There is no debate that WordPress is one of the most widely used website creation and management programs available. It is free to download and install so the initial cost can be almost nothing. The only things you need are a domain name and your own hosting account. But what if you have a small business and don’t want to spend the time to install and maintain WordPress yourself? What if you feel that you don’t have the limited technical skills needed? Then there are plenty of services available from websites like this one that will help you for far less than the cost of hiring a programmer/developer to build you a hand-coded html site.

WordPress for Small Business Needs

WordPress can be used to handle virtually any web presence need a small business has. In addition to incorporating the well known WordPress blogging platform, WordPress is a powerful Content Management System (CMS). With WordPress you can make a website with any number of stand alone pages and content and also have a blog page where you can put up interesting and original content to keep your customers coming back to your site.

What is a Content Management System?

It is software program that lets you create and manage the pages on your web site. WordPress is one of the easiest programs available to build your web presence through a content management system. It is not only very powerful, but with the built in tools can be easily learned and used by almost anyone. WordPress can even be used to set up a traditional website that does not even include a blog. Because WordPress was designed for ease in managing changing content, a WordPress website can easily be kept at the top of the Search Engine Rankings. Changing content and frequently updated websites are loved by search engines like Google. WordPress makes it easy to publish new content without having to know a bit of computer programming. This website is using WordPress as a very simple CMS.

How Costly is a WordPress Site?

When you install, configure, and maintain a site yourself, the cost is almost free. To hire me just to install and configure WordPress so you can then take it over can cost as little as $55.00. To hire me to set up a website similar to this one and provide some initial support and training would cost only $160.00. If ongoing maintenance and support is desired so that a person can concentrate on their business and on providing fresh content for their site, monthly service and support plans start at only $49.00 per month. WordPress is a very powerful and affordable option whether you do everything yourself or hire someone to do everything for you.

If you have any questions or comments, you can leave a comment here or contact me directly. I will be happy to answer any question you may have.

I have a page up explaining in detail how I researched and decided that HostGator was the best hosting company to host my websites. They are not the first hosting company I have used, but they are definitely the best. I recommend them to anyone that needs shared hosting service.

Hosting is the first and most important decision you will need to make about the setup and administration of your website. Because shared hosting is what most of you will want, at least until your site becomes very popular, it can be hard to figure out which company to use. Shared hosting plans are the least expensive plans the hosting companies offer, so often features, services, and support are lacking. They all advertise the great things they do, but the only way to know for sure is to learn what real users have experienced. All hosting companies sound great up front, but many end up being a big source of aggravation for both owners and visitors of websites.

Because hosting is such an important service for any website, HostGator is now the only host I use, the only one I recommend and the only hosting company I have a referral account with.

The ideal result is finding the best host right at the start. It took me a couple of tries and a lot of research, but I am convinced I have now found the best shared hosting plan. So, if you need hosting or just want to learn the details about my experience, click here to read my detailed review. Then, feel free to contact me if you have any questions.