One of the questions I get asked often is, “what should I use to build my website?” Many times, the first thing I need to do for that person is to start erasing lies about WordPress. There is so much bad information out there that I have to first clear all the gunk and sludge (yes…literally!) they’ve been feeding themselves on the internet.
I want to help more people with their websites but I keep running into roadblocks.
It seems that a lot of people are…
…sick and tired of webinars
…tired of downloading PDFs that promise to help them build a website but don’t quite get them where they need to be.
…almost ready to give up their dream of building their own website.
I see all of the above every.single.day! They feel like they can do it but when they search for help, they’re not finding what they need. I wish I could stand on a rooftop somewhere and yell to them that help is right here!
And it pains me to say that even if I were able to do that, some of them still wouldn’t hear me. They’ve been brainwashed and lead to believe a set of lies and unfortunately, some of them are being taken advantage of.
Today, I’d like to clear up some of them once and for all.
The Lies People Believe:
- They think building a WordPress website is too expensive.
- They’re afraid they’re not ready for a professional, high functioning website.
- A WordPress website is too difficult to learn to update and maintain.
- The other website building platforms are easier to use.
- They’ll get hacked if they have a WordPress website.
The Truth
All you need to build a WordPress website is a domain, a hosting account and a good website theme.
Domains cost about $15 per year and there are a variety of hosting options available. I prefer BlueHost and have used them for years. (I’ll get a small commission if you purchase hosting via my link at no additional cost to you.) Their basic hosting plan is about $60-$75 for the year and you get a free domain which saves you money!
Siteground, Host Gator (monthly hosting at Host Gator starts at about $12-$15/month) and A2 Hosting are some others that I’ve worked with. If you’re on a budget and can’t pay for a full year’s worth of hosting (most provider plans are annual), I’d go with Host Gator. Just be sure to upgrade to annual plan as soon as you can to save money.
Free website themes that include lots of bells and whistles used to be few and far between. Now? There are many choices available that have most if not all of the functionality you need to get started. So unlike the other platforms, any added functionality like opt-in forms, payment processors and more advanced styling features won’t cost you more on a monthly basis. My choice? The Astra theme paired with the Elementor and the Astra Starter Sites plugins. I just did a Facebook Live recently showing you how easy it is! Click here to view.
Every business needs a home on the internet.
Listen…I always say, “come correct or don’t come at all.” Never be afraid to be great or dull your shine for others. Every business deserves to have a professional and high functioning website for their business. Period.
WordPress used to be a platform that had a high learning curve but not anymore.
It was super hard to learn at first because it was a blogging platform that only had one format. If you wanted to customize it you had to hire a designer and a programmer to do it for you.
Over the years, developers have made it much easier to learn by creating tutorials and how-to videos on how to navigate and use WordPress WITHOUT using any programming code. And if you have NO desire to learn how to code, you can use page builders to create your website…just like the tools you use with other platforms like Squarespace and Wix. The difference is, YOU own your website content, YOU have control over its operations and YOU can update and maintain it yourself with easy and simple to use plugins. If you can operate your Facebook and Instagram pages, you can build and maintain your own WordPress website!
You are a business owner and you’ll always be learning something new if you want to stay relevant.
If you can learn how to use Squarespace, Wix and those other platforms to build your website; you can learn WordPress. The secret is knowing who to learn from and which website theme to use. Some themes are harder to navigate than others so its important to do your homework on what will work best for you and your skill level.
Hackers are gonna hack!
But its not as easy these days with the improved technologies and safeguards available today, You can protect your website with free and paid plugins. I use the free version of WordFence for my websites and I use the free version of UpdraftPlus – Backup/Restore to perform daily backups of my website. In the event I DO get hacked, I can restore my website myself from one of the backups I store on my external hard drive without paying and waiting for my hosting company to do it.
Solutions
Bottom line; WordPress is not the platform it used to be. To learn more, search my website for more free resources and join me in my Facebook group, Tech Savvy Boss Club.
Stay tech savvy! 🙂
I LOVE sharing new video trainings and free resources on my blog.
