When most people start out with Wordpress, they use a free theme rather than pay for a premium, or “professionally designed”, theme. While this seem like a great solution, it can set you up for trouble down the road.
Most people use free themes because, well, they are free. Makes sense, right? Why pay for something you can get for free from almost anywhere?
Well, the problem is, free isn’t always free.
In fact, free can sometimes be very costly.
Here are some costly reasons not to use free Wordpress themes:
i.e. How do people find you, and how do you make them stick?
If you want your website to stand out, you’ll need to pay a lot of attention to the types of articles you write. Readers want to be on the cutting edge of topics – often with very basic instructions – so that is where youwant to be to increase your traffic and get them to stick around on your site.
Content usually takes the form of articles, blog posts, audio and video too.
The first requirement of your content is that it be oriented for your potential customer or client. You always want to start with the “human” element first. Many people will tell you to focus first on all the techniques and technology, but that is like shooting yourself in the foot. Sure, you might get to the top of a search engine ranking, and someone might visit your site, but if what you provide is worded to attract search engine traffic vs. be of genuine help to the reader, well, you’re right back where you started. Traffic that doesn’t do you any good.
http://www.greatsmallbusinessadvice.com: As a small business owner, there are probably a lot of things someone can do when they visit on your website, yes? But the key thing is… does the front page of your website answers this #1 question? http://tinyurl.com/ykafufr
What do you know about keywords? They improve how the search engines perceive your content. But, too many can also get you a bad name. Learn about keyword density and how to mix and match for the perfect combination.
A Keyword Myth
Common sense is not always the best approach, especially when thinking about keyword use. Your mind says that if such and such keyword is the one you should be using to attract customers, then it should appear everywhere. So far, you are right.
Website content is not just something for visitors to read. It is also a way to attract the “right” visitors in the first place. Using the correct keywords throughout your website will garner high standing with the search gods and get you noticed.
Doing Your Homework
You thought that homework stopped when you graduated from school. In the world of business, you never stop learning if you want to go as far as the road will take you. To that end, it is time to do a little homework for your content – keyword research.
Thank my stars, it looks like the copycat bubble may be finally ready to burst.
I don’t want to say I told you so… but (ahem!) I told you so… like 100 years ago.
Here’s what happens – and this happens just about anywhere but I’m going to use internet marketing as a point of reference.
Somebody creates a formula for success. This formula is given a cool name like a blueprint and is then touted as a fool-proof, just follow what I do exactly and you’ll enjoy my success kind of solution.
Every week I talk with entrepreneurs who are “content experts” in their field but who don’t understand why their online “strategy” isn’t drawing in clients. Pardon my directness but, truth is, they don’t HAVE a strategy beyond getting their website up and maybe publishing their newsletter.
If you’re passionate about creating TRANSFORMATION in your clients’ lives and see the internet as the perfect vehicle to help you do that . . .
. . . but so far your efforts HAVEN’T paid off in the way you’d envisioned . . .
. . . then I want to tell you what’s been MISSING in your strategy.
I just spent an agonizingly painful few minutes on someone’s website. I only stayed a few minutes because I couldn’t stand it any more.
The person who owns this website is no dummy either. She’s written lots of books about organizing — big-time, best-seller type books — and yet her website is so frustrating and maddening to navigate and to read that after just a few minutes I had to give up.
Does she have any idea how many potential readers (say book buyers) — and clients for her coaching services — she’s driving away because her website is so bad? In this day and time there is absolutely no excuse for having a crummy website.
When I started my business in 2001, it was a given that I would need a website. Just as I’d need business cards, a telephone, and a computer, I’d also need a presence on the web to truly be in business.
Times have changed — yes, your business still needs to be on the web, but increasingly, that presence is a blog, not a website (and sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference!) Here are 10 reasons why: Read the rest of this post »
As business owners we quickly learn that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. False promises on get-rich quick and home-based business opportunity sites come to mind as an example. So we become wary consumers, looking for the truth behind the spin. So when we were contacted recently by George Ajazi offering “free SEO advice“, we were understandably skeptical.
But every so often, someone comes along who is, honest to goodness, giving something really valuable away. George turned out to be one of those people! Read the rest of this post »
