Best Massage Business Tools: WordPress
WordPress has been called a blogging platform and a content management system (CMS). Bottom line is that it is simply the best website builder out there. Over 20% of the websites on the web use WordPress sites and it is supported by thousands of designers and companies. This is why I consider this installment of MyMassageBiz.com’s Best Massage Business Tools: WordPress to be essential for the success of your practice.
Your best choice for creating an awesome website
I am a huge WordPress fan and I have been using it for all of my websites for years. I have used other builders and while they have their pros and cons, they don’t approach the power of WordPress for building a successful business. It is easy to use, flexible, cutomizable, and best of all it is 100% yours. You have full control over the look and functionality of your website and you don’t have to worry about a sudden change or price increase as you do with others. In this article I will cover some of the features of WordPress and give you information on how you can get started building your business website quickly, easily, and for very little money.
Important. This article covers the wordpress.org platform, which I strongly recommend. This is the self hosted, no-limitation version of WordPress. I do not recommend using WordPress.com.
Quick List of Features
Best Massage Business Tools: WordPress
Why should you use WordPress to build your website?
It’s Free!
Your Website is Yours.
Easy to Use
Flexible and Customizable
Thousands of Pre-Designed Themes
Plug-ins Help You Grow Your Business
Tons of Support
Feature Highlights
Best Massage Business Tools: WordPress
WordPress Is Free! Sort of...
Unlike other website builders, the WordPress, open source platform is free to install. You will need a hosting account to have somewhere to put your website- I recommend Bluehost- and they will charge you a small fee. If you think of your website as your house, then your hosting site is the land that you put your house on.
Your Website is Yours
One of the most powerful advantages of using WordPress to build your website is that you have full control over how it looks and how it will work for you. Other website builders have limitations, and you will always be at their mercy for how much they charge and what is included.
WordPress is Easy to use
The bottom line is that you don’t need to be a tech savvy, and you don’t need to write code to use WordPress. It will take you a little time to learn how it works, but it is very intuitive, and there are lots of resources to give you help if you get stuck. I have used many builders over the years, but by far WordPress is my favorite.
Flexible and Customizable
The WordPress website builder is an open-source framework. Themes and plug-ins give you the ability to create your own unique look and make it work for you to grow your business. This makes WordPress the most powerful, flexible, and customizable builder available. This is why over 20% of the websites on the web are WordPress sites.
Thousands of Pre-Designed Themes
One of the first things that you will do once you install WordPress is pick out a theme. These are pre-built frameworks that you will add your content to. There are thousands to choose from, and you can change from one to another with one click. There are many great looking free themes to choose from, or you can buy a premium theme if you want something more specific.
Plug-ins help You Grow Your business
This is where the power of WordPress really comes into play. Plug-ins are extensions that give you the ability to maximize your website. This is particularly important when it comes to growing your business. For example, there is a popular free plug-in that I use on all my sites called Yoast SEO. This plug-in makes it incredibly easy to get your website picked up by search engines like Google, so you get more customers. What could be more essential than that!
Tons of Support
You have access to an incredible amount of information, tools, courses, how-to videos, and support with WordPress. If you get stuck on something, all you have to do is do a quick search on Google: You will be blown away by the information available. Get a quick solution, or watch a complete series of videos that walks you through each step. Since WordPress is the most used website builder, you will always have help at your fingertips.
Best Massage Business Tools: WordPress
Pricing: It’s Free!
One of the great things about WordPress is that it is an open source website builder. Installation is free, and there are literally thousands of themes and plug-ins that will enhance your website. As with anything, though, there are also premium options available that will cost some money. These are very reasonable but not necessary if you are on a budget. Here is a list of possible additional costs that you may experience along the way.
Hosting
When you use WordPress to build your website, you will need a place to put it. This is where a hosting company comes in. A basic shared hosting account costs around $6 to $10 per month. Click here to get the MyMassageBiz discount with Bluehost ($3.95 per month) that includes a free domain.
Totally Free
You can create a beautiful, professional website for your business without spending any additional money once you have your hosting account. This is a much better deal than most website builders that charge you a pretty hefty monthly fee and extra for any changes you wish to make.
Premium Themes
WordPress is a open-source website builder. This enables independent designers and companies to design and sell premium themes that meet the needs of a specific customer. For example, there are several designers that have created massage themes that give you a great looking website right out of the box. Most premium themes are very reasonably priced and are in the $50 to $100 range.
Premium Plug-ins
WordPress plug-ins add functionality to your website and are what make this platform so powerful. Other website builders have built-in functions that you are stuck with and have little control over. WordPress plugins give you the ability to have total control over your website and add functionality that will help you grow your business. Most of these plug-ins are free, but like the themes, there are designers and companies that have come up with premium versions that they charge for. Premium plug-ins are inexpensive and are usually under $50. Most of the plug-ins that I use on my websites are free.
Get Started Creating Your WordPress Website
Bluehost is the top rated WordPress hosting company that features one-click WordPress installation and great support.
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Best Massage Business Tools: WordPress
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Best Massage Business Tools: WordPress
Conclusion:
WordPress is hands-down the the best website builder out there, and it is free. It is extremely flexible and it is open-source, which means there are an amazing amount of tools (plug-ins and themes) to help you grow your massage business. Best of all, you are not locked into a company that can change your website requirements or price anytime they want. If you want a great looking, low-cost, flexible, and professional looking website, WordPress is the best.
One important thing to keep in mind is that even if you are not a tech expert, building a website with WordPress can be lots of fun and extremely fulfilling. Most importantly in the long run it could mean the difference between success and failure. Using WordPress will give you the foundation to grow your business by utilizing everything that they offer.
I hope you found this article helpful. Please, leave a comment below and let me know what you think of WordPress. If you want to spread the word, please, share this article on Facebook, Twitter, or you can pin the image below to your Pinterest board. I wish you success and prosperity.
