There are an infinite number of ways to use the WordPress platform for promoting a business or increasing brand visibility around a set of products or services. Some of these uses of WordPress rely on the webmaster setting it up being relatively savvy in implementing custom code or workarounds to make it more effective for search, surfing or overall presentation.
But what about those managers who aren’t techies but want to make sure that the basics are covered? Here are three simple ways to improve a WordPress-powered site without delving into very involved coding or programming.
Be Sure to Include a Primary Photo
When you elect not to upload a specific top photo, WordPress will supply one. However, this image is generic and pretty recognizable to anyone who’s used WordPress. It can also change with each page load, and the result can tend to look pretty generic, which may throw viewers off.
Your business will almost always benefit from customizing your WordPress with photos of your products or services, instead of using the zen-like stock photo defaults. Whether you are selling car insurance, bonsai trees, or vole traps, you should choose an attractive primary photo that helps specify to the visitor what it is you sell or specialize in.
Curate Comments
Many people who have run a site or blog on WordPress have found themselves in a dilemma where a smorgasbord of spam comments is threatening to submerge their project in misspelled, link-stuffed nonsense.
Again, non-technical managers might not have a good idea of where these extraneous comments are coming from, but there’s a lot of work involved in wading through and sorting out the fake, spammy comments from legitimate users’ replies. Doing this, though, promotes a more interactive site, which looks better to the average viewer. It can also help your website do better in search results since you are not giving off a spammy vibe.
Add Additional Pages
While your blog is probably the reason you chose to use WordPress, it is necessary to have a few other key pages – a page to explain your blog or business, a page to help people contact you, and any other information that needs to be readily available. Some managers tend to ignore this kind of functionality at their peril, since more involved viewers will want to do the research and look at who’s behind a given blog or site.
Use Links Appropriately
When it comes to links, WordPress managers kind of walk a fine line. A well-placed link can add value to a site, but on the other hand, it’s important that those links work correctly, and the site creators need to keep a site from looking cluttered. When adding links, always think about the user experience and what a hyperlink will add to the interactivity of the site. Is it relevant? Does the anchor text give the visitor a good idea of where the link will take them?
Any of these basic essentials will help make a WordPress space a more inviting venue, where readers can get connected to an enterprise or project. A lot of this kind of improvement falls more into the category of “decoration” than any actual programming or substantial web development, and therefore it is easier to handle if you don’t consider yourself technically-inclined. For more extensive renovations, businesses often hire designated designers or developers to set up additional data structures for marketing, business intelligence, and other key functions.
However, a properly managed WordPress site can be a real asset to a business of nearly any kind. These kinds of simpler web projects can be effective ways to reach out to an audience quickly and without a lot of the time and effort associated with larger and more top-heavy web sites. Also, since many users are familiar with the overall style and layout of a WordPress site, managers can work within those constraints to come up with something that builds a brand and grows visibility well.
