Moreover 500 WordPress showcase sites are created every day! To secure your online presence, what’s better than the world’s most popular website builder software?
The WordPress CMS offers options to suit your needs. Thanks to its numerous themes and extensions, you can build customized pages, which present your offers and accompany your potential customers. Additionally, WordPress offers essential features to secure your site, optimize it for search engines, and make it GDPR compliant in just a few clicks.
So, if you want to know why and how to create a showcase site with WordPress, this article is for you!
Why choose creating a business showcase site with WordPress?
Over 455 million websites running on WordPress. This CMS is unanimous, with both beginners and professionals. The reason ? Creating a showcase site in WordPress has many advantages …
Usage structure
WordPress remains one of the most flexible and powerful CMSs on the market. For this purpose, one might think that it is complex to use. However, its simplified interface can be handled by everyone, even beginners.
Its intuitive content editor (called Gutenberg) helps build the pages of your showcase site. Using a block system, you can structure the design, customize it and arrange the information as you wish. You don’t need technical coding knowledge.
Personalization
WordPress is fully customizable! There is a perfect theme for virtually any type of showcase site. Whether it’s a photographer’s portfolio, a restaurant website or a B2B business, you can choose from templates and adapt them to your brand in just a few clicks.
WordPress themes come with their own options panel. You can then change the colors, add your logo, change the background, change the fonts … All without writing a single line of code.
In addition to themes, you can use extensions to integrate more functionality into your WordPress showcase site. These improve the user experience and can help you convert visitors into leads.
The “SEO-friendly” side.
WordPress was designed with SEO in mind. It is developed with high quality code using semantic markup. In non-geek terms, this means that Google and other search engines can easily crawl WordPress sites and rank them based on user queries.
The appendix of a blog
You need a blog to support visitors in their thinking, but also to retain your customers. WordPress has all the features you need to create a blog page on your showcase site. Also, originally, WordPress is a blogging platform.
This DNA remains present in the tool through advanced parameters and its rich options editor. You can run a simple blog or just create your own professional webzine. WordPress offers multiple author management options, post scheduling, proofreading, and more.
Regular updates
In the world of the web it is important to always be up to date! WordPress regularly releases updates that you can install with the click of a button. These updates cover the CMS as well as themes and extensions.
How to create a showcase site with WordPress step by step?
Creating a WordPress showcase site involves several steps. Follow the leader!
1. Start by choosing a web host
WordPress is a CMS, not a host. You have to choose a service provider who will host your site. You can consult our 2022 comparison of the best web hosts to know the main suppliers on the market.
To select the right host for your WordPress showcase site, here are some criteria to consider:
- Scalability: Your host should be able to support your site if you decide to scale your project, add pages, or generate more traffic.
- Security: A good host should take web security seriously and offer security options, certificates, and other features.
- Support: You should have access to a reliable support team if you have any questions or technical issues.
2. Proceed with the WordPress installation
Depending on which host you have chosen, the WordPress installation process may look a little different. However, the basic steps remain the same.
After signing up with a provider, you will have access to a private control panel consistent with your hosting plan. This will likely include an option to install WordPress with a single click. If so, feel free to use it.
If so, it will be necessary download wordpress and install it manually via FTP. To learn more, you can consult our tutorial « How to easily install WordPress on your server? “.
3. Configure your WordPress showcase site
When you log in to the WordPress administration for the first time, you need to configure the main information of the site:
- Site title: This title will be displayed on the pages. You should choose one that reflects your business and, if possible, contains your main keyword.
- ID : this is the identifier used to connect to your WordPress back office. Avoid entering “Admin” for security reasons … Choose a more complex and customized identifier.
- Password: you can use the one proposed by default, or insert your own. Make sure it is labeled “Strong” to limit the risk of hacking.
- Your email address: Enter the email used to administer your WordPress showcase site.
- Visibility for search engines: do not check the box, unless you want to appear in Google et cie.
4. Install and customize the theme
Now, place to choose the theme! Look for a template whose structure matches your needs, including the features needed to create a showcase site that is consistent with your brand image.
To find a WordPress theme, go to the “Appearances” tab, then “Themes”. Click on the “Add” option.
You will have access to the WordPress theme library. You can browse it to find a design that meets your expectations.
If you bought a template from another vendor, you can upload it by clicking “Upload a theme”.
5. Choose and install plugins
To be successful in the process of creating a WordPress showcase site, you will definitely need additional extensions. Keep in mind that no matter what functionality you are looking for, there is necessarily a plug-in!
To browse the store, go to “Extensions”, then click the “Add” button. You can explore the different free plugins or upload one.
Among the plugins that may be needed for a WordPress showcase site, we find:
- WPPortfolio: As the name suggests, it allows artists or photographers to quickly build galleries of images and videos.
- Yoast SEO: the must to improve the natural referencing of your pages and blog articles.
- Total cache W3– This is one of the most popular caching plugins on WordPress. Caching saves the content in the user’s browser. The target. the goal? Speed up the display of your pages when back on your site.
- Contact form 7– Perfect for installing a professional contact form on your WordPress showcase site.
- Cookie Policy and GDPR / CCPA Compliance : The data you collect on your WordPress showcase site must be compliant with the GDPR. To obtain informed consent and inform your visitors of your privacy policy, this plugin is very effective.
6. Create the pages of your WordPress showcase site
Now it’s time to move on to creating your WordPress showcase site pages. Go to the “Pages” section and click on “Add”.
You will be able to build your main pages, i.e .:
- The presentation of your products and / or services: create a general page, then sub-pages for each offer, so that visitors have as much information as possible.
- The “About” page that summarizes your value offering and brand history.
- The “Contacts” page containing a form, but also an email address, a telephone number and possibly other means to contact you (WhatsApp, chatbot, social network, etc.).
- The blog page that will contain your articles, tips and news.
- The location page that allows visitors to know the address of your property, your points of sale or your retailers.
Of course, you are free to add as many pages as you like and to go beyond this basic content. You can create a page that summarizes your commitments, another that offers a free demo, a portfolio, customer testimonials …
7. Create the menu
The menu plays an important role in the user experience. Well organized, it helps the visitor to orient himself and navigate in search of the information necessary to feed his thoughts on the purchase. However, if he easily finds the information he needs, he will be more likely to call your company when the time comes.
Plus, he’ll associate his fluid experience with a positive brand image. What can differentiate you from the competition and have a significant impact when deciding.
To create the menu for your WordPress showcase site, go to “Appearances”, then “Menu”.
You will be able to select “Main Menu” from the drop-down list or choose the “Create a new menu” link.
Then, using the drag and drop function, you can prioritize the menu. We recommend that you enter the main pages first, such as the welcome and presentation of your products or services.
Finally, you can place the “Contacts” page. Being displayed on the far right of the menu, or at the bottom, it will have significant visibility.
When your menu is ready, you can save it. Remember to test it, but also to have it tested by your colleagues or relatives, to verify its ergonomics.
That’s it, now you know how to create a showcase site with WordPress!
Our advice
Creating a WordPress showcase site takes time, especially to create pages that meet your expectations 100%. Why not entrust this task to a WordPress professional by posting an ad on the encoder ? You will save time and efficiency!