WordPress development services
WordPress (WP) is probably the most popular and trusted Content Management System (CMS) in the world. Over 75 million websites run on it; it’s 31% of all websites globally. There are plenty of reasons why:
– It is highly customizable. There are numerous themes, both paid and free, to satisfy your needs and let you stand out with a unique style.
– WordPress development services can adjust to any site. Yes, WP is famous for being an affordable CMS for personal blogs. But it is also run by Techcrunch, CNN, Bloomberg, BBC America, Vogue, Mercedes-Benz, Facebook Newsroom, The Walt Disney Company, and the White House. You are in good company.
– Speaking of the company: WP has one of the largest open-source communities in existence. You can find the necessary answers on its forum.
WordPress powers both the backend of the website (the interface where a user logs in to make changes or add new content) and the front (the visible part of the website that your visitors see on the web). The website that uses WordPress as its content management system (CMS) defines what a WordPress website in web development is.
WordPress custom development
There’s a lot you can do with WordPress if you know where to find the right tools. Almost any task or tool that’s essential to marketing—SEO, landing pages, social media sharing, or image optimization—can be handled in your WP dashboard. Let’s go through the main steps of custom WordPress development:
1. Website setup. You have to choose a website platform; a self-hosted WordPress.org site might be the perfect solution, and then get website hosting and register your domain name. Bluehost is one of the largest hosting companies in the world. They are also an official WordPress recommended hosting partner and offer a variety of hosting plans from basic to prime. After the payment, you will be able to log in to the web hosting control panel. There is your hosting account dashboard where you manage everything, like getting support, setting up emails, etc.
2. Install WordPress. The next step is to install WordPress. Some hosting platforms do this automatically. You can also log in to the WordPress dashboard by simply going to yoursite.com/wp-admin/ directly from your browser.
3. Select a theme. It is a visual appearance of your site. WordPress themes are professionally designed templates that you can install on your website to change its appearance or add a new one. Once you have installed your theme, you can customize it by clicking on the Customize link under the Appearance menu. This will launch the theme customizer, where you will be able to change your theme settings with a live preview of your website.
4. Add content. There are two types of content: posts (part of the blogging functionality that appear in reverse-chronological order) and pages (static “one-off” type content such as your “about” page, contact page, privacy policy, custom landing page, etc.). You can change them as you want.
5. Customizing. This step considers setting up a static front page and site navigation. WordPress web development companies provide a wide range of services to create your brand site which will reflect the company’s uniqueness.
6. Plugins. WordPress Plugins are like apps for your WordPress site. They allow you to add features and customizations to your WordPress site. Contact form, photo galleries, etc. When looking for a WordPress plugin, make sure to consider the following:
– Necessity (it must help you achieve your objectives.)
– Plugin star rating (how many users have rated it, and how high is the rating?)
– Recent updates (although some plugins don’t require frequent updates, some do. Ideally, look for plugins that have been updated in the last six months.)
The whole point of using WordPress development plugins is to simplify marketing. Control the schedule, generate blogs, improve traffic filtering, syndicate content, and even more directly from your WordPress dashboard. Here are our top WordPress plugins which make life easier for marketers.
LeadIn Plugin
Do you intend to use your website for lead generation? Then WordPress is an excellent fit for you to have direct CRM exports and imports of contact information. Leading is a marketing automation plugin that converts any contacts on the website into a contact record in your CRM. It also tracks visitor behavior so that the owner can experiment with novel conversion methods. Imagine as if it is a tiny marketer in your WP site on a constant watch for new opportunities. It becomes useful when you don’t have much time to track conversions on your own.
Thrive Leads or Lead Magnet
One of the biggest mistakes in digital marketing is ignoring a call-to-action (CTA). You can see it on landing pages and homepages, but blog content often lacks it. However, a blog post is a prime place to locate a CTA. Test a plugin like Thrive Leads or Lead Magnet to create CTAs and grow your email list in WordPress.
There are various types of CTAs you can use: header CTA, sidebar CTA, and text CTA. One can add fancy CTA graphics to the blog or include simple callouts to the content and services within the posts. That said, you have lots of options for creating actionable interactions with your website, so think beyond a homepage CTA.
Adsanity
When running a website supported by ads (and in most cases of passive income, this is true), there is a demand for a better way to manage ads in WordPress. Adsanity is all you need: create enough ad units and rotate, group, or schedule them to maximize your earning potential. It is compatible with advertising programs such as Google Adsense but also lets you sell ads directly.
MonsterInsights
Google is definitely rocking the digital ad world, and its Google Analytics tool is widely used by both professionals and beginners. It assists you with understanding precisely how users find and interact with your website so you can make informed marketing decisions. In WordPress, MonsterInsights helps you use Google Analytics like a pro and grow your business with confidence.
The main features of MonsterInsights include detailed reports on your website traffic and its interactions, advanced tracking like eCommerce, forms, ads, custom dimensions, and beyond. Moreover, you have the power to view the analytics reports within your WP dashboard without leaving the site.
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is the market titan in email marketing. Not surprisingly, it has a WordPress plugin to embed Mailchimp signup forms easily. The plugin integrates seamlessly and connects your email lists with the signup form on the site. Collect new subscribers efficiently and never lose a new one.
Hubspot
Hubspot is another leader in the space with its all-in-one marketing automation platform. Hubspot WordPress plugin allows you to integrate blogs and websites with HubSpot’s inbound marketing and sales software for effective content distribution. It’s a productive alternative to Thrive Leads and makes it easy to manage the marketing pipeline with total visibility.
OptinMonster
One may dislike pop-ups, but they are crucial to conversion when done right. With an average 2.9% click-through rate, they beat ads by 2%. OptinMonster is a tool for creating easy exit pop-ups in WordPress. The solution is often placed where the biggest CTAs are, like a homepage, and doesn’t interfere with your UX.
WordPress eCommerce development: example of WordPress niche capabilities.
After setting up a basic WordPress webpage and installing essential plugins, you can go further and create a powerful niche website capable of doing a lot more. Online store establishment is the most common request on WordPress. It allows you to sell goods or services online and collect payments via an online payment system. You can download and install a WordPress e-commerce plugin to extend the default functionality of WordPress so you can have an online store on your website.
How much does it cost?
The actual WordPress software available on WordPress.org is free to download and use. You need to pay only for web hosting and a domain name. A domain name typically costs $14.99/per year, and hosting costs start from $7.99 per month. However, there is a pricing page where you can choose a hosting plan for your website.
Plugins can also bring additional costs. There are also thousands of free WordPress plugins available on the WordPress.org plugin directory and a thriving premium (paid) plugin industry.
Generally, a typical personal website can cost as low as $100. The cost of a business website can range from anywhere between $100 per year to as high as $30,000 per year.
You can start with the minimum range of features and then add more to your website as your business grows. This way, you will save money and minimize potential losses while avoiding overspending.
