Corinne Kerston

I’m sure most of you have used or heard of WordPress. Its simple interface is virtually foolproof and it installs with just one click. It’s one of the most used blogging tools available, but it is also a gem for building a business website.  Here are some tips to building a simple yet effective WordPress business website that is sure to impress.

1. Pick an appropriate theme. There are a slew of WordPress themes to choose from, but not all are good for business websites. Many are also geared toward blogs and will arrange content by date. Look for a theme that looks more like a magazine page, or one that you can customize easily.
2. Create pages and not posts. There is no real big difference when it comes to a static website; they basically do the same thing. However, if you are thinking of adding in a blog to your website, make sure you create pages on your website. Creating posts now may make a mess of you website later when you try to make posts for your blog.
3. Make your front page static. Once you create your pages, you want to make sure that your home page displays at the forefront. To make sure it does, go to your Settings, then to Reading. Click on the “static page” button to make your home page a static one.
4. Choose plugins wisely. Plugins are a great little tool that can make your life easier. But too many plugins can get confusing. Look for ones that are designed to make the transition from a blog to a static website easy for you.
5. Utilize the sidebar. What your side bar says is a giveaway that your website is static page rather than a blog. Most blogs will display widgets like Categories, Blog roll or Archives. With a business website, there is no need for these. In fact, it can take away from the validity of your website. Edit your sidebar so that only appropriate information is displayed. Something as simple as contact info is perfect for a business website. Make sure to keep each page the same for consistency.
6. SEO your site. Ok, so this tip isn’t has nothing to do with how business-like your website should be. However, it will help your business. Add keywords throughout your website: in your content, in your header and in your footer. This will make it easier for customers to find your business when they do an Internet search.

WordPress has long been renowned for being one of the most popular blog platforms. It’s simple to use that just about anyone can build a blog. Luckily, this simple yet effective tool is also great for building a business website.

A web host is a service what will make your business webpage available for viewers on the Internet. The host is what makes your pages and content live. There are many hosts out there to choose from, with a few of the biggest being Go Daddy, BlueHost and HostGator. Most will offer comparable prices so how do you know which to choose? Here are six important things to look for in a web host.

1. Easy-to-Navigate Control Panel. Control Panel’s come with many icons and folders. They can be intimidating for a beginner website builder. Check the web hose website for a control panel demo. You should be able to get a feel of how easy it is to navigate and use.
2. Site Building Help. Does the web host have tools to help you easily create your webpage? Check to make sure the host has website creation tools that are easy to use.
3. Reliable Uptime. A web host should have reliable uptime, which is how often your site is actually up and accessible to viewers. Most hosts will say their uptime is about 99.9% but you should do additional research to ensure that it is true.
4. Enough Disk Space. Compare the amount of disk space that web hosts offer. Look for one that offers the amount you need, for a reasonable price. Most business websites will need about 50Mbs of disk space; however, tons of images, ebooks or other files will require you to have more space.
5. Adequate Bandwidth. Bandwidth is how much data transfers can be done on your site. If you have files for your viewers to download, such as forms, the more bandwidth you need.
6. Helpful Customer Service. In addition to these five important features, you should always check the web hosts support system. Read reviews on the host’s customer support and check how they handle trouble calls and how long it takes them to respond to issues.

When looking around for a web host for your business website, pay attention to these six important factors. Make sure the host you choose offers the features you want for the right price.

Image via CrunchBase

With the advent of Google came the rise of the Internet search engine. Google skyrocketed to fame and quickly became the most used tool for searching the web for content and information. With so many people perusing Google, you want to make sure that your ranking is high so that potential customers can find you. Here are some ways that you can help your website get a better ranking on Google.

Use keywords. Placing keywords in your work can greatly help improved your ranking in the search engines. Research your potential keywords to see what people are actually using to find your website and use them within your text. Do not over use them though, keyword stuffing can be just as bad as not doing it at all.

Write content that is important. Make sure that your writing is relevant and helpful. If you fill your website with articles that can be found elsewhere, your ranking will lower. Do not copy articles that have been used over and over, but come up with your own well-written content.

Limit advertising. If you throw a bunch of ads all over your site, Google will view your site as spam. The goal of Google is to provide readers with high-quality information so spammy sites get ranked low. A few affiliate ads are fine, but having so many ads your content gets lost is not.

Use a Google +1 button. You’ve seen that little button with +1 on other sites. Join Google Plus and get one for your site. Like retweeting and Liking, readers can +1 your posts as well. The more +1’s you get, the more important your site looks to Google.

Add a blog. Utilizing a blog on your business site will allow you to continually use new keywords. A blog lets you update your site often, which Google tends to like more than a static website. It also allows you to use inbound links to gain more traffic.

Use inbound links. Quality links can show that your website is important. Comment on similar blogs and leave a link to your own. Guest post on a blog with related content and end with your byline and a link to your own site.

For any business that has a website, having their website rank high with Google is a goal to strive for. A high ranking will give your site maximum exposure and lead to more customers.

Related articles

• What are backlinks and how can they improve SEO? (marketing.yell.com)
• Social Media and SEO: 5 Ways They’re Working Together (vendio.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Keywords are important for helping your website or blog get noticed. They are essential components to any web article, blog post or site content that enables people to find your website. But what exactly are keywords? Why are keywords important and how do you know which words to use?

What are Keywords?

When someone goes searching on the Internet for information, they typically start by typing in specific words into a search engine. These words are called keywords. When looking for content, you know that certain words will gain you better results than others. After typing in your keywords, the search engine will check its database and hit you back with results that contain the words you supplied.

Why are Keywords Important?

Keywords are important to a website owner because they can help you gain traffic for your site. By knowing which keywords searchers are targeting, you can place them within your website so that your content will get picked up by the search engine. Keywords help people find your website.

How Do You Know What Words to Use?

To determine the best keywords to use, think from the outside inward. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think about the words that they would use to find your site. For example, if you ran a carpet cleaning business in Toronto, you know potential customers will be searching for carpet cleaning and Toronto. Placing these keywords on your website will help search engines pick up your site and display it to those potential customers.

Utilizing keywords in all your online writing will optimize your website and help you gain ranking with search engines. It can help you gain page views and followers.

For more information on how you can use keywords to help your business, email me at ckerston@gmail.com.