Is Your WordPress Website Just Another Business Card?

Business and entrepreneurship have fascinated me since my early teenage years. Long before I learned the mechanics of what it takes to launch a successful business, it seemed as if it was an easy feat. I have witnessed many try their hand at entrepreneurship, starting what they believed was an actual business. They’d get a really awesome idea, come up with a clever name for it, and then RUSH to have business cards printed.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! No marketing, planning, or additional thought was invested from that point on. It wasn’t long after that those cool-looking business cards became excellent alternatives for toothpicks, or used alongside cheesy pick-up lines. Hey, here’s my business card! Call me when you’re lonely!

While business cards are certainly not a thing of the past, WordPress websites have become equally, if not more important to a business’ visibility. Unfortunately though, many take on the stigma of their printed predecessors. A cool domain name is registered and much time and effort is invested in the initial development of the website. But after that, it floats off into cyberspace and is soon forgotten. The dynamics are so similar that you’d think that misery really did love company.

A business will not thrive without a strategy and plan for profit. This is true whether you have a business card, website, or both. But if you’re willing to implement a true business system, your WordPress website is infused with operatives that can get you headed to online success!

Optimizing Your WordPress Site to Work For Your Business

Many have already discovered the art of using blog posts as company news and press releases. This is definitely the most basic way to engage with your audience and keep them supplied with fresh and organized content. But few ever consider duplicating their theme to support ad campaigns, sales events, and holidays. The difference between the themes may be as simple as adding secondary features to your official header. Easy tricks like this help to keep your WordPress website from becoming the equivalent of a plain ol’ static business card.

As for usability, a search bar should always be included on your website. This can be thought of basic PR, as most users navigate the web by searching on Google, Yahoo, and Bing. You should also take advantage of social media networking. Plugins like Wordbooker (for Facebook) and Twitter Tools are excellent ways of integrating the most popular social networks into your WordPress website!

To learn more about how WordPress can be used for business purposes, be sure to read 5 Innovative Uses of WordPress for Business Owners.

Photo: Portrait of young business man isolated on white background from Flickr