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WordPress Tips for Newbies

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As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to save time and money. WordPress is a great platform for building websites, but it’s important to learn some key tips before getting started.

Here is a summary of some of the more important guidelines:

1. Know the difference between a Page or Post:

  • A page is where your main content is created, such as Home, About, Contact, and Blog Page. A post is a BLOG page and when published will show up in your blog feed. Some websites present their blog as their home page and others create a separate page for their blogs. In the setup process, go to your DASHBOARD, look on the left panel for APPEARANCE then CUSTOMIZE, then HOMEPAGE SETTINGS.
  • When creating a new post, be sure to assign it to one broad category and use descriptive titles and tags so that people can easily find your content.
  • When copying text from a word-processing program or another website, remove the formatting first.  The best way to do this is to post into Notepad first to remove any formatting.
  • Use Chrome or Firefox browsers to take advantage of their spellcheck features; otherwise, be certain to use spellchecker before publishing your page.
  • Don’t use the default permalink created for your page or post if your title is long. You have one chance to change your permalink (URL), before you publish your page or post. Check your permalink (URL or internet address) before initially publishing your page to make sure it is “pretty” and useful.  You don’t want it to be too long and it should contain a keyword. Sometimes WordPress assigns numbers to pages and posts – use the “edit” button to make this permanent pretty permalink change.

2. Maintain your site to keep it safe from hackers & malware:

  • BACKUP often and ALWAYS before any updates.  Make sure to always back up your site before updating to avoid losing any data. Take at least one backup a month and after you make changes.  Use a plugin or the tools on your hosting server to take backups of your files and database.
  • Delete spam comments
  • Keep your password secure and difficult, and choose usernames that are not obvious (Please do not use ADMIN or 1234567!)
  • Don’t share your password with other users.  Create a new USER account for each person on your WordPress website. You should consider creating a new user account for yourself that is strictly for adding posts (EDITOR).
  • Keeping your WordPress site up-to-date is important for security and stability – Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins as needed
  • If multiple updates are needed, update plugins first, then themes then your WordPress core files.
  • If you have plugins or themes that are not being used, remove them from your site.
  • Keep your own desktop/laptop computer up-to-date and free of malware.
  • Minimize the load on your website by not adding too many plugins.
  • Only add plugins from reputable developers: read reviews and support logs before uploading a new plugin to your website.
  • Use an anti-spam plugin – some of the newer security plugins include anti-spam protection or install a stand-alone plugin such as AntiSpam Bee.
  • Worried that you have malware on your site? Scan it for free at https://sitecheck.sucuri.net/. While this tool may not detect all malware, it may give you an idea if your site was hacked.
  • If you don’t have time to manage your site, hire someone to do it for you!

3. Optimize your Images:

  • Resize images BEFORE uploading them. Large images can slow down your website, so it’s important to optimize them for faster loading times. You can do this by reducing the file size or using a content delivery network (CDN). You can use Canva, BeFunky, PicMonkey, TinyPng, or ImageOptimizer to change your photo size and save it to a web-safe size.
  • Take time to fill in descriptions and alternative text (ALT Text) – the ALT text is used by search engines and those that use assistive devices so make sure to describe the image in detail.
  • You can add a hyperlink to your image and link to a page on your website rather than back to the original image. Keep in mind though that mobile phone users scrolling down a page may inadvertently click on a photo link which will take them away from the page they are viewing.
  • 800 to 1200 pixels wide are common widths for a post image.
  • 1600 pixels is a common width for a front page hero image.
  • 200kb is the recommended maximum file size of any image. Oversized images cause slower load times. Under 100kb is ideal.

4. Find WordPress Help

WordPress is the world’s most popular and widely used content management system powering more than a third of all websites on the internet. Popularity means there are many user groups and forums that share knowledge on how to get started. Also, when working within your WordPress dashboard, help is just a click away. Look in the upper right-hand corner and click the down arrow where it says HELP.

Of course, if you need personal one-on-one assistance, contact Current Marketing for the WordPress help you need.

As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to save time and money. WordPress is a great platform for building websites, but as a WordPress newbie, it’s important to learn some key tips before getting started. Proper maintenance of your website can save you time and money in the long run. Optimizing your images can also help your website load faster, which is important for keeping visitors on your site. Finally, knowing where to find help when you need it can save you a lot of frustration down the road.

We hope you found the WordPress help you were looking for. If you have any questions, please feel free to send us a message via our Contact Form.  

This article was originally posted on May 19, 2013, and has been updated.

What Is GDPR and Does it Affect Me?

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Earlier this year the European Union enacted the General Data Protection Regulation—known as GDPR.

The purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is to give European Union citizens more control over their personal data and to protect their private data.  As a resident of the United States, if you are marketing to any European Union country, or if you attract website traffic from the EU, GDPR does affect you.

Protecting the privacy of visitors to your website is always a good idea, but if want to make sure you are GDPR compliant, you should take time to familiarize yourself with the rules.  In a nutshell, GDPR does not prohibit saving of personal data to your website database, it just requires that you get consent before doing so.

Here are a few ways to bring your website into compliance:

  • Make sure your Privacy Policy is up-to-date.  The Privacy Policy explains to visitors how you collect data and how long you hold onto it.  If you don’t have a privacy policy on your website, you should add one.
  • Get permission to collect user data on your contact forms or on newsletter signups by adding a required checkbox that says, “I consent to my submitted data being collected and stored.”
  • Use a Cookie Consent Form if you collecting data via Google Analytics, Facebook Pixels or similar tracking mechanisms.
  • Part of GDPR compliance also requires that users are able to request that personal data be removed from your database.  There are different ways to accomplish this, but of most importance is to explain to website visitors how to contact the person responsible for data management.
  • Keep stored data secure. This is accomplished by keeping security software on your website that includes a firewall.  Additionally, it is important to keep website software up-to-date. Outdated software leaves your website vulnerable to hackers. It is also good practice to use security software on any computer that is used to access your computer.

I don’t market to EU customers, do I need to be GDPR compliant?

I have clients that have noticed a drop in newsletter sign ups due to the extra consent check box.  Also, it is well know that any kind of pop-up on a website is a deterrent to website visitors.  Enabling GDPR protections on your site is an important decision. As a United States based website marketing to US citizens, the benefit of not enabling the extra protections may be better for your business.  But if you attract website visitors from the EU, you should seriously consider adding the extra protections required for GDPR compliance.

While we are not attorneys, nor can we provide legal assistance, if you have additional questions about GDPR compliance or need help implementing changes, please contact us.

Google My Business Is Crucial To Your Business. Learn Why!

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Creating a Google My Business Account

Is your business listed on Google My Business and Bing Places for Business?

Once you have your website live, the next step is to make sure you can be found in search results. It is essential to get your business listed on Google and Bing.  Since approximately 75% of desktop and 90% of mobile searches are performed on Google, it would be prudent to claim your business on Google first. While this article focuses on Google, once your online profile is complete, all you need to do is duplicate efforts on Bing Places for Business.

What is Google My Business?

Google My Business Logo
Google My Business

Google My Business is a free platform for managing how your business will look and perform on the search engine. It is an important tool to determine how your business will show up when customers search for your business or businesses like yours on Google Search and Google Maps. The platform also allows you to post updates to your business profile to share what’s new as well as respond to online reviews left by customers.

How do I set up a Google My Business Account?

Search and proceed to the Google My Business page, then click on MANAGE. If you don’t already have a Google account, you will need to set one up.  We suggest creating an account that uses your business name (ie. mybusinessname@gmail.com) or use a Google account meant for business communications only.  You can then search for and claim your business.

Current Marketing Services Google My Business listing

When completing the details make sure to be consistent with NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number). NAP should match the business details displayed on your website.  For example, if your business is listed as My Business Name, LLC on your website, make sure to include the LLC on any online profile.  If your address is listed as 123 Oak Drive on your website, do not abbreviate the Drive to Dr on any online listing.  Look carefully at your website url – does it use www or not?  Your business website address must be consistent – furthermore, you want all links coming into your website to be accurate. This is critical for businesses who want to rank well in local organic search results. NAP consistency is key across all online profiles!

Once your online profile is complete, Google, will need to verify that you are indeed a real business.  Google will mail a postcard to the address you provided as your business address. It cannot be a PO Box – your business address must be an actual physical location. If you work from home, use your home address. You will have the option to Not Display Address in Google search results.  The postcard will include a verification number you must enter on your Google My Business Account page.

Important to know: If you want your business to show up as a featured listing, you MUST include a legitimate address and phone number. The phone number can not be the same as another business that is already listed.

Optimizing Google My Business Account Listing

Once verified, you can add additional details about your business including photos, specials and promotions. You want to add as much information about your business as you can.  Go through and complete each section such as areas served, business attributes, hours of operation, website address and a well-written business description.

Adding photos will increase interest and engagement with your listing.  The first photo you upload will become your profile photo. Be sure to include photos of the exterior of the building, the interior of the building, products and employees.  Uploaded photos should be at least 720px x 720px.  Visit Google My Business Help, for more details.

Your Google My Business cover photo is the most important photo. Consider using Canva or PicMonkey so you can create a professional looking cover photo that is exactly the correct  size.

Buttercream's Bakeshop Google My Business Listing

Managing Your Google My Business Listing

Make sure to keep your listing updated and accurate.  If your business hours change, be certain to also change the hours on your Google My Business listing.  Monitoring email notifications from Google is a good way to make sure your are keeping your listing up to date.

Encourage customer reviews on Google.  When someone does leave a review, positive or negative, be certain to reply – always in a positive manner!

Wrapping Up

Every business owner with a website is looking for ways to improve their Internet search rankings.  Publishing a website is not enough, your website needs to be listed!  The best way to get listed is to create a Google My Business profile. It is extremely important to make sure your Google My Business profile is accurate and kept up-to-date.  Data aggregators generally collect data from public records, including Google – This data is used to create multiple other Internet-based directory listings. So, if you want to be found, go claim your Google My Business listing today.  When you are done, get started on your Bing listing too!

If you need help, Current Marketing Services can help you create or optimize your Google My Business Listing as well as provide additional SEO services for small businesses.

Contact us to learn how Current Marketing Services can help you grow your business.

No More Mistakes – How To Make Your Images Website Friendly

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Images are an important part of blog posts and pages on your website.

Website friendly image of a camera taking photo of a butterfly
Photo by Jamie Street, Unsplash

Adding a photo or image to your blog page or website can help add interest to the page, help the reader better understand the content on the page, and help to improve the SEO ranking of a page.  A good rule of thumb is to have at least one image per page view as you scroll down a page. Adding too many images may be distracting to the important content on the page, and too many images may slow web page load time. You can check the load time of your website pages at Pingdom Website Speed Test or at GTMetrix.com

Don’t make this mistake – A commonly overlooked aspect of using images on a website is making sure they are website and mobile-friendly.  A print-friendly image should not be used in website development.

Here are 4 steps you can take to make sure your images are website-friendly:

1. Resize images BEFORE uploading them:

Photos and images on a web page should be sized according to their use.  Consider where the image will be used and what size the image needs to be.  While in your WordPress dashboard, click on settings, then on Media.  You can see the default options for your image dimension sizes.  In the example below, you can see that the largest image defaults to 1024 pixels wide.  So it makes no sense to upload an image that is wider than 1024 pixels wide.  If you are placing an image on your sidebar, the 1024 pixel wide image will be too large.  The sidebar is generally about 1/3 of the page width (1024px/3 =341 px,). So a more appropriate size for the sidebar image is 341 pixels wide.  The goal is to use the smallest and fastest loading image as possible without affecting quality.  The larger the image, the longer it will take to load. The load time of a page is an important consideration for a better user experience. A good user experience directly correlates to improved search engine rankings!

 

WordPress image size setting in dashboard
WordPress Media Settings

Visit our resource page  for links to a few free image editors that can help with image resizing and optimization.

2.  Choose the best resolutions – Image Compression:

Image resolution is the number of pixels that can fit into an area. A web-friendly image is commonly set to 72 dpi (dots per inch) or more properly ppi (pixels per inch)

Text based png images often are better compressed to 96 dpi. Most importantly is the ending file size.  Ideally, a WordPress website image should have a file size smaller than 100KB – larger hero images may need to be sized larger, but we recommend no larger than 250kb.

Resizing Image Using Irfanview
Resizing Image Using Irfanview

There are plugins that can be used to optimize images, but it is always better to resize images BEFORE they are uploaded.

3. Choose the best file type for the application:

It’s important to use the correct image format (extensions) for your website.

  • .jpg – This file format is ideal for most website image applications.  It offers the best file size and image quality, therefore, all website images should be saved as jpgs unless they have a transparent background.
  • .png – This file format is necessary for images with a transparent background.  Png formatted images are also used when the quality needs to remain high, such as the website ad banner. The trade off is a larger file size, resulting in a longer load time.
  • .gif – This file format is good for images that will be animated.

4. Properly name images

Giving an image a proper name not only helps with image identification, it is also good for Search Engine Optimization.  It is good practice to make sure the filename contains the main keyword for your WordPress page or post.  Cameras and stock photos use numbers and words that may not be relevant to the image use. Be sure to rename photos files so they are relevant to the content on the page.  Rather than stock-photo-15637.jpg, rename to the photo to ice-cream-cone.jpg.  It is okay to add the photo size to the end of the photo description. Also, be sure to use dashes rather than underscores when naming a photo, since not all browsers recognize an underscore.

4. Complete image descriptions and details

The most important thing to remember here is that search engines can’t read images! As with properly naming a photo, completing the media attachment details will help search engine bots better “read” the image.

When uploading images to the WordPress media library, you have options to complete the attachment details.  

Image optimization details for ice cream cone photo

 

The Title will be automatically populated with the file name you gave your image.  You may want to change this to something more descriptive.  The title will also appear when you hover over the image.

The Caption field is used should you want a caption to appear underneath the image.  Adding a focus keyword to the caption may help with  SEO optimization.

The Alt Text field controls what text replaces the image when an image doesn’t load and is used by screen readers and other assistive technology. Filling out the Alt Text field is an important part of building and maintaining an accessible website. It is best to use a description of the image that clearly describes what the image looks like while at the same time trying to incorporate some keywords.  This is the MOST important field to complete!

The Description field is a good place to add details about where the image came from. Image descriptions create meta data that also help website administrators better search for products. This field is not always visible to users and search engines.

 

 

Optimizing and making images website friendly is a critical aspect of creating a good user experience.  Additionally, taking the time to fill out the image descriptions fields is a  way to create SEO rich meta data for website images.  Overtime, failing to resize images before uploading them to your website can make backing files up difficult and you may run out of storage space on your server. If you need help with image or website optimization, get in touch with Current Marketing Services.

 

 

 

 

Website Hosting Reviews – This Will Help You Decide

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Are you a new business owner in need of a website? If you are just getting started, you will need to purchase a domain name and website hosting.

This article is an updated and revised version from an original posting in 2014.

Shared Website ServersThe first step in building your small business online presence is finding a website hosting company (this is where your website will live).

YOU, the business owner, should purchase your website hosting package (not your web developer).  Stay in control of your business asset! If you pay for and manage your website hosting account, you can then have full control of your website, your business’s greatest asset.

The cost for shared web/email hosting is just under $120 per year, for most hosting providers. Shared hosting means that you share a server with other companies.  This is the most economical way to host your website and it works fine for most small businesses.

What we have learned over the years is that there is not one perfect hosting solution. All hosting providers have their issues.  When shopping for a hosting provider consider what services you receive with the hosting package and whether they have 24/7 phone support.

 

Website Hosting Reviews Based on Experience:

Inmotionhosting.com:

InMotion Hosting’s shared hosting plans come with a free domain for the first year, the option to install BoldGrid a drag and drop website builder and WordPress.  The $120/year (this will be your renewal price, with promotions, you can receive a more budget friendly hosting package) is well worth the investment for the quality of hosting and customer service.  InMotion Hosting will also move your website and email from your current hosting provider, free of charge, if it is hosted on a cpanel account. I recommend adding domain privacy which will costs an extra $10/year. InMotion Hosting offers 24 hour customer phone or chat support.

Even though they offer unlimited websites on each account, InMotion will limit or shutdown a website that is using too many resources (due to malware scanning or backups).  If you have a very large site with several photos, or multiple sites, we recommend Inmotion’s  VPS hosting.

InMotion Hosting has been my first choice for hosting providers and is the hosting provider used by Current Marketing Services.  InMotion Hosting offers the installation of FREE Let’s Encrypt private SSLs on all Shared Business Hosting, VPS Hosting, and Dedicated Server plans. ) SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. You know a site has an SSL certificate if you see an https in the URL and a green lock in the address bar. 

Bluehost.com:

The Bluehost shared hosting BASIC plan is fine for a very simple website; however, the PLUS plan will most likely offer better performance for a small business website. This plan comes with a free domain (one year) and you can one-click install WordPress.   Currently this shared hosting package renews at $120/year.  If you have a large site and a need for speed, consider one of Bluehost’s Cloud Hosting Solutions. We recommend the Business Pro which includes the dedicated IP, Site Backup, and SSL certificate.

Bluehost Customer service is usually decent.  Over the past few years Bluehost has experienced growing pains and their support had diminished.  Lately, however, we have experienced shorter support wait times when calling into their 24 hour help line.  One very nice feature about Bluehost is that they offer a FREE  Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate, with a simple installation method.  Other web hosts offer a basic SSL certificate for about $99 per year. Google announced on their blog that they are using the use of HTTPS as one of the many ranking signals.

GoDaddy.com:

GoDaddy’s ECONOMY hosting plan will serve your purposes if you only have one website to host. The Economy plan  does come with a free domain, if you pay for a full year.  What GoDaddy does not disclose is the need to add “resources” to your account if you want to use certain WordPress plugins (malware scanning and backup software included).  The more expensive hosting plans DO NOT come with additional server resources.  Additionally, I highly recommend purchasing their Site Backup & Restore.  If your website goes down for whatever reason (it happens to everyone at one time or another), GoDaddy will charge your $150 to restore your website, if you do not have the Site Back up service.  Should your site go down InMotion and Bluehost will restore your site to the most recent backup,  at no extra charge. So what seems like “really cheap” website hosting grows by about $4 per month once the resources and backup services are added on.

GoDaddy will recommend their WordPress Hosting as a way to add additional resources. The trade off is not having the freedom to use some of your own plugins – they blacklist several plugins. The WordPress Managed Hosting accounts we have seen include updates to WordPress Core and daily backups, but they do not update plugins and themes.  The basic managed plan lacks resources to sufficiently run most plugins.

GoDaddy does have decent customer service.  A live person is available 24 hours a day, via their NON toll-free number.

Peoplehost:

We do not have experience with this hosting provider, but this newcomer looks promising and deserves a look. Their basic plan looks suitable for most small businesses. They offer free SSL Installation and free daily backups.

 1-and-1

1-and-1 Hosting has decent web hosting, with customer service that is just okay.  We have experienced language barriers with most of the customer service calls we have had with this hosting provider.

Dreamhost

All customer service is through email only during daytime hours only. Not my favorite.

Network Solutions

Network Solutions offers WordPress website hosting.  They do offer phone support; however, customer service is lacking.  NS charges service fees to answer questions or troubleshoot problems.  I had a client out of resources on her account and access to her website from the WordPress dashboard was blocked!  After manually removing a few files from the website database, we were able to regain access to the hosting account.  What we learned, account resources did not need to be increased, the database needed to be optimize.  Network Solutions also have service fees if your miss your renewal or want to cancel early — be aware.  In my opinion, there are better hosting options.

Shared Hosting vs Managed Hosting

We do not recommend “WordPress” hosting packages but rather business shared hosting. The regular business shared hosting plans offer the option to install WordPress. Just because you plan to use WordPress, does not mean you need a  “WordPress” hosting plan.   The difference is the managed WordPress Hosting plans offer improved performance and software updates.  The problem is the hosting providers will limit the plugins allowed and not all plugins are updated, which leaves the site owner with a false sense of website security.  It is better to sign up for the shared hosting plan and then make sure you take a backup of the site regularly and manually update the software at least once a month.

The exception to managed hosting options is StudioPress.  StudioPress now offers a managed WordPress hosting option that comes complete with Genesis Themes.  (now offered by WP Engine). It is an all-in-one site building and managed hosting solution.  Only one website is allowed on each account, and like other managed hosting solutions, plugin use is limited and not all plugins will be updated by the StudioPress team.  If you are considering purchasing a Genesis theme, this may be a good alternative for you.  Just be aware that you will need to update software at least one time each month.

There are other budget friendly shared hosting providers out there, but none that we have seen that compare in price and service.  If you have a recommendation for hosting, we would be glad to take a fair look and let you know our opinion.

How to shop for web hosting.

I suggest that you look at as many hosting providers as possible.  Look at reviews for customer satisfaction.

These are the web hosting features to look for:

  • Disk Storage Space: unlimited is preferred
  • Domain Names Hosting: Consider how many domains you will park on the account and how much it cost to host a domain name
  • How many websites are allowed: will you need more than one website?
  • Do they take daily Data Backups: will the host backup your website daily? Even if you take your own backups, this is important.
  • Do they have excellent Customer Service: Is a live person available by chat or phone? What are the support hours? When it comes to web hosting companies, having excellent customer support is mandatory. When you have issues with your website,  the web hosting support team must be available to help you resolve the issue, any time of day!
  • Do they offer Website Migration: If you are moving a website, will the host move it for you
  • Do they offer SSL certificates? What is the cost?
  • Are you getting a dedicated IP – Better for email when you have your own personal IP address.

Bottom line, if you experience a problem with your website, will the hosting provider be there to help.

 Email Hosting Service

When you purchase a domain you will have the ability to setup unlimited email accounts with your account.  With your personal domain name and a hosting account you can set up email accounts such as contact@yourdomainname, email@yourdomainname, yourname@yourdomainname, etc,  You can also set up a generic email account to forward to your everyday email account.

For security purposes, it is a good practice not to host your email on the same server as your website.  A VPS hosting plan is a great option if you want to keep email hosting and website hosting separate.

If you are not comfortable setting up your hosting or email account, you can hire Current Marketing Services or another website service company to help.  Regardless of who sets up your domain and hosting, please be sure the domain and hosting account is purchased in your business name! 

If you have any other web hosting or email questions, please feel free to ask in the comment section at the bottom of this post.

Contact Current Marketing Services via our Contact form or call 919-780-4810.

Effective Website Design Tips and Best Practices

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Calling small business owners!

Effective Web DesignAre you interested in learning more about Internet Marketing For your small business?  The Digital Marketing For Business Conference in Raleigh, NC, on May 6th, 2014 is designed especially for you! The scheduled sessions have an impressive lineup of speakers, well-known in the industry, ready to teach you how to use Internet Marketing to grow your business.

The conference and trade show features: 100+ speakers, 42 sessions, 24 exhibitors, 21 workshops, a marketing expert area, and multiple networking activities.

Day one of the conference includes two separate summits:

I will be teaching a class on effective web design on May 6th at 9:25 am. The Effective Website Design Tips and Best Practices course is designed for the entry-level user and will provide a practical guide to creating a website that engages your visitors and helps them perform the desired actions. For example, if you have an online store, learn what design is best to get more clicks on your products, and in turn, more sales. Or if your goal is to build a mailing list, learn how to best attract and capture more email addresses.

If you haven’t registered yet, please do so now. The early bird rate for the conference ends on April 15th. As a speaker, I am able to offer an additional promotional savings. This promotional rate also is ending very soon.

Click Here to register for the Digital Marketing For Business Conference

To take advantage of my promotional rate for an additional discount, at checkout enter code getcurrent.

For more course offerings visit the Digital Marketing For Business Website.

Hope to see you there.

Terri Voltz
Owner, Current Marketing Services, CMS NC, LLC
Digital Marketing For Business Conference Director