Is wordpress suitable for a simple business website?

[RobinBHM]

Im getting the impression I need the site to be https and have SSL certificate.

because:
A) it should avoid those google chrome "this site is not secure" message
B) security is good if the site has a contact form

if somebody could confirm that would be most helpful

I am unsure if Hi hosting has SSL included in its £3/month hosting as its only mentioned in their ecommerce hosting option at £10/m

I see there are lots of features different hosting cos have, its hard to know which are important.....

some offer: hourly back ups vs daily ones, lets encrypt free SSL, free SSL certificate, plesk control panel, cPanel control panel, clustered DNS etc.

If hihosting offer the features I need (although I dont know what they are as yet) Im happy to give them a try.

 

[gpietersz]

A) it should avoid those google chrome "this site is not secure" message
B) security is good if the site has a contact form

A) Yes
B) Yes, and you will have more browser warnings which may be more of an issue if the info in the form is not confidential.

SSL should not be a problem. Certificates are free (usually from Letsencrypt), and most hosts should have it automated. I would avoid any host who has not got this sorted out by now.

lets encrypt free SSL

That really ought to be normal.

 

[Ian J]

Im getting the impression I need the site to be https and have SSL certificate.

because:
A) it should avoid those google chrome "this site is not secure" message
B) security is good if the site has a contact form

Google is said to prefer https over http and the former is important if you are selling product from your site.

I see there are lots of features different hosting cos have, its hard to know which are important.....

some offer: hourly back ups vs daily ones, lets encrypt free SSL, free SSL certificate, plesk control panel, cPanel control panel, clustered DNS etc.

The importance of the frequency of backups depends on what the site is for. If it's a static site where the information doesn't change much then you don't need any more than daily backups.

Control panels are useful when setting up a website and cPanel and Plesk are two alternatives that tend to be included with hosting packages with most web hosts offering either one or the other. I prefer cPanel as I find it more user friendly.

I've managed to survive 20 years on the internet without ever having heard of "clustered DNS" so it can't be that important for a beginner

 

[Darren_Ssc]

Google is said to prefer https over http and the former is important if you are selling product from your site.

In simple terms https:// helps stop 'man in the middle attacks' where the source code of your site is altered before it reaches the intended recipient. This has far more implications than basic security since anyone providing a wi-fi service can put ads on your site without your knowledge, as a random example.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

As someone with minimal IT and zero design skills, I’d say the answer is a definite ‘yes’.

As a favour for a friend I have agreed to do an ecommerce site for his next business venture. The understanding was that I'd do it my free time at my own pace. I have been putting off for weeks as it is.

After wasting half a day trying to put something together that looks professional but that can also be edited by an idiot I have taken the easy route of woocommerce with an impressive looking theme from the wordpress depository.

This goes against all my principals but, at the end of the day, I'm not having to charge him much and it gives him what he wants. His alternative was to pay an agency thousands of pounds for a modified version of prestashop that he or his assistant would struggle to manage without further paid assistance.

 

[gpietersz]

Google is said to prefer https over http

Yes, but the SEO impact is probably still small if that is the worry.

the former is important if you are selling product from your site.

It (and a lot more) is required if you are actually handling payments on your site itself. Smaller sites usually use a payment processor, but even these require you to use https.

In simple terms https:// helps stop 'man in the middle attacks' where the source code of your site is altered before it reaches the intended recipient.

It also stops people spying on the data (including their ISP and anyone the data passes through).

It also confirms that people have connected to the right site and have not been misdirected elsewhere.

 

[Armorica]

Yup, you should make your website https to do business online. Using this protocol makes your website to look more trustworthy in the eyes of your customers

 

[Mark T Jones]

Mark isn't very bright so if it took him four hours it would normally only take someone else five minutes

I've never been so offended

Though the point is entirely valid - my second version took me just an hour. Presumably someone who knows their way around would do it in 10 minutes.

 

[fisicx]

And the time after that it gets easier and you wonder what all the fuss is about.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Some people will get themselves into a mess.

Also, @Mark T Jones said it took him four hours to do it. If you have a 10 minute alternative that gives you what you want, why not use it?

I'd somewhat agree with you - in fact I generally go against the value of 'free' in the context of time.

For me, on that occasion those 4 hours were actually time well spent in thinking more about content than design (it showed!)

I've frequently said that if I was a web designed my target audience would be DIYers, with a half decent business whose website was more than 6 months old.

that's when they start to understand value.

 

[Stephen Maginn]

We built our website internally on Wordpress with a very basic skillset. A lot of it can be done by adopting a theme and then through click and drop which makes it really easy. Granted, our website is simple but it's also slick and professional in my opinion.

 

[Callmefred]

yes Ive done a bit of research -there are so many themes and so many differing opinions Im not sure where to start really.
some people seem to say themes add tons of code and make the site slow and bad for SEO, others say a site is hard to build without lots of wordpress experience.

I would advise you to pick a lightweight theme and a good visual builder. I've been using both Divi (integrated solution: theme & builder) and Hello Theme + Elementor Pro (theme + plugin). I now prefer the second solution, which works really well for more advanced deployments (once you start creating custom post types, etc). Re: performance, you'll need to pay attention at the plugins you'll pick along the way + use a proper caching solution.

 

[fisicx]

I've been using both Divi (integrated solution: theme & builder) and Hello Theme + Elementor Pro (theme + plugin).

Nooooooo!

Anything from elegant themes is rubbish. And page builders are by default pointless in most cases. They all focus on desktop layouts when the majority of browsing is now done using phones and tablets.

And Google is pre-warning everyone about changes coming in 2021 - it's all about UX. Pages builder deliver a poor UX.

If you want performance don't use a page builder.

 

[Callmefred]

I've been using Elementor Pro (not from Elegant Themes) on tens of websites and it provides a great UX at a very decent speed, works like a charm with ACF / CPT UI. For very simple sites, I would simply advise a static site, not WP. e.g. Publii, great solution.

 

[fisicx]

Have you run those sites through Google’s tools?

The mobile UX from elementor layouts will always be poor. It’s a desktop tool.

 

[Alan]

Publii, great solution

I hadn't come across Publii - I think I'll take it for a spin.

A couple of years ago I did a couple of 'static' CMS's with Hugo, which was a great static site builder with 'CMS' concept, but technically it is a bit tough and trying t o persuade 'end users' to git push to deploy changes is obviously a non starter, despite automating the CI.

I do firmly believe WP is not the right platform for a home page, contact page, about page - if that is the end of the requirement. Of course, in many cases that is that start of the requirement, and oh can I just have a facebook feed, and can I have a payment mechanism, of and can I have a private members area, and some analytics oh now i need a cookie popup etc of course then WP come into its own with the 50,000+ plugins available.

 

[gpietersz]

A couple of years ago I did a couple of 'static' CMS's with Hugo, which was a great static site builder with 'CMS' concept, but technically it is a bit tough and trying t o persuade 'end users' to git push to deploy changes is obviously a non starter, despite automating the CI.

I use a static site builder too (Nikola) for some of my own sites. There are some friendly GUIs but they are either third part cloud apps (which rather defeats the point) or unmaintained because of lack of uptake (because vicious circle there - only people who can cope with the command line use them so there is no demand for a GUI, but most end users will not use them without a GUI).

do firmly believe WP is not the right platform for a home page, contact page, about page - if that is the end of the requirement.

Its overkill - but what is the right platform, especially once you rule out static site generators?

of course then WP come into its own with the 50,000+ plugins available.

It depends. Plugins and themes may or may not be well maintained or well written and may cause security issues or break on upgrade (although Wordpress generally has excellent backward compatibility - a theme I wrote in 2006 still works) or other issues.

I think there is a sweet spot for Wordpress where Wordpress itself and well known themes can give you what you want. If you need to use more obscure plugins or need to write a lot of custom code its not a good solution.

I also dislike the number of plugins that end up being required. I have ended up with nine plugins on my very simple personal blog.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

I also dislike the number of plugins that end up being required. I have ended up with nine plugins on my very simple personal blog.

Lots of basic optimisation stuff ought to have been sorted out by now but they insist on having a plug-in (often multiple) for many scenarios. It fosters a large developer community but does nothing for the average user who thinks he/she is getting a plug and play solution.

 

[UKSBD]

A lot of my sites are so basic I don't need anything Wordpress provides but still tend to use it as it's easier that having to FTP to update or add stuff.

When I do use it though I strip everything out and use a few different templates for posts, pages or categories

Wordpress makes you lazy

 

[fisicx]

I also dislike the number of plugins that end up being required. I have ended up with nine plugins on my very simple personal blog.

No plugins are required.

If all you want is a blog you just need a simple theme.

 

[Ian J]

I also dislike the number of plugins that end up being required. I have ended up with nine plugins on my very simple personal blog.

I wish that i could get mine down to 9 as I have 20 active plugins on my blog

 

[Darren_Ssc]

I wish that i could get mine down to 9 as I have 20 active plugins on my blog

You could probably get rid of a lot of them by using a custom functions file? However, 9 isn't that much of a problem if they are doing basic stuff.

 

[fisicx]

I wish that i could get mine down to 9 as I have 20 active plugins on my blog

You don’t need any plugins if it’s just a blog.

 

[Ian J]

You could probably get rid of a lot of them by using a custom functions file?

I probably would if I knew what you were talking about

You don’t need any plugins if it’s just a blog.

These are my active plugins

Akismet Anti-Spam
Autoptimize
Broken Link Checker
Classic Editor
Google XML Sitemap for Videos
GP Premium
Jetpack
Koko Analytics
LiteSpeed Cache
Plugin Notes
Rank Math SEO
Really Simple SSL
Register IPs
Revision Control
SI Captcha Anti-Spam
Smush
Testimonial Slider
UpdraftPlus - Backup/Restore
WP Performance Score Booster
WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache

 

[zigojacko]

I probably would if I knew what you were talking about



These are my active plugins

Akismet Anti-Spam
Autoptimize
Broken Link Checker
Classic Editor
Google XML Sitemap for Videos
GP Premium
Jetpack
Koko Analytics
LiteSpeed Cache
Plugin Notes
Rank Math SEO
Really Simple SSL
Register IPs
Revision Control
SI Captcha Anti-Spam
Smush
Testimonial Slider
UpdraftPlus - Backup/Restore
WP Performance Score Booster
WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache

You don't need many of them, especially as many of the optimisation ones as they'll usually conflict. But you're probably making use of a particular feature that these offer so your "needed" (which is more-so, a 'wanted') might differ from someone else's "needed". You don't even need all of the plugins on your factoringsolutions.co.uk website nether come to think of it.

 

[gpietersz]

No plugins are required.

Depends what you mean by required. All the plugins I use do something I want (otherwise I would not have them installed) - so, yes I could sacrifice functionality and still have a blog, but I cannot have the same functionality without the plugins.

 

[fisicx]

s...but I cannot have the same functionality without the plugins.

You are a developer, add functionality to your theme functions.php (or set up a child theme).

 

[fisicx]

I probably would if I knew what you were talking about

Looking at that list, you can get rid of a whole load of those. In fact I don't even know why some of them were installed.

 

[gpietersz]

You are a developer, add functionality to your theme functions.php (or set up a child theme).

Too much work to replicate nine plugins - it would be easier to switch to something else. I could set up a comments server running Isso or Commento and run the rest of the site on Nikola. Its probably what I will do.

The whole point of Wordpress (for me) is convenience. If it stops being convenient its time to switch.

 

[Appeal Parking Ticket]

KISS folks! keep it simple. Unless you need a fancy site that needs live chat, push notifications, booking forms, e shop site etc. Just get a basic page builder like someone said on here.

I personally have come to that conclusion after building wordpress sites over the years for different businesses - unless it needs that complicated functionality I have started to use "New Google sites" its an easy website builder.

Anyone can make one and with practice anyone can knock out a really good looking, clean and simple 5 page site within a couple of hours (excluding content).

A new Google sites site can also handle any bad seo thrown at it by a competitor. It ranks better and loads a lot faster than a wordpress site. Its hosted by Google for free so no hosting fees. You are also less likely to be hacked as its Googles own system.You can give admin access to the site if you want friends or family to help you edit it. And because theme options and colours are very limited you wont spend hours agonishing over the design.

Just check out Steegle - that is a new google sites site and looks professional. It also has loads of how to guides if you get stuck building your own site.

The only other downside is the on page, off page and seo work still takes lots of man hours to get right but if you have the knowledge or can afford to hire an SEO company that knows what they are doing then you are already on to a winner.

Also do not forget you will save yourself a few quid on doing the site yourself.

 

[gpietersz]

@Appeal Parking Ticket the home page source of the site you give as an example looks as bad as any other site builder and it is very slow loading: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/?url=https://www.steegle.com/

 

[fisicx]

Just check out Steegle - that is a new google sites site and looks professional.

No it doesn’t. Looks like any other naff site builder effort.

 

[Appeal Parking Ticket]

Appeal Parking Ticket the home page source of the site you give as an example looks as bad as any other site builder and it is very slow loading: google speed

That's weird I didnt notice the slow load speed. Its not actually a big ranking factor (althiugh if it loads too slow it can affect your CTR).

I think the site would load quicker if it didn't have so much infornation on it. So, speed wise thats a bad example new Google site but I would sacrifice load speed for the rankings and traffic they get on their site. I guess Steegle are probably aware of the issue. But the average Joe using this kind of page buolder wont care as rhey wont need that many pages to rank well on local SEO.

The experiment I am doing which is ranking a google site for local seo the page speed is quicker than all my competitors on the first page so page load speed shouldn't put anyone off from using it.

No it doesn’t. Looks like any other naff site builder effort.

I think what you meant to say was you could do a better job? I am sure you could too but to the average Joe the site looks fine, okay it wont win any design awards but who cares right? I wouldn't if I was them as they are ranking and banking - I woukd only change the design if it improved CTR or a client asked me to.

I honestly think some people obses about design too much. Its more about getring seen at the end of the day and having an easy to navigate site for the end user most of the time.

I get from a business point of view why a web designer for example might want to bash it as they feel it might devalue their product but why not offer to sell it - make a few dummy sites yourself and have it as your basic entry level brochure style website for those with tight budgets? Yes people know about free page builders but my experience is that they give it a try amd the end product looks awful but we know with practice you can get some half.decent looking sites.

 

[gpietersz]

That's weird I didnt notice the slow load speed. Its not actually a big ranking factor

It is a big usability factor

 

[fisicx]

@Appeal Parking Ticket - it’s not about the design, it how effective the layout. Site builders of any sort deliver a poor UX. A good Wordpress theme will outperform a site builder in almost all occasions

 

[Alan]

Akismet Anti-Spam
Autoptimize
Broken Link Checker
Classic Editor
Google XML Sitemap for Videos
GP Premium
Jetpack
Koko Analytics
LiteSpeed Cache
Plugin Notes
Rank Math SEO
Really Simple SSL
Register IPs
Revision Control
SI Captcha Anti-Spam
Smush
Testimonial Slider
UpdraftPlus - Backup/Restore
WP Performance Score Booster
WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache

LiteSpeed Cache properly setup makes these redundant
- Autoptimize
- WP Performance Score Booster
- WP-Optimize - Clean, Compress, Cache
- Smush

No need onsite as plugins
- Koko Analytics
- UpdraftPlus - Backup/Restore
- Broken Link Checker

Probably redundant
- Google XML Sitemap for Videos
- SI Captcha Anti-Spam ( you shouldn't need two anti spam solutions )

Get a grip - learn something new
- Classic Editor

Avoid if you can
- Jetpack, you probably are using it for a contact form?

Totally never ever needed
- Really Simple SSL

Should be in the theme
- Testimonial Slider ( and sliders are pointless )

No idea wha they do so may or may not be needed
- GP Premium
- Plugin Notes
- Register IPs
- Revision Control

So your plugin set should be around 3 to 7 (allowing for the ones I don't know )
1. antispam
2. cache / optimisation plugin
3. contact form

 

[gpietersz]

Get a grip - learn something new
- Classic Editor

I agree with much of what you say, but have to disagree with this done.

Why should I? This is something that should be easy to use. Its up to the developers to avoid making users learn stuff.

This is especially true for Wordpress where one of the commonest arguments for using it is that people already know how to use it.

LiteSpeed Cache properly setup makes these redundant

That is if you use Litespeed. There are other caches, of course. If you use shared hosting its not something you have control over.

My one Wordpress site is fast with a single cache plugin and I think there has to be soemthing wrong with using four plugins with overlapping functionality.

Should be in the theme
- Testimonial Slider ( and sliders are pointless )

True when it is practical, but people who are doing DIY Wordpress sites (as frequently recommended here) will not be able to edit themes, so that is not an option.

 

[fisicx]

I agree with much of what you say, but have to disagree with this done.

Why should I? This is something that should be easy to use. Its up to the developers to avoid making users learn stuff.

This is especially true for Wordpress where one of the commonest arguments for using it is that people already know how to use it.

It is easy to use. I agree it was pretty naff to begin with but it’s much much better now. It takes minutes to learn, mainly because adding content isn’t any real difference to using the classic editor.

 

[Ian J]

It is easy to use. I agree it was pretty naff to begin with but it’s much much better now. It takes minutes to learn, mainly because adding content isn’t any real difference to using the classic editor.

Perhaps but as you're fond of pointing out I'm as old as Methuselah and techie stuff doesn't come quite as easily to us old boys which is one of the reasons why I still use Office 2003

 

[Alan]

That is if you use Litespeed. There are other caches, of course. If you use shared hosting its not something you have control over.

You might have missed he already had Litespeed Cache, and the only valid reason to have Litespeed Cache (in my opinion) is if your server is on Litespeed, if not there are probably better solutions, I don't know though as I would only host on a Litespeed server.