WordPress is a good option for building small business websites if you have the budget for it. WordPress isn’t practical for small businesses with small annual revenues. It's just not a cost-effective option. Small business retailers may earn between $200,000 to $1 million a year. Service contractors and small businesses in the industrial sector earn more. They earn $1 to $5 million a year, even more.
The US Small Business Administration recommends setting aside 7% to 10% for marketing. That budget includes building your website if you don't have one. However small businesses need to prioritize their expenses. Labor is the number one expense of small businesses. It can cost up to 70% of their annual revenue. Inventory costs and administrative expenses like utilities, equipment, and taxes follow. Marketing expense is the fourth.
This article will answer questions local and small business owners have about WordPress. It will present the costs of building a small business website. WordPress has a free open-source software. However, its website-building platform runs on a freemium model. To ensure your website fits your budget, we recommend a more affordable option. An affordable, easy-to-use alternative to help small business owners like you build your websites at a fraction of the cost.
Is WordPress Good for Small Business?
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The commercial platform (WordPress.com) has a free use plan and access to free themes and plugins. | The subscription-based plans start at $160 per month. |
| Dynamic web page structure | Website maintenance and plugin updates |
| Full customization and flexibility | Hosting (self-hosting) required |
| Free and Premium Themes (and Patterns) | Poor and erratic site speed and performance (affecting user experience) |
| 1,704 plugins for local and small business websites | Requires understanding and experience in coding and web development |
| SEO and e-commerce with 8,232 plugins for online storefront creation | Website-building is time-consuming and not recommended for users still learning the platform. |
| Extensive global-wide online community support | Security vulnerabilities, malware attacks, and the threat of hacking. |
Why is WordPress Good for Small Business Owners?
WordPress can be a good choice for building your small business website. WordPress was created by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little in 2003, as a blogging platform. 21 years later, WordPress has grown to not only support blogging, but a wide range of websites. That includes small business websites. WordPress is currently the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world. It supports more than 810 million sites (or 43.3% of all websites worldwide).
Establishing Online Presence and Expanding Business Reach
Establishing an online presence for your business is important. It helps you reach more customers, expanding your business beyond its physical location. Your small business website is an affordable way to boost your sales and drive growth.
Forbes Advisor states that as of 2023, over 25% of US commerce was initiated and completed online. These transactions range from groceries and clothes to prescription medicines and more. Statista estimates that one in three people worldwide does their shopping online.
Small businesses with websites or e-commerce storefronts gain a lot of online visibility. There are more than 274 million online shoppers in the US, as of the end of 2023. These online shoppers most often search for local products and services. Emarketer (formerly Insider Intelligence) notes that online shopping in the US is growing at a rate of 78.9% among Internet users. According to Statista, this means that by 2029 there will be more than 333.5 million online shoppers in the US. An increase of more than 61.4 million users.
WordPress Tools for Small Businesses
WordPress provides the tools needed to build and launch your small business website. To help you with your small business website, WordPress offers 1,704 plugins. These help with small business website setup.
Starting an e-commerce business? Building an online store to process and manage orders? WordPress also offers 8,232 plugins to help set up your small business online storefront. It gives you access to e-commerce tools and Google services. That includes tools for SEO optimization, lead generation, and social media integration. You can even design your website to reflect your brand and aesthetics.
WordPress Subscription Plans for Small Businesses
WordPress.com currently has five website-building plans. WordPress updated from its initial subscription-based offerings (free, personal, premium, and business). Today, WordPress.com offers five plans: Free, Starter, Explorer, Creator, and Entrepreneur Plans.
In addition to these five plans, WordPress also offers Bluehost Cloud. It is a web hosting service. WordPress also has a VIP plan called Enterprise. It markets this plan to large businesses, media brands, and government agencies. Enterprise starts at $25,000 per year.
But is WordPress worth it when it comes to building a small business website? Redditor cshaiku lists some considerations he would ask his small business clients. That way, he would know what small business owners really need on their websites.
Redditor morewordsfaster states using WordPress should be based on website functionalities only. Not because the client says so. Because of its popularity, WordPress is top of mind for any small business owner. morewordsfaster notes that clients often only need tools to manage their websites themselves. He adds that small business owners have other, more affordable, options. Other website builders like Snapps.ai can achieve what they need for a fraction of the cost. You won't have to deal with plugin incompatibilities, too. And there are fewer security risks if you use another website builder.
Fellow Redditor, shgysk8zero, echoes this sentiment. He states that, based on experience, the most that small businesses really need are static websites. Most also want the ability to maintain the site and add content or static web pages themselves. Cost is where website-building platforms gain the upper hand over WordPress.
How Much Would It Cost Your Small Business to Build a Website in 2024?
Creating a website for a small business in 2024 can cost between $50 to $500 a month. But it can easily go up to as much as $50,000. This may also include expenses like setting up your domain name and website hosting. It also includes hiring a professional agency to design and build your website. Your total cost will also depend on your site's size, features, and complexity. Below is a breakdown of the average estimated costs:
- Domain Name: $1 - $75+ per year
- Website Hosting: $10 - $220 per month
- SSL Certificates: $0 (Free) - $2,000 per year
- CMS Integration: $1,000 - $15,000
- Number of Web Pages: $1,000 - $10,000+
- Features and Functionalities: $5,000 - $20,000+
- Website Design: $1,000 - $25,000+
The most expensive items in this list are website design and site size. Hiring a freelance professional or an agency will also increase your cost.
Using a website builder and doing the work yourself is one way of keeping your costs down. That’s why WordPress is not great for small business budgets. Neither is it great for ease of use or users lacking in experience. Instead, its plugins are constant problems and security vulnerabilities. Redditor letsgotgoing notes that if a small business website should be as simple as possible. He adds that WordPress is expensive to maintain compared to alternatives.
What Are the Drawbacks to WordPress for Small Businesses?
WordPress may be popular but there are a few drawbacks to using it to build your small business website. These include:
- Accumulation of Cost and Expenses: Using WordPress can swell up your costs quickly.
- Not User-Friendly: WordPress is not easy to use. It is less intuitive than other website builders.
- Plugin Incompatibility: Users report issues with plugins. They either don't work or are incompatible with other plugins.
- Issues with Code: Some users complain about messy code. Plugins are infamous for code bloat.
- Site Speed: WordPress websites can have erratic site speed. This results in a poor user experience.
- Security Vulnerabilities: WordPress plugins are an ongoing concern. Their vulnerability has led to numerous malware and hacking attacks.
Using WordPress to build a website for a small (local) business is overkill. If you do decide to use it, you may have to compromise certain elements. That way you won't go over your budget. Here are some tips to maximize your small business budget:
- Plan and Build in Phases. Break your website project into manageable stages.
- Focus on Essentials. Prioritize features like responsive design, basic SEO, security, and optimization.
- Build a Static Site. Create a simple website that provides essential information to visitors.
- Streamline Design. Use a minimalist design to enhance site performance and user experience.
- Do It Yourself. A DIY approach to building your website can save costs and give you greater control.
Is WordPress Good for Small Business Websites if You’ll Be Maintaining Them Yourself?
WordPress is not good for small business websites if you'll be maintaining them yourself. But you do need a platform that you can use right out of the box. Especially given that you don't have a background in coding or web development.
For a small business website, use a drag-and-drop platform like Snapps.ai. It only requires you to take a tutorial to learn its features and widgets. Maintaining your website yourself is practical and cost-effective. You don't have to hire a web developer or designer to manage updates, edit your pages, or post new content. Doing it yourself saves money and time.
The Difference Between WordPress.org and WordPress.com
Please note that when using “WordPress” it can mean “WordPress.org” or “WordPress.com.” What’s the difference? WordPress.org is the open-source free software. WordPress.com refers to the website-building service. When we use “WordPress” in this article, we refer to WordPress.com.
The confusion between the two names is a perennial problem. It is apparent when people do an online search for “WordPress.” It’s why r/WordPress channel moderator, summerchilde, created a post to help clarify the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
Is WordPress Good for Small Business Websites or is Drag-and-Drop Better?
WordPress is good for building small business websites. But it’s a big ask for the type of budgets that small businesses have. If you want a hassle-free start, there is an alternative for you. One that doesn’t take too much time away from your main focus: managing your business. A smarter way to build your website is by using a drag-and-drop platform like Snapps.ai.
Setting up WordPress without the right skillset could be an expensive prospect. Building your website with WordPress will require attention, time, and money. You’ll need a platform that you can use and manage yourself. That gives you more control over your website and content. From content editing and updates to maintenance and management.
Snapps.ai has a user-friendly website-building platform. You can integrate apps that help with optimizing your on-page SEO. Need local search and GMB heat map rankings (Google My Business)? Snapps.ai can provide these functionalities. It gives you full control and you won’t have to worry about security vulnerabilities. The best part? It can help build your site on a small business budget.
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