Starting a business is a monumental endeavor, and there are a few natural first steps to keep in mind to create a successful and long-lasting venture. Of course, it all started with an idea, but testing that idea’s validity and conducting research will help you tweak and refine that idea into a working business plan. From there, you’ll need to get your finances in order, determine your business structure, apply for licenses and permits, put together a team, and then brand and promote your company.

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In today’s internet-reliant world, having a website is the best way to market your company to potential consumers, and without one, people simply wouldn’t know that you exist. Your company’s website should be a one-stop shop where people can learn about your business’s values, find answers to frequently asked questions, and discover the services and products you can provide to them.

While there are many website builders to choose from, WordPress is the world’s most popular website building platform for a reason. WordPress makes it easy to build out and customize your website to fit your company’s needs. There’s no need to learn HTML coding, making it the perfect starting point for any business’s website.

Another advantage to using WordPress is the ability to add plugins to your website for any added functionality you need, without needing to hire a coder. There are thousands of plugins on the internet at your disposal, which makes it easy to find multiple options for anything you need. Taking advantage of WordPress’s flexibility when it comes to utilizing plugins will help you create the ultimate website for your company’s brand.

1. WP3D Models

If you’re creating a real estate company, the WP3D Models plugin (wp3dmodels.com) is a great option to show off your properties. By utilizing the power of Matterport’s 3D space capture, this plugin can help you showcase all of your listings in a responsive layout that gets your clients the information they need in an easily-navigable and efficient way.

Between single-property landing pages and creating an entire directory of your listings, the WP3D Models plugin is the best tool for any real estate agent looking to create a website that can easily and successfully help you sell your properties.

2. Yoast SEO

This search engine optimization plug-in has been downloaded over 202 million times by WordPress users because of how it simplifies the SEO process for its customers. Simply creating a website won’t help potential customers find you unless you’re optimizing your site for search engines.

Yoast SEO analyzes all of your posts and website pages to assess how search engine-friendly your site is and can help guide you to make changes that will boost your SEO score, and get your business more visibility. This plugin comes in both free and premium versions, making it a cost-friendly option to keep your website at the top of the search engine pages.

3. Google Analytics Dashboard

If you’re curious about how well your website is performing on the internet, the Google Analytics Dashboard plugin can give you the statistics you need. With this plugin, you can find out how many visitors your website gets, at what time of day traffic is highest on your site, what devices they’re accessing your website from, how long a visitor was on your site, and whether or not a visitor completed a purchase on your site, among other things.

You can utilize these stats to alter your website’s structure to make it more efficient, and refine your marketing strategy to guide more people to complete a sale on your site.

4. WooCommerce

If your business structure includes eCommerce, the WooCommerce plugin is the way to go to develop a functioning online store. With WooCommerce, you can set up your online store in a fast and simple way, creating an online shopping experience for your customers that’s easy to navigate.

WooCommerce allows you to develop product pages, choose your payment gateways, and manage your store on-the-go with their mobile app and dashboard. There are hundreds of extensions for different functions, making it a flexible and reliable option for creating your eCommerce store.

5. Gravity Forms

Gravity Forms is a great plugin for form-building, whether you’re looking to build a contact list of clients or get user feedback on your website. The plugin has multiple integrations including PayPal or MailChimp, making it easy for you to accept payments or send newsletters out.

Regardless of your needs, Gravity Forms makes it easy for your customers to connect to you and your business, allowing you to build a loyal consumer base.

The bottom line

Building a website is no longer the coding hassle it used to be, and plugins are often exactly what you need to run an efficient and successful website for your business. No matter what type of business you’re running, what you’re selling, or what services you provide, there is almost always guaranteed to be a plugin out there that will provide support for your company.