Why choosing the right platform is critical
Why choose WordPress for pest control websites? Because it could have a direct impact on your business. That might sound extreme but choosing the right platform for your website is one of the most important decisions you will make for your business. Just consider: your website is how people find you, learn about your expertise, and decide whether they will give you a call.
Still not sure? Ask yourself – how do I find the nearest restaurant, movie times, reviews about shops …and so much more? Today, the vast majority of people looking for pest control services turn to the Internet for guidance. Your website is critical to your business.
Why choose WordPress?
Over 29% of all websites on the Internet are built using WordPress, which gives you a good idea of its popularity. That percentage is growing year on year. And for good reason.
In this article, I’ll outline the four main reasons why WordPress is the ideal platform for your pest control website.
1. Easy to use
WordPress is amazingly easy to use. It’s designed so the hard work is done behind the scenes. For example, if you add a page – WordPress can automatically add it to the menu. If you want to sort out your blogs by categories, that can also be set to be automatic.
To use WordPress you don’t have to be a computer whiz kids. If you want to add pages, blogs and images it’s very simple and normally involves just a single click. Unlike many other website tools, you don’t need to know anything about PHP, javascript or technical jargon.
If you want to add a new feature to your website – perhaps a fancy photo gallery of pests, a new contact form or include a Google map of where you’re located, it’s easy. Simply use a plugin as discussed below. These features and many like them would require programming in most non-Wordpress websites.
2. Flexible
WordPress flexibility comes from two main areas: themes and plugins.
Themes are the basic design template for your website. There are themes for photographers, restaurants, authors – almost anything you can think of, including pest control. Often, even a theme on an unrelated topic can be used to great effect by using uncomplicated options.
Themes provide the flexibility on how pages are laid out, what basic colors are used and where and how images are displayed and so on.
(Read: Choosing the right theme.)
The theme allows personal tailoring but some people want to go beyond the standard features, which is where plugins come in.
Plugins are small ‘program’ that can be added to provide additional functionality. These tools allow you to make changes to almost every aspect of your site’s layout and content.
Thousands of plugins are available to make simple tasks even easier. For example, linking social media to your website or adding YouTube videos by simply adding the URL. Galleries, sliders, and carousels are just a few of the ways plugins can make your photos make the best impression on the visitors to your site.
3. Secure
All software is at risk from hackers and others intent on causing trouble. Even large corporations like Yahoo and Uber get hit.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that WordPress is also subject to the same attacks. The great news is that with so many users, a lot has been done to protect them against such risks.
WordPress has some amazing security features, which make it pretty solid without any changes. It is regularly updated, with new security features to keep abreast of new threats. But, if you want to really secure it there are many options to reinforce the already excellent security.
Free plugins are available that provide an even more comprehensive cover. And a good hosting site will add other layers of protection.
Compared to many other website platforms, WordPress will give you greater peace of mind.
4. SEO
Any website is only of value if people see and visit it. Google plays a large part in the visibility of your website. They focus on making the visitor experience as good as possible. Google rate factors like the speed your website loads, how well it works on mobile phones, how relevant the content is and much more.
Making sure your website meets these requirements is the purpose of SEO – Search Engine Optimization.
WordPress is designed to be SEO compliant. By nature, it is also designed to load fast and be responsive to the type of device it is viewed on, with images adjusted for mobile screens.
As with most other aspects, plugins are available. They can help check your photos aren’t too big or slowing down your website. Yoast SEO helps as you add content by highlighting areas where you might be missing a Google SEO requirement.
The level of control you have over SEO with WordPress is much higher than you have with drag and drop platforms.
If you have a website, try these two tools to check how well it will be viewed by Google:
Let WordPress let you focus on Pest Control
In summary, WordPress for pest control websites is easy to use and secure, yet flexible enough to fulfil the needs of the most demanding users.
It’s interesting to note the results of a survey published in December 2017. Around 50% of WordPress users said the simplicity of the platform was the best thing about it. A further 32% said they thought the flexibility was the best aspect.
When asked whether WordPress was as good as, or better than, its main competitors, a staggering 81% said they thought it was.
That says a lot about how existing users feel about WordPress. Coupled with the growing number of people using it, means that it is the right route for a business looking for a platform that will support their business without taking up time they should spend doing pest control.
Like any tool, experience can help you see the results quicker, often with a more polished finish. Pest Writers have nearly a decade of expertise in building websites. Contact us to discuss how we can help make your online dreams come true, so you don’t take your focus from your business.