Certainly WordPress is a solid platform. It is the most widely used and is the best option for business websites. Over the years, it has become more user friendly leading many bloggers and business owners toward WordPress sites. As with Blogger, there are pros and cons. I’ll try to share a few of the points to consider in making your choice.

Benefits of WordPress Sites:

First of all, the primary reason most business owners choose WordPress is for search engine optimization. The Yoast plugin is extremely helpful in optimizing content for search engines. Unlike Blogger, you are able to add more detailed information to your articles and photos that help search engines crawl your post for information. This helps your information get found leading to increased traffic.

Another benefit with WordPress are in the design capabilities. WordPress themes offer LOTS of layout options, so you get a very unique look to your site. With the increased design capabilities, come more decisions and more set up time. In the end, it may be worth the extra effort made. 

Another BIG positive I’ve discovered is the simplicity of creating a nice looking post in a quick amount of time. This theme uses Gutenberg Blocks and Elementor, so if you want to add columns of information or a photo with text to the left, you just insert those blocks into your post.

Finally, another important factor and not necessarily a positive one is cost. Word Press sites cost money to maintain with plug ins, and you also must consider the cost of hosting. There is a learning curve, but it should not be intimidating. If you’d like to have a store on your site, you also will have a cost involved with set up and processing transactions and security. I currently have my site on WordPress, and I can provide you some information on those expenses just so you make an informed decision. I can also recommend where to host your site and who to avoid.

Getting Started with WordPress

Once you’ve decided that WordPress is right for you, you’ll need to do the following:

1. First, pin down your domain (purchase from Go Daddy or Namecheap), who you will be hosting with (I recommend Siteground, Big Scoots, or Flywheel.), and who your target audience will be.
2. Next, decide on your theme (Restored 316, Hello You, and Oceans WP with Elementor are themes I’ve used, but I’m open to others. For load speed, I would recommend Oceans WP with Elementor).
3. Pick your color scheme. You can search Pinterest for color palettes that appeal to you.
4. Choose the fonts you’d like in your header, logo, and other graphics. 
5. Look at other sites you like. Make note of the features you like in them and share them with me to give me a feel for your style.
6. If clipart or photos are needed for your site, make sure they are approved for use on websites and purchase what you want to include.

Think about what you want on your home page? What additional pages will you need? What widgets will you want to include and where? Look at the demo sites closely, and talk to friends about templates they are using.

Sign Up for a WordPress Design Slot

Once you’ve got an idea of what you’d like, then the next step is to schedule a design slot. To do that, simply email me at Carla@sitedesignsforyou.com and complete the form attached below. Once the form is complete, I will schedule a Zoom meeting and develop our plan.