Should you have a Wordpress website?


When I started building websites, about 15 years ago, I fervently stayed away from Wordpress. Even though it was, and still is, one of the most popular platforms out there, there were too many clever hackers, with nothing better to do, that trawl the web looking for vulnerabilities in sites, and Wordpress seemed to offer the most vulnerabilities of all.

Many of those security issues were down to user error, for example:
  • having the admin page with easy-to-guess usernames and passwords - good for you (passwords of the family dog - easy to remember!!) and great for hackers! Anyone can log into your website if they can guess the username and password. A hacker will plant malicious code on your website, which if you have an on-the-ball host, should be picked up and your site disabled. Unfortunately, as many sites are hosted on shared hosting platforms to keep the price down, this means that potentially other sites on the same platform may also be taken down, until said code has been removed.
  • Not keeping plugins updated - out of date plugins are a great source of vulnerability. A regular check in with your WP dashboard will show you at-a-glance which plugins need updating and many such updates specifically address security updates. Developers work hard to keep your site safe; don’t ignore their efforts!
  • Not keeping the main Wordpress platform version up-to-date - an even greater source of amusement for would-be trouble-makers!
  • Not keeping WP themes up to date - as above
The Wordpress platform is much more secure than it was years ago, and I would have no problems in recommending it now, but there will always be security issues if the above points are ignored.

The actual Wordpress platform gets updated several times a year, and plugins more frequently. Good plugins are built and maintained by developers who are actively updating the codes to fix bugs and improve functionality. Some of the larger, more complex plugins may require an annual payment to continue with the updates after the first year. Something to consider when you are looking at your budget. Developers are very clever peeps, they do what the rest of us cannot do, and we need to pay them for their expertise. Many plugins are free, and some offer further subscriptions, or one-off costs, for more functionality. When you download a plugin, it is always good to check when the last updates were done, to see how active and on-the-ball the developer is. I would recommend checking your WP dashboard, at least once a week, to ensure everything is kept up to date.

There are two types of Wordpress websites.


Wordpress.com - where you can get a free website, which uses a Wordpress subdomain (that's the free option but not really great if you want to look professional). You can also pay for WP hosting, which allows you to have your own custom domain. The starter packages also allow access to some free themes. The more you pay, the more options, functionality and flexibility you get. It would not be my first choice or recommendation, but that's just me - I like to have as much flexibility as possible!
Wordpress.org - the most popular option with DIY and pro web builds, which gives you the most flexibility and control over your website, and everything in it.
You will need to sleuth out a host to store your Wordpress files. Be aware of the storage space offered and consider the amount of website traffic you are likely to receive. Websites take up space - the bigger and more popular you envisage your site to be, the more storage you will need.

Top Tip - many hosts provide a one-click Wordpress installation option from the cPanel (the admin part of your hosting account).

Once set up, you can log in to the admin page with a username and password and begin building your site. You will need to select a theme and decide whether you are going to use a builder such as Divi or Elementor, or whether you are going to stick with the Wordpress builder Gutenberg. Some themes are free, others are paid for.

Here is a good article on Wordpress Pricing and Plans for 2024, which explains the differences between the two options I mentioned above and details some of the features of each. Please note this link takes you to another site which may contain their own affiliated links with their partners, overall it contains some good info for the curious. It also gives some info on Wordpress alternatives - Wix, Shopify & Squarespace, which could be good reading for you.

Top Tip - make more coffee!

Other bits and bobs


Okay, so maybe all of that sounds simple enough (or does it?!) - there is more! I can't cover everything, but hopefully there is something useful below to help you get started.

Once your WP site is built, here are some other bits and bobs that need to be ticked off:

  • Make sure any images used are great quality, optimised and royalty free (don't pinch from other sites!). Use search engine friendly names for your image files, and included descriptions where necessary. Alt tags are displayed in the place of an image, providing descriptive text alternatives for improved accessibility for all visitors, including those who are visually impaired. All of this gives you extra google love and will help you appear on the search engines.
  • Sort out cookie banner pop-ups (GDPR).
  • Write up your cookie and privacy policies.
  • Sort out your metadata - so people can find you.
  • Create your sitemap and Index your site with a Google Search Central account, again, so people can find you. This is optional, but can speed up the process of the search engines picking you up - there are never any guarantees where, or when, you will appear on anyone's search, so I would advise additional ways to drive traffic to your site as well - word of mouth, social media, local business networks and yes, good old-fashioned business cards - we still need them!
  • Sort out your SSL certificate - to get that padlock in the search bar.
  • Consider choosing to serve your content over a CDN (Content Delivery Network). Many hosts will offer this option. A CDN will speed up the loading of the content of your site, which is always good for some google love and your customers will appreciate faster loading times as well, especially when viewing from a mobile - spinning wheels are for cyclists not websites! 
  • Claim your Business Profile on Google if you have a physical location.
You may need to restrict some pages from appearing in the search engines, and you can do this by setting up indexing for your individual pages. Some sites are more complicated than others, and the list can go on. Much of this stuff you can do yourself and there are also WP plugins that have been specifically designed to help you implement many of the above tasks as well. As always there are free options, and paid options out there.

Top Tip - look at the number of downloads any plugin (or theme) has, when it was last updated and then have a peek at the most recent reviews.

Once your site has been built, you must back up your files and databases, and REMEMBER to keep everything up to date. This is non-negotiable if you want to keep your website safe (refer to beginning of post!).

It's no fib to say with Wordpress comes a steep learning curve. It is not for the faint hearted.

I suppose the message I want to get across here is that if you are serious about your business website, and are not tech-savvy, then please consider getting a professional to build it. Once it is built and secure, you will either need to pay the developer monthly to keep everything updated, or invest some of your time in finding out how to perform basic admin tasks yourself, so that you can take over the management of it.

Top (obvious!) Tip - Youtube is your friend - there is no problem you cannot solve by searching!

Websites are not as simple as they used to be. Your website is your best advertisement; be prepared to invest some money and/or time into it.

On a super plus side, if you have a Wordpress site built, and you part with your website developer further down the road, it shouldn't be too hard to find someone else to jump in and help you out.

Wordpress still remains one of the most popular platforms for building websites, and the sites look great (if built properly!).

Some final links that may help with SEO

For the intrepid and determined, here is a link about how you can improve the SEO (search engine optimisation) of your website - it has some useful nuggets, some of which I have alluded to in this post. Click on the Get Started button for all the info.

Here is another (more beginner friendly) link with some useful info about Getting Started with Google Search Console. Click on the Beginning user (willing to learn) for starters!

That's all the free advice from me. If you have any questions, I do provide a DIY help clinic - quick questions/answers in exchange for virtual coffee tip, and further help, by the hour etc., if required. I may not be able to help you at all! If that's the case I will be upfront and let you know.