To create a B2B website with WordPress, choose between WordPress.org and WordPress.com, register a domain and pick a hosting provider. Then install WordPress, choose a theme, add plugins, plan your site structure and add your content. You can do all of it without hiring a developer and have a working site within a few days.
A good website is where most buyers first check out a business. Below, I walk through each step, plus tips for speed, security and SEO once the site is live.
Why WordPress?
Before we get to the central part, I think it’s only fair to consider why WordPress is used rather than other CMS platforms like Drupal or Wix. In 2021, over 80% of websites will be using WordPress.
It is ideal to have someone in-house who can run SEO for your business, but if you don’t, you could consider hiring an SEO agency or consulting a B2B SEO expert. These agencies and experts have expertise in enhancing a website’s SEO and offer valuable services such as on-page optimization, keyword research, link building, and technical SEO.
Now that that’s settled let’s examine the steps for creating a WordPress website in more detail.
How to Launch a WordPress Website
Launching a WordPress website might sound complicated, but it’s straightforward when broken down into actionable steps. Here’s a quick guide to get your WordPress website live:
- Set Up the Basics: After installing WordPress, complete the initial setup by creating your admin account and configuring general settings, such as the site title and tagline.
- Install Necessary Plugins and Themes: Select a responsive and visually appealing theme that aligns with your business goals. Add essential plugins like SEO tools, speed optimizers, and form builders to enhance functionality.
- Test the Website: Before launching, preview your site on multiple devices to ensure it’s mobile-friendly, fast, and user-friendly. Check for broken links and test forms, and ensure all features function as intended.
- Set Up Analytics and Tracking: Use tools like Google Analytics to monitor your website’s performance post-launch. This will help you gather insights to refine your content and improve user experience.
- Go Live: Once everything is set, link your custom domain, remove any placeholder content, and publish your site. To attract your audience, announce your launch through email, social media, or other marketing channels.
Building a B2B Website Using WordPress
Though it may seem like a ton of work, it isn’t that complex. Let’s quickly look at all the steps involved.
1. Choose between WordPress.org and WordPress.com
Firstly, you’ll have to decide whether you want to host your website via a third party or would like it hosted by WordPress- WordPress.org caters to the former and WordPress.com to the latter.
With WordPress.org, you’ll be responsible for all customizations, giving you complete control over your website. You can choose the free WordPress and move ahead by setting up your domain name and hosting provider. However, you’ll have to pay for any plugins or tools you want to use to customize the website.
WordPress.com, on the other hand, takes care of many tasks for you. According to the plan you choose, you’ll have some customization options. You can always upgrade your plan as and when needed.
2. Think of a domain name, choose a hosting provider, and install WordPress
The second step in creating a website is setting up a domain name and hosting provider. Your domain name is essential, so you should consider it carefully. Think of something catchy and simple, and keep it short if possible. You can always use a free business name generator.
WordPress recommends Bluehost as a reliable option for getting started with hosting. The platform also offers a free domain name, making it an excellent choice for those seeking WordPress website services. If you want an affordable alternative, you can explore Cybernews’ guide to affordable web hosting, which highlights the most budget-friendly and reliable options for beginners.
Bluehost has three plans, and you can choose the plan as per your requirements:
- Basic– $2.95/month
- Plus– $4.95/month
- Choice Plus– $5.45/month
After choosing the plan, you must set up the domain and create your account. Once you make payments and set up your account, you can access the hosting dashboard and install WordPress.
You’ll find ‘one-click installs’ in the ‘MOJO Marketplace’ option. Find WordPress and start the installation process. You must choose the domain name where you want to install the app and set up your username and password. The process will be similar if you opt for a different hosting provider.
Once the installation process is complete, you can start customizing your website and adding content.
3. Start creating your website on WordPress
You’d need to consider four key pieces: theme, plugins, site structure, and content.
Pick a theme
WordPress offers a variety of themes, and you can see which one is most likely to appeal to your audience. The platform also lets you try live demos of themes, so you can play around with them and decide which theme best showcases your content.
Remember that your website needs to be easy to navigate so visitors are less likely to bounce. Another thing that requires attention is how the website looks on mobile devices. Since most people use mobile devices to browse, your website should be optimized for mobile.
Lastly, check what plugins you’ll need to install and if they are compatible with the theme you want to apply.
Add plugins
Now that you have set a theme, it’s time to add plugins to ensure your website performs the way you want it to. Many plugins will be specific to the type of site you have created; therefore, you’ll need to determine which ones you need accordingly.
However, some plugins serve universal purposes:
- Yoast SEO: Eventually, you’ll want your website and its content to rank organically, and this is precisely what plugins like Yoast SEO will help you achieve.
- Akismet: This is a common plugin that website owners use to filter out spam messages and other spam that could attack posts.
- Jetpack: This plugin will help you with many factors, including site speed, SEO, design, performance, marketing, and image serving.
Since we are explicitly talking about B2B websites, here are some plugins that you can install:
- WPForms: You might already know that forms are integral to any website. They are a quick, easy way for visitors to contact you and can also be used to generate leads (think of a blog lead-gen form). WPForms makes it easy to create forms for different purposes.
- MemberPress: If you want to create gated content, such as guides and courses, install this plugin.
- WP Rocket: This is a pretty popular plugin, but it is not in vain. We all know how important page speed is nowadays, especially when considering search ranking metrics. WP Rocket is therefore necessary to optimize website speed.
- SEMRush: As a marketer, you might have already encountered this name. SEMrush is a big deal in the industry, and the plugin can help you enhance your content, PR, SEO, paid traffic, and social media strategies.
Plan your site’s structure.
You can start adding content once you have picked a theme and added plugins. However, before you continue, you must ensure that your site is optimally structured.
This will include structuring the primary navigation menu in the header, navigation links in the footer, categories, tags on the blog page, and the pages you must have on your website. This area requires careful planning, so I suggest you spend considerable time structuring the website correctly.
Add content
After completing all the key elements, you can start adding posts and creating pages. It’s no news that your website’s content will eventually help you get leads. This means you must be creative regarding product page copies and blog content.
Since yours will be a B2B website, you should ensure that product/service pages are understandable and adequately describe the product/service.
Regarding the blog and other content resources, you cannot afford to ignore SEO best practices. Make sure to pay special attention to content quality, which makes keyword research a must. Look at what your competitors are and what’s working for them. It’ll be some time before your blog posts or website pages start ranking organically, but you can always use paid media for short-term results.
WordPress Website Tips and Tricks
Maximize your WordPress website’s potential with these simple tips and tricks:
- Use Custom Permalinks: Use descriptive and SEO-friendly URLs to improve your rankings and make your pages easier to find.
- Optimize for Speed: To improve your website’s loading time, compress images, use caching plugins, and choose a reliable hosting provider.
- Secure Your Website: To safeguard your website, enable SSL encryption, update plugins and themes regularly, and install a security plugin like Wordfence.
- Use Internal Linking: Add links between related blog posts and pages to improve user navigation and distribute link equity across your site.
- Update Content Regularly: Keep your website fresh by adding new blogs, updating old content, and ensuring all information remains relevant and accurate.
A Checklist Before You Launch
You can build all of this without a developer. Before you launch, run through this list:
- Make use of image alt text to enhance rankings and SEO
- Once you create enough resources, you can use the blog sidebar as a distribution channel. The same can work for any event you host.
- Keep optimizing your website to provide the best possible user experience.
- Keep track of how your website is performing with Google Analytics.
- Use a WP backup plugin to avoid issues or mishaps.