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11 Ways That Companies Fail at Using WordPress

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Using WordPress

WordPress is (in my opinion) the best software solution available for companies that want to build a solid web and/or blog presence online.  It’s very simple to set up provided you use a web host that supports WordPress and in particular one that uses a one click type of installation system.

That being said, I’ve seen lots of simple errors that people make with their WordPress setup. Some are just embarrassing for them, but some can be costly in the long run.  See if you are guilty of any of these WordPress FAILS:

  1. Blocking the Search Engines. I am not sure why anyone would want to block the search engines from finding their site, but there is a setting that allows you do to this.  I actually found a client’s website blocked from the search engines; a client who was wondering why they were not getting web visitors.
  2. Not Setting Permalinks Correctly. One of the biggest benefits of using WordPress is that it is a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) friendly platform. But when you don’t allow keywords in your URL’s, that takes a lot of the value away.
  3. Not Deleting the Initial Blog Post. If you still have a post titled “Hello World!” please delete it.
  4. Not Filling Out the About Us Page. You know, you don’t even need to have one of these pages, but to have it and have it blank is just a crime.
  5. Having a Demo Page. If you have a page that says “This is an example of a WordPress page” please delete it.
  6. Not Responding to Comments. Hmm, did you not realize the goal is engaging an audience? Now they are here and you ignore them? They probably will not come back and that’s a big loss for you.
  7. Overuse of AdSense. I won’t even promote an article in social media if I have to scroll past the ads to find where it starts. I get that you want to earn some money, but that screams “desperation.”
  8. Having Content That Sucks. Sorry to use that word; but if you have a commercial blog and you are promoting it, you have to have content with substance, not a lot of typos, and well written in the language that your primary audience speaks. I often get people who want to guest post here and they send me writing samples that would totally discredit the site. Well, I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant.
  9. Not Paying for Akismet (the anti spam plugin). Come on; its $5 per month and it will save you lots of time and headaches.
  10. Using a Basic (free) Theme. Ok, if you are just getting started, I will give you a pass, but just know that once you upgrade to a “real” theme, you will be taken a bit more seriously, and you will likely have more people sharing your content.  I was guilty of this for a long time myself, but I have since matured. There are many WordPress web designers out there and many offer very affordable solutions.
  11. Using WordPress.com instead of hosting their own version of WordPress.  The big concern here is that you don’t really have control over your content. If they decide that you have violated a term or condition, your site could be shut down and you would have to start over from scratch.  You also don’t get to use many plugins which will limit your experience.

I am sure I could come up with more, but 11 seems to be a good number to start with.  Feel free to post in the comments below and share some of the issues you have seen with WordPress sites.

About

Anthony Kirlew is a veteran of the Internet Marketing field and the Founder of AKA Internet Marketing, a full service Digital Media Agency that offers a generous SEO Partner Program. Additionally, Anthony is a noted blogger, author, speaker and trainer on topics relating to Internet Marketing & Social Media Marketing.

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{ 31 Responses }

  1. Liz says:
    Many sites either don't use tags and categories, or they use them poorly. Used well, they can help with basic on-page SEO. There is a general misunderstanding about how tags should be used - some people even advise to not use them at all. I think it does help if you use a functionally rich theme like Genesis or Hybrid (if you prefer a free theme) - but one that allows the non-tech person lots of control over how tags and categories are managed. I agree with Martin Malden who commented earlier. Tags and categories are the scenes of some of the worst WordPress abuse.
  2. Steve says:
    It's amazing how many people don't understand Wordpress basics that run their own site. I've helped many a client do basic tweaks for SEO and security that seem like common sense. The good news is there is always a market for helping businesses with Wordpress :)
  3. Salah Messaoud says:
    Hi Anthony, You stated that if I don't delete the Initial Blog Post it will affect my blog but I kept it and I started an article from it.
  4. Sharon Paxson says:
    I like this post and has some great information. I really like the wordpress platform and have several sites for my business.
  5. Anthony Kirlew says:
    For the record, the use of a custom theme versus a free theme is all about conversion. With a free theme, you are usually limited to the look and feel, although I know some allow for you to edit the logo or header which would be better, and in fact make it closer to a custom theme than a standard free theme.
  6. Steve Stockdale says:
    Having just completed an extensive online WordPress tutorial for beginners, it's reassuring that I've addressed 10 of your 11 points. However, I disagree with your free theme admonition. Function is first, and a well-designed, well-conceived, implementation isn't going to call attention to whether or not $99 was spent on the theme. If you don't do any customization, and if you don't carefully plan your organization and content, then paying for a theme doesn't make a lick of difference in the effectiveness of your site.
  7. Sinema Kulubu says:
    it is a truely unique platform and the opportunities are endless. Even the Nasa uses it. These guys travel in space and they could have used a different CMS if they wanted. They even took a scientific approach to this and created a guide to implementing and using wordpress.
  8. Scott Fleming says:
    Too many times have I seen a business use a wordpress blog to simply post advertisements about their company or products. Training the authors/editors on HOW to blog is also key. You spend hours putting together a professional design only to have it ruined by a 5th grader's crayon drawing type of posts, like a really bad word document with all the wrong colors, and images taken from a throw-away camera. I guess to sum it up: Be SURE that wordpress is the RIGHT solution for the customer. Don't just assume that it is, because it can be a disaster if the fit isn't right.
  9. Nishadha says:
    I think a free theme is perfectly alright. There are some really great free themes available for free and most of them lest you add a header to make it look unique. I think SEO optimized themes are lot of hype.
    • Hesham Zebida says:
      Free theme for a company website? No Way! Sorry!
  10. Steve says:
    Most of these mistakes are easy to fix with just a little bit of knowledge as a proper SEO and online marketing to this. Particularly the blocking of the site from the Internet. It is hard to imagine how any business owner could think that it is a smart business move to block a steady source of traffic and the entire reason they may want to have an online business.
  11. Anthony Kirlew says:
    Thank you all for the amazing feedback and interactions. I will incorporate the suggestions into a future blog post; they are much appreciated. I want to say regarding Akismet, I have tried other plugins and this has been the best one for me so far. The cost has actually come down significantly which helps. It's a small price to pay given that the platform is basically free otherwise. I used to pay a lot more for an Enterprise license, but then they lowered the fee. Given that I manage a few dozen WP blogs, it is a huge time saver. Best wishes for success!
  12. Raj says:
    There are a lot of alternatives to Akismet. Like the Confirm you are not a spammer check box found in this blog. I think WP should make Akismet free to use for all, and charge only those people who get a ton of traffic.
  13. Jeanie says:
    I agree with all commentators that WordPress is the best alternative to create a blog or a site that will impress its visitors with its design and number of interesting features and its owners- with easiness in usage. I know it for sure and can't understand why some companies have problems with using it
  14. Claire says:
    As long time internet users these mistakes are hilarious. But a company CEO, for example, doesn't spend time on blogs, and especially not installing and configuring Wordpress. So you can see how easy it is to fail at Wordpress, like a baby trying to walk for the first time.
  15. bbrian017 says:
    Hello Anthony. Wordpress is truly a GREAT platform. I can't really place my finger on one specific point that is more important than others, as they are all really important. I would advise against Akismet and rather install G.A.S.P as it lets your commenter tick a box if they want to comment (I see you use one too!). That said, I have some friends who have taken a liking to Livefyre which also offer TONs of benefits and seems to be a the rising comment platform. A free theme is okay, but some friends of mine have commented that one always hits a snag somewhere. So, a free theme is okay if you start out, but you have to get a paid theme sometime. That should really be on your early shopping list. And using Wordpress.com? Nuff said!
  16. Lyka Ricks says:
    Wordpress has its superior and inferior facets, We tend to see the flaws when our expectations are not meet but we tend to appreciate when it generates lots of visitors. So far, it needs enhancement to fulfill our desires.
  17. Martin Malden says:
    One of the major fails I see is poor use of categories and tags. Lack of discipline in using these doesn't help readers, particularly new readers, to find related content, and it dilutes the SEO effectiveness of the site. I often see sites with 30 or 40 categories, most of which contain just 1 or 2 articles. Category pages can figure really well in the search results if they're set up properly, but a category page with just one article is a seriously wasted opportunity. Cheers, Martin.
  18. Ray says:
    How about not updating or adding any new posts for an extended amount of time. I see some business websites that do have a Wordpress blog as a sort of secondary part of their website. On the main part of their site they will say something like check our blog for updates and recent news. When you go and have a look you see they haven't posted anything in a month or two.
  19. Ryan Biddulph says:
    #6 can be a real issue Anthony. Not responding to comments shows a general lack of concern for your audience, or potential customers. It's setting up a 1 way street: the company talks but is not willing to listen. I attract many potential gifting team members - and many actual ones, too ;) - by engaging like crazy. I respond to every comment I can. I respond, I engage, I chat, and most of all, I let people know I am listening. I learned a while back that listeners build powerful relationships, feel good about helping and make a boat load of money. So I started doing what listeners do, a while back, and I like the results. Simply, respond, that's it. Listen to issues, reply, and your company can grow quickly when you have your ear to the street. Such a simple process which many companies miss the boat on when it comes to successful blogging. Thanks for sharing Anthony! RB
  20. Brad says:
    Akismset is free for Wordpress.com users :).
  21. Nada Aldahleh says:
    Nice post! I would say number 8 (Having Content That Sucks) is the most important one.
  22. Larry Lourcey says:
    Great post Anthony. I always get a laugh when I see a blog with the "Hello World" post still sitting there. People just get sloppy I guess.
  23. Mike says:
    Wordpress is good but I'm trying to learn to use joomla also
  24. Barry says:
    Great post!! I don't understand why somebody would go through all of the effort to set up a blog, and then not set it up for success. I get that some people don't know, heck I didn't. But, there's plenty of resources available to get you on the right track. Luckily, I was smart enough to know what I didn't know, and found help (thanks Ty Tribble). But even being a total newbie, I knew enough to take my first test/garbage post down when I started posting real content. Luckily, I managed to miss all of those except one. I'm working with a free theme. But, my blog is only just over 2 weeks old. Once I get a consistent, acceptable level of traffic to my site, and I'm able to monetize it some, I'll take a look at upgrading. One thing I know I need to do is get some professional graphics for my opt-in, and that's next on my list. Thanks for putting this list together. It's nice to have for those of us new to the blogging world so we can do it right from the start. ~Barry
  25. Ricardus says:
    WordPress by far is the best CMS in the market now. It'll make perfect sense if you really take serious in it by self hosting it.
  26. Mark says:
    Add one more Anthony...having content that is horribly organized. I have worked for companies in the past that have had websites that looked like they were organized by three year olds...no offense to three year olds. Any website should focus HEAVILY on just how user friendly it is. Not to do so is virtual suicide. Great post, friend...:) Mark
  27. Chris Wiegman says:
    Another of my favorites is where they forget it is a company blog and start giving way too much detail about their personal lives. We want to know what's going on with your product first. If we want to know what is going on with you we will friend you on Facebook.
  28. Chase Adams says:
    Good list, but I have issue with two of them: Not Deleting the Initial Blog Post. If you still have a post titled “Hello World!” please delete it. You should NEVER delete pages/posts. These get indexed pretty quickly when you install WordPress. I always suggest retitling the first post, leaving the permalink & writing about how it's your first post, what your blog is about & strikethrough the original hello world content. Only if someone really knows how to do 301 redirects with htaccess & can point the reader to a relevant page should pages & posts get deleted. Just a thought from someone who's seen it cause issues.
    • Anthony says:
      @ Chris - I guess I should have been more clear. I advise people to remove the Hello World post before they start to use the blog. If they have built a post by editing the initial post, I would not remove it, but by not removing it, the SEO value is reduced because the URL still ends in "hello-world." Of course, if they have been blogging forever and the Hello World post is indexed, I don't believe it would have that much value anyhow.
    • Don says:
      You make a good point about Google indexing the post, but simply retitling the post and neglecting the page/post name is bad form (keyword optimization, anyone?). If you do customize the page/post name, then you're in the same position as if you'd deleted the post. In fact, I'm not even sure that WordPress pings the example post. At any rate, creating a 301 for that post is a good idea, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Search, install, and activate the following plugin: Simple 301 Redirects. It's very easy to use, and it's managed via the admin. No need to fiddle with the .htaccess.