This post was written by Ross Davies. The author’s views below are entirely their own and may not reflect the views of Laurence Caro.
With its customizable navigation menu and post types WordPress has become the ideal Content Management System for small business websites. The publishing platform is really easy to use for startups, so you don’t need much technical know-how or an expert to help you run it. WordPress has all the tools necessary to build a dynamic small business website.
WordPress also provides the tools needed to create a powerful platform for improving your websites rankings in the search engines. You have the choice of using the out of the box tools or adding more solid plugins to make sure you climb to the top of the search engines. Best of all, the platform is inexpensive and software can be downloaded for free, making it great for a small business start-up on a budget.
The WordPress plugin directory boasts more than 10,000 plugins that add features and functionality to help you create the ideal SEO for small business website!
Social sharing is vital for any business. You want your brand to expand its reach and the more you’re “out there” on the Internet the greater your SEO for small business rankings. So a social sharing plugin such as Really Simple Facebook Twitter Share Buttons is a must-have. The plugin is a handy feature for enabling your site or blog to be shared across social networks. The buttons are easy to customise and position and the plugin uses the original code that’s provided by the social networks. You don’t need a key or any form of registration to use it, so it’s quick and easy! Facebook, Google+ and Twitter buttons come default with the plugin but you can add others such as Pinterest and Digg.
This is one of the most popular cache plugins for WordPress if you want to ensure your small business website speed remains optimal. This plugin has it all. It enhances and speeds up page loading and will increase your websites’ speed as a whole. W3 claims to improve your site’s overall performance by 10x which can also enhance your conversion rates and website performance, meaning your SEO rankings are improved amongst the search engines. With a cache like this you can save massively on bandwidth via HTTP compression of features such as CSS and feeds.
You’ll want to ensure your website is secure and this plugin monitors your site 24/7 letting you know which common errors occur that may exploit the site to hackers. The plugin offers easy solutions and is free to use!
Digital users have become extremely mobile, so you’ll want your site to literally be mobile phone friendly, particularly with the use of smartphones and tablets on the rise. This plugin applies an especially built theme to your website when viewed on a mobile device. The theme is extremely functional and responsive, making it a favourite amongst WordPress users.
Yoast offers several functional plugins, the SEO plugin being a popular one for small business websites. The plugin allows for onsite optimisation and offers fantastic grading of your onsite SEO performance. The plugin also generates sitemaps, helps with title meta setting and adds your Google+ profile.
If you’re running an ecommerce site, then look no further than woocommerce. This plugin will provide you with a bird’s eye view of your performance; adds shipping and delivery options and integrates tax rules. With this plugin you can also run coupon campaigns and promotions effortlessly on your site.
If you’re looking to set up your small business website these 6 plugins are ideal to get you going. Once your business grows, along with your budget, consider handing the management of your site over to a professional developer and SEO team who will ensure your rankings continue to soar and conversions keep on coming!
Image courtesy – little_hobbit_feet on Flickr
