Let’s talk about websites. Many of us have them, and most small businesses owners recognize how important they are to business, but not everyone actually understands website structure and the different components.
You may be thinking to yourself, “I have someone to manage my website so I don’t have to worry about this.”
If you do that’s great, but I’ll make the argument that you still need to understand the basic parts and pieces of website structure so that you can understand what your webmaster is talking about.
A note: For our purposes we’ll be talking about sites using WordPress, since at Social Light we find it perfect for most small businesses and nearly 25% of all sites around the world use it.
Website Structure Basics
Since a lot of small business owners understand some of the aspects of a website, but struggle to put it all together, let’s compare your website to a computer in order create a clear picture.
Storage:
- On a computer the hard drive is the basic shell that holds all the information you put into it.
- On your website this is your hosting account. It’s where you put all of your website data so that it may be online and accessible to the public.
Operating System:
- On a computer many of us use Windows as a basic framework to the computer.
- On our websites we use WordPress to create the framework and establish core elements of the site.
Personalization:
- Your computer allows you to set up the display to be just the way you like it. This can include anything from having multiple monitors attached, the color or images used in the background, and even the way you display your information.
- On a website we apply a theme to WordPress in order to get this same customization. Within the theme the style sets up colors, dictates how the menu bar will appear and all the other elements that create your visual identity.
Functionality
- Once you have your computer looking good, you want it to actually work for you. So you install programs – Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, iTunes…whatever it is that you need to get the job done.
- On a website we add plugins to extend the basic functionality of a website, generally without having to do much coding. Plugins can be as simple as helping you with your reporting and analytics, or as involved as adding e-commerce capabilities.
Security
- Many of us take steps to keep our computers secure and as free of malware as possible by signing up with Norton or McAfee to keep up with the most current anti-virus software.
- Having similar protection for your website is an important step that many website owners miss. There are a variety of security plugins that are free, but if you’re willing to pay to protect your personal computer, wouldn’t you think this is just as important for your business website?
I’d recommend taking a look at a plan where you not only receive security protection, you also have someone to call if your site gets hacked. For me this is Sucuri.
Secure Connection
- Do you have a password on your wireless router? If so, you understand the need to lock down the data you’re sending around the internet. You know that if you’re not on a secure connection it’s much easier for snoops to steal info like your credit card as it moves around the internet.
- If you are collecting data through your website, you also need to have a secure connection to transmit data and that means SSL security.
Backups
- To anyone out there who has ever lost an entire day trying to restore their computer, you know the importance of backing up your data. While it’s never fun to have to go through the process of restoring your computer, it’s a heck of a lot better than starting from scratch.
- Now apply that to your website. On the chance your site gets hacked, a server goes down, or some other act of God happens, I guarantee your stress level will go down if you have access to a clean version of your website.
Cloud storage is just as important for your website as your computer, so install a backup program and make sure you’re saving a version somewhere other than your host account.
Maintenance
- Our computers need to be updated, and they tell us when that needs to happen. It’s usually a not so subtle message you get when you try and shut down: “Do not turn off your computer, installing update 1 of 15.”
- Websites don’t force you to do updates, which quite frankly is what gets many people into trouble. Just like your computer needs security patches and the latest program enhancements, WordPress itself, your theme, and plugins will all have updates. There will be a visual notification when you are logged into the WordPress dashboard, but if you ignore it you’re opening yourself up to a security breech, or errors in functionality. It’s a good idea to do maintenance at least once a month, or find someone to manage maintenance for you, if this goes beyond your comfort level.
So that’s it your website structure in a nutshell. Simple right?
The truth is that this is a super simplified look at website structure. If you’ve had a business website you know that there are many more considerations to keep in mind. My personal philosophy is to think of your website as a member of your team. You need to keep an eye on it, to keep it performing at it’s best, but it can help you tackle sales, customer service and a host of other business functions.
Have more questions on website structure? Shoot us a line and let us help!
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