety of plugins and widgets you can use to enhance your site. You can add a plugin to accept credit cards if you plan to sell from your site. Search through the available plugins and determine what your customers will find most helpful and make them most likely to use your business.
Also use plugins to help increase traffic to your site. Free SEO plugins are available that will get your site highly ranked by search engines. Use tracking devices to see where your customers are finding you so you can duplicate what works.
WordPress makes it easy to build your own small business website and customize it to your own specific needs, right from your own computer.
About the Author
Tammy Magarie is a little piece of sunshine from Jupiter, Florida. Her bubbly personality allows her to express herself freely in hopes that her writing will impact someone in any way they can relate. Tammy has been writing about online commerce for over 5 years. Her friends and family are her “test lab” for the newest ideas and trends. They pride themselves as being on the “cutting edge” of tech knowledge by being in Tammy’s “inner circle”. Tammy’s loves being the first to write about a new website, tool or success story online. When she is not at her computer researching and writing Tammy is out on the water as an avid wind surfer and swimmer. “The beach is my lifeline…it’s my kind of coffee break”