See An Ugly Duckling Website Transformed Into A Wordpress Swan

by Bonnie Boots

Internet marketers will always assure you that it's "SO EASY!" to do everything on the internet by yourself--especially if you buy their product.

But the truth is, publishing and promoting on the internet requires constant hard work and study. I was recently reminded of how hard it really is when a client asked me to "freshen up" his site.

I hadn't thought of this site in years.

I created it in 2003. back when I was still writing for newspapers and magazines and just beginning to understand that the internet was the inevitable future of publishing. I was writing during the day, then spending long nights knocking myself out trying to grasp digital image editing.

When someone I knew asked me if I could create a web site for them, I jumped at the chance, even though I didn't yet know much about it.

When the site was complete, both the client and I were happy. We were both pretty amazed that you could push a button on your computer at home and have your words and pictures appear on computer monitors all around the world!

That first site broke the ice. But I knew I could do better. I studied hard, worked hard, and devoted myself to making each site better than the last.

By last month, when Client Number One gave me a call and asked me to add some fresh material to his site, I hadn't seen it in years. When I typed in the URL for micknight.com and saw it load on my monitor, I was shocked.

It was hideous!

Here's a screenshot of that Ugly Duckling:

The graphic design was awful, but the SEO (search engine optimization) was even worse. Despite being online for 7 years, Google  barely knew the site--or Mic-- existed.

When I did a search for the owner's name,which is also the domain name, Google didn't pull up Mic Knight until the 5th page of search returns.

That's when I told Mic I couldn't add new material to his site. "This site is an embarrassment to you and to me, " I told him. "Let me show you what Wordpress can do for you."

At first, Mic was hesitant. He didn't really understand what was wrong with his old site. Like many people, he thought of a website as a static brochure, something that gave people unchanging information like name, profession and phone number.

It's true that's how websites started out, but the internet changes at the speed of light, and today a static site is as old fashioned as a butter churn. And that's exactly what a static sites says about you and your business--"I'm outdated. If you want someone that can't keep up with the times, call me!"

Here's a screenshot of Mick Knight's site after I rebuilt it in Wordpress:

It has a fresh graphic design, of course, one with more eye appeal. And it has better navigation, making it easier for people to find the information they want.  But the really important part is what's under the hood.

By "under the hood," I mean the software that runs this site. That software is Wordpress, which is free, and Wordpress plugins. All the plugins used in this particular site were also free.

Plugins are additional little software programs that can be "plugged in" to Wordpress.

Wordpress lis a publisher. It lets you publish information to the internet. Plugins make it easy to add all sorts of additional features to Wordpress.

For example, look in the screenshot (or visit the site) at the right-hand sidebar for the little Twitter bird. As users scroll any page in the site, that Twitter bird always floats in the middle of the screen, inviting people to click on it and follow Mic on Twitter. Another plugin adds a post to Mic's Twitter account announcing each time something new added to the site.

Until I put him in Wordpress, Mic wasn't using social networks and was hesitant to get involved. Now, with these Wordpress plugins, Mic doesn't need to touch Twitter unless he wants to. His site runs Twitter for him.

When Mic feels ready, I'll add plugins that run Facebook in the same way. In this way, Mic will integrate social networks into his marketing program, and it will be almost effortless.

Also under the hood are plugins that send out RSS feeds, something that makes this site more attractive to Google.

Hours after publishing the new Wordpress site, Mic was already the first return on the first page of Google for his own name, whereas with his old site, Google barely knew Mic existed. There's plenty more under the hood, functions and features that are bringing Mic into the active world of the internet, making him look more professional, helping him connect with his target audience and do a better job of promoting his own interests.

Mic's delighted with his new site. I'm delighted that Wordpress makes it easy to grow and update the site, keeping it fresh and functional no matter how the internet changes.

If you're just getting started in promoting your business on the internet, you need Wordpress. If you're already on the internet, but your site is as outdated and nonfunctional as Mic's was, you need Wordpress. And if you need someone to help you with Wordpress, you need to see me here.

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