WordPress Websites, Internet Marketing Support, Online Business Consulting by Mary Motz
I’m delighted to be presenting at VA Classroom’s WordPress Success Training Camp on September 27th & 28th, 2011. If you’re a VA, OBM or other solopreneur who is intrigued by the possibilities of WordPress – or just a WordPress site owner that wants to beef up your WordPress skills – this special two-day WordPress training is for you!
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One of the many advantages of having your site built in WordPress is the availability of shortcodes. Introduced back with WordPress 2.5, shortcodes are literally simple, shorthand codes that the writer can insert into posts or pages that render a specific thing on the page – most commonly a graphic button, a social sharing link, an info box, a divider line – anything a developer can think of.
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If you have a traditional HTML website – or have a website that’s run on a content management system, you definitely want to check out my new teleclass next week, Top Ten Reasons to Switch to WordPress. If your website is more than a few years old, or if you want something that is easier to maintain, it may be time to rebuild your site in WordPress.
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One of the most important parts of any of my clients’ WordPress projects is the initial meeting when we discuss which WordPress theme would best meet the client’s needs. If you haven’t worked with WordPress yet, a WordPress theme gives the site its layout and navigation structure, as well as its “look and feel”. So, what do I look for in a WordPress theme? Most of the time it’s way more about function than form…
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In the past month or so I’ve been very busy putting together my brand new blogsite development and support service packages. After years of working with VAs, Coaches and other Solopreneurs, there’s a clear pattern of what web services these kinds of businesses need in order to make the most of their online presence, not only for marketing and visibility, but also for easy maintenance and low “cost of ownership”. With that in mind, I’ve come up with four package options – each designed to address the needs of the beginner blogger to the established coaching practice with infoproducts and support staff…
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So how much website do you need, really?
My Online Biz Insiders Podcast partner Carla Wilson & I just posted our latest episode (#60!), in which we discuss what a website really needs to have in order to work well for a business… especially a new business. During the podcast, I mentioned several things that may be a bit surprising coming from one whose livelihood comes from building websites! Many people who start a new website project—or revamp their old one—typically overestimate what’s needed in order to have an effective web presence.
So, I’ve come up with a few quick rules-of-thumb to help new business owners prioritize their website “must-have” lists:
1. A simple one-page site with your contact information is about 85% of what you need (as long as your technical “back end” is solid). After that, it’s just gravy.
2. Proper technical and email infrastructure is absolutely critical. “Infrastructure” includes business-class domain email (no Hotmail or AOL!), good quality web hosting, analytics and automated backups.
3. Use WordPress. Unless your business is in the design industry, you won’t benefit by spending big time & money on artistic uniqueness that requires custom design & coding. WordPress is not only search optimized, but also does not require a webmaster for routine updates.
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