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25 Jun 2022

SEMRush Review: Does It Live Up To The Hype?

Semrush was founded by two SEO enthusiasts, Dmitri Melnikov and Oleg Shchegolev. They were interested in new technologies and industry developments, and they want to make a tool that would identify industry best practices and market trends. 

The Boston-based company has undergone a few name changes since it started in 2008. It began life as Seodigger, then SeoQuake Company, followed by SEMrush, which was then rebranded to Semrush in 2020. 

Today, the Semrush platform offers a number of different tools to help businesses build their online presence. You can conduct keyword research and leverage online ranking data, including metrics like cost per click (CPC) and search volume. You can also view information about online keywords gathered from Bing and Google. 

Some of the main features of the Semrush tool include:

  • Content explorer
  • Keyword click analysis
  • Site audits
  • Keyword research
  • Backlink analysis
  • Competitor analysis
  • Domain authority tracking
  • Google rank tracking 

Semrush is trusted by Internet marketers all over the world. Businesses, big and small, use this tool, including IBM, Forbes, Samsung, Amazon, and Apple. That’s quite the client base! But is it the right tool for you?

In this review, I will reveal everything you need to know about Semrush (the good and the bad), so you can determine whether or not this platform aligns with your goals and needs, or whether other helpful tools would be better suited.

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#1: Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
✔ One of the most intensive keyword research tools available today ✖ The interface can be quite intimidating for beginners
✔ Learn more about your visitors with detailed data ✖ Sheer number of tools can be overwhelming if you are just getting started
✔ Identify spammy links that are causing harm to your website with the backlink audit tool

#2: Features

There is only one place to begin, and this is with the number of SEO tools that are available. With so many to choose from, it can be difficult to know where to begin, but I will talk you through some of the main choices:

A local SEO listing management module

This module uses local tracking, rankings, and other areas, including customer review management and local heat maps, to help you to manage your local SEO presence. However, you should be aware that these features do come at an added cost.

Nevertheless, for local businesses, I would certainly recommend them. You can ensure you stay visible with business listings in top directories. Some of the top features here include:

  • Google Business Profile Integration, enabling you to sync your data with local listings and Facebook
  • Ensure your customers always find you with over 70 local directories
  • Automatic NAP management across all listings 

You can also leverage tools to help you outsmart the competition, including tracking keywords from any postcode, checking your keyword optimisation and voice search, and investigating your local rivals in Google Maps.

A complete content marketing platform

You can make the most of an excellent content marketing platform, which not only audits your own content but the competition’s content as well. You can track posts, as well as work with SEO templates. Plus, you can discover the best topics to research further.

What I enjoy about Semrush’s content marketing platform is that it breaks down your content marketing efforts into simple steps that are easy to follow:

  1. Find a topic that will drive competition 
  2. Create a plan and track progress in real-time
  3. Prepare a brief and get a tailored template for search-friendly and optimised content
  4. Write and optimise text, checking the originality and SEO potential of your text in real-time
  5. Assess mentions and evaluate your brand presence
  6. Measure the results of your content in terms of traffic, search rankings, and social engagement
  7. Improve your content by discovering what resonates well with your audience 

Highly advanced reports

Semrush makes it easy to compile advanced reports, which you can then send to other stakeholders in your business or your clients. These reports include options for scheduling, branding, and labelling.

“My Reports” is the name of the advanced reporting tool that you can use to create PDF reports from scratch. With this tool, you can integrate data from a wide range of software, not only Semrush tools but also Google My Business, Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and much more.

You can use suggested templates or create reports from scratch. You can also create white-label and branded customisable reports using the Agency Growth Kit. 

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Project management

You can also put together marketing plans with project management features. This makes it easy to develop a strategy for checking and tracking keywords, as well as evaluating a broad assortment of other elements of your brand, for example, search engine results and your social profiles. 

With Semrush Projects, it is possible to set up 11 different tools to assess all elements of the online visibility of your business. You can also track progress while you are completing your work with graphics and email reports in every project tool.

Competitive analysis 

Competitive analysis makes the most of elements such as competitor benchmarking, traffic, and market exploration. 

Here are some of the options you can expect in this toolkit:

  • Social Media Tracker – Monitor the social media activities of your competitors. See what your rivals are trying to trigger in terms of people’s interests on social media. Enhance your own strategy by assessing the top-performing content of the competition.
  • Post Tracking – Track the performance of your competitors’ articles and your articles across the main social networks. Monitor the performance of external articles posted by your rivals by month or day. Watch the backlinks and rankings of your articles and your competitors’ articles. 
  • Topic Research – Determine which topics are the most searched and shared with just one click. Specify the domains of your competition to see the subjects they have covered already. Analyse related searches to understand user intent.
  • Brand Monitoring – Use smart mentions tracking to keep an eye on the online reputation of your competition. Assess the efficiency of your PR campaigns and your rivals’ campaigns. Check the authority of their referring domains.
  • PLA Research – Uncover your greatest competition in Google Shopping. Find out what keywords are resulting in their products appearing in the Google Shopping results and discover how they market and price their items. 
  • Display Advertising – Assess the banners and texts your competitors are utilising. Find out more about the publishers in your niche that are the most influential. Get ideas for your ad campaigns on your mobile and desktop. 
  • Advertising Research – Find out more about your main paid search competitors. Study the composition of their ad texts and discover what keywords they are placing bids on.
  • Backlink Gap – Discover whether websites are linking to the competition but not linking to your website. Compare your backlink profile against your biggest rivals. Get a list of domains that you should be targeting in your link-building efforts. 
  • Backlink Analytics – Carry out an in-depth analysis of your competition’s backlinks. Exploring their TLD distribution, IPs, and referring domains. Watch your rivals’ lost links to find link-building opportunities. 
  • Keyword Gap – Discover the target keywords your competition is using that you may have overlooked. Find keywords for your PLA, Google Ads, and SEO campaigns, and uncover keyword opportunities to enhance your ROI.
  • Organic Research – You can find out about the most successful SEO practices used by the competition and break down their keyword strategies. Understand which domains you are competing against for the top Google positions. 
  • Market Explorer – Learn about your competitors’ shares and total market traffic trends. Find leads and prospects for your business. You can also discover the market’s leading players and benchmark companies’ growth dynamics and performance across digital marketing channels. Get the picture regarding in-market demographics and audience interests.
  • Traffic Analytics – Discover where your rivals are concentrating their marketing efforts. Assess their regional presence and discover their website’s lead-gen sources, audiences, and traffic.

As you can see, there is an impressive array of tools you can use to truly understand the competition and ensure you outperform them.

Keyword and domain analytics 

Leverage keyword metrics and historical data, which are updated on a frequent basis. This helps you to determine SEO trends that are relevant to your business.

Their domain overview gives you the power to get a full overview of any domain and its online visibility. You can discover what keywords are bringing the most traffic from paid and organic channels, as well as discover the markets whereby that domain has top representation. It’s also easy to assess the growth trend of a domain over time.

You can also compare domains, with the possibility to compare up to five competitors in one report. Simply select domain type, i.e. subfolder, subdomain, or root domain, and use key metrics to compare. 

The Semrush growth report is one of the best features. You can get all of the key data regarding the growth trend of a domain in one place. Assess the progress of backlinks, paid traffic, and organic traffic for a certain period, i.e. one year or three months. You can export this with ease to csv or xls. 

Finally, another highlight is being able to compare the paid and organic performance of a domain in various countries. See the organic share a domain has for specific markets so you can determine which locations require more of your attention.

#3: Ease of Use

With so many different modules and features, a lot of people are overwhelmed by Semrush. They simply don’t know where to begin! This is understandable if you don’t have much experience. 

However, Semrush has done a good job of trying to make it as easy and logical as possible. Just like competing projects Ahrefs and Moz, Semrush has a menu of options on the left that you can use to find any tool you need, from link building to competitive research.

But, of course, I cannot lie and say there is not a lot of data to contend with. There is plenty! Semrush does provide data visualisation, which does help to ease the feeling of being overloaded. Graphs and useful graphics make the data much easier to digest. 

I would say that it’s a bit challenging to use this tool on a mobile, tough. With so much going on, a desktop is definitely the way to go. There is a lot of zooming and pinching on a smaller device. 

There is a Semrush mobile app available, though, yet you do not get all of the Semrush features, so do keep this in mind.

#4: Customer Support

As you will know from all of my reviews, both my hosting reviews and website builder reviews, customer support is something I value highly.

Plus, when you consider how many different tools and features Semrush provides, you see why it is imperative for there to be good customer support. It would be incredibly frustrating if you were not able to get a helping hand when required!

The good news is that customer support is one area whereby Semrush really does shine. 

There are three different support options:

  • Live chat
  • Email
  • Phone 

It really does not get much better than this. A lot of the other SEO tools do not provide phone support. In fact, Moz does not even provide live chat. 

Every time I have had an interaction with the support team, it has been positive. They have answered my query quickly and given me the help needed, so I really cannot have any complaints when it comes to this part of their service.

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#5: App Centre

There is also an App Centre on Semrush, which enables you to extend the functionality of the tool even further. There are heaps of apps across different categories for you to make the most of. 

You will have to pay an extra cost per month to use these apps, so make sure you only really go for those you need. The good news is that most of them come with a free trial or demo, so you can try them before you buy.

Apps are separated into the following categories: for small businesses, for agencies, e-commerce, content creation, monitoring, social media, competitive research, and keyword research. So, you should have no trouble finding the app for you.

#6: Pricing

There is no denying that Semrush is one of the more expensive tools on the market today, especially at first glance. However, when you take a look at the value and what you are actually getting for your money, you realise that you do get a lot of bang for your buck, as the saying goes.

Pro Plan

Cost: £79.20 per month

This plan is designed for smaller businesses and start-ups.

Guru Plan

Cost: £157.70 per month

This plan is designed for medium-sized businesses and agencies.

Business Plan

Cost: £316.94 per month

This plan is designed for e-commerce operations, large businesses, and agencies.

Enterprise Plan

Custom pricing 

This plan is for rapidly scaling, large brands.

It is worth pointing out that you can save 16 per cent on the prices above if you make payments per year instead of per month. 

I would also highly recommend trying out the free trial before you buy so you can make sure this is the tool for you!

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Optional add-ons

There are some extra costs you may want to consider:

  • Premium local listing management – This is priced at £31.70 per month for everything you get in the basic plan, as well as local heat mapping and the ability to respond to customer reviews.
  • Basic local listing management – This costs £15.85 per month for distributing company information and more.
  • Competitive intelligence – This costs £15.85 per month for analytics relating to your traffic, a market explore, and more, 
  • Extra users – This starts at £55.47 per user, per month. 

#7: Summary

When it comes to SEO tools, you will struggle to find one that is more comprehensive than Semrush. If you are looking to improve your online presence, I highly recommend this platform. From competitor analysis to local optimisation, it contains all of the features and elements you need to take your business to the very top.

Of course, in return for all of this, you will need to pay a premium for this service. However, it’s well worth it in terms of what you get in return, in my opinion. Nonetheless, there are going to be some cases whereby Semrush is simply too comprehensive for your requirements and so you would end up paying for lots of features you do not really need.

FAQ about Semrush

  • Does Semrush integrate with Shopify? Yes. In fact, you can build Shopify and Semrush automation to streamline processes.
  • Is Semrush better than Moz? It all depends on what you are primarily using the tool for. Some elements on Moz are better, whereas other features are better on Semrush.
  • Who is the owner of Semrush? The owner and CEO of Semrush is Oleg Shchegolev.
  • Is Semrush free? There is the option to use Semrush for free, yet functionality is limited.
  • What is Semrush used for? Semrush is an all-in-one tool that is used to discover market insights and boost online visibility. The tools and reports available help marketers that work in SEO, campaign management, marketing insights, content marketing, PR, competitive research, keyword research, SMM, and PPC.

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25 Apr 2022

How to Build a Non Profit Website

No matter what type of non-profit you run, it is important to have an online presence so that you can reach people and get your message out. However, if you have never created a website before, you may be feeling at a bit of a loss. Don’t panic, though, as I am going to take you through how to build a non-profit website in this guide. 

Why does your non-profit need a website?

In the current day and age, most for-profit business owners assume that a website is a must-have. However, a lot of non-profits view it as an unnecessary expense. This is not the case. With low-cost website builders available and millions of people to reach online, it really does make sense to establish an online presence.

The truth is, no matter what type of non-profit organisation you run, a website is a must. There are so many benefits associated with establishing yourself online. 

Reach a huge number of people

Firstly, let’s state the obvious; you will reach more potential volunteers and acquire more donations. Think about it; way over 4.9 billion people use the web. Just think about all of the opportunities you are potentially missing out on by not having a website in place. 

Boost the value of your organization

A website can also help you to boost the organisation’s value. The value of your non-profit will go up in everyone’s eyes; not only your customers, but other enterprises too. You may find it easier to secure finance from the bank, for example, as your site boosts your credibility. 

Compete with bigger charities and organizations 

Effective websites also give small charities the ability to compete with the big names out there. A stunning website with a solid strategy behind it can ensure you gain attention and are competitive. It also gives you a voice and opens you up to a whole new world of marketing that would not have existed before.

Choose your domain name 

Your domain name is the one thing that you will have to live with for a long time. Everything else can be changed easily and quickly, but once you have chosen your domain name and purchased the web address, and once people begin to know what you are called, changing the site name is a hassle you probably won’t want to have to deal with. So getting it right at the beginning is the best idea. 

The first thing you need to think about when choosing a domain name is your brand. If you can have a name that matches, then that is great, but if that name is already taken you will have to do some lateral thinking. As long as what you choose is brandable, then it should work well. 

But, it also needs to link to what cause you are supporting or what service you are providing in order to be more memorable. Long charity web names are harder to remember than short ones, so you will want to think of something catchy that is also easy to spell. A difficult word will produce frustration and lead your customers to either a 404 page, or, worse, a competitor!

Check out my guide on how to get a free domain name so that you can purchase your charity URL without spending a penny.

Select a good website builder and start building your site

Next, you need a good website builder. I have compared the top 10 website builders in the UK so that you can get a better understanding of the different options that are available to you. 

Using a website builder makes a lot of sense because this is a great way for you to keep your costs low. Hiring a professional website developer can cost huge sums of money. With a website builder, you have a fixed monthly cost, so it is a lot more affordable. 

The best website builders today will have non-profit and charity templates so that you can choose something that fits your brand best. 

Some of the different website builders that I would recommend you check out for your non-profit are as follows:

  1. Wix

There is only one place to begin, and this is with Wix. Wix is highly professional but it is easy to use at the same time. The drag-and-drop builder means you can create your website within minutes, and it is easy to see the changes you are making in real-time. There are also more than 500 themes for you to select from, so you should have no trouble finding the perfect theme for your non-profit. Check out my Wix review for more information.

  1. Site123

Another option work considering is Site123. This is a great site builder for beginners. If you do not consider yourself very tech-savvy, you should not have much trouble with Site123, I assure you! This is not a drag-and-drop builder of the traditional sense. You can use the pre-existing templates to quickly get up and running. There is a free plan available, but I would always advise going for a paid plan, otherwise, you will have the website builder’s branding on your site. This applies to every free plan, not just the one offered by Site123. Check out my Site123 review for more information.

  1. Weebly

Weebly is a website builder that offers marketing features and great templates for you to choose from. There is something for everyone on Weebly, and it is pretty easy to get the hang of. In terms of simplicity, Weebly is right up there, which means it is good for some users but lacking for others. It all depends on what you are looking for. Check out my Weebly review for more information. 

  1. Squarespace

Next, Squarespace is another website builder that I rate highly, and you can check out my Squarespace review for full information on this platform. This is another drag-and-drop site builder, and I must admit that it is very enjoyable to use. You can really customize your website well if you go for Squarespace, and that is the main selling point for me. You get access to more than 600 Google fonts, as well as over 1000 Typekit fonts. This merely scratches the surface. You certainly won’t end up with a generic website that looks the same as the rest. 

  1. Jimdo

Finally, I would also recommend that you check out Jimdo. Again, you can read my Jimdo review in full to find out more about this platform. There are two options when creating a website on Jimdo. The first is Jimdo Creator, which puts control and creativity in your hands. The second option is Jimdo Dolphin, which uses ADI technology so that the process of making a website is basically done for you. You answer some questions, a website is created, and then you can tweak it if you wish to do so. 

Choose a good website host

You also need to make sure that you have a good website host. A web host is essentially a place where all of your website files live. It is the home of your website, so to speak! Now, some website builders and domain services come with web hosting. However, you may prefer to choose a different web host, as you may prefer a faster service with better security. You can take a look at my hosting reviews to get a better understanding of the different options that are available. 

Some of my favourite hosting platforms are as follows:

Hostinger 

Founded in 2004, Hostinger is one of the best options to consider if you are looking for an affordable host. The servers are fast and you get a good amount of storage. Other benefits include unlimited bandwidth, Google Ads credit, and a free email. You can read my Hostinger review for more information about this web host.

BlueHost

Next, we have one of the oldest web hosting companies around, and this is BlueHost, which was established back in 1996. BlueHost is certainly one of the fastest hosts available today. They also provide excellent support, which is available 24/7. You can contact a customer representative view live chat, email, or telephone. If you would like to find out more, simply read my BlueHost review for more information. 

HostGator

If you have not quite found the ideal web host for you yet, HostGator is another worthy contender. Again, you can read my HostGator review for more in-depth information. There are a number of different plans available, yet the Baby Plan is the most popular. With this, you will get unlimited bandwidth and storage, as well as unlimited email, shared SSL, unlimited FTP accounts, unlimited MySQL databases, and instant backups. 

Make sure your non-profit website is responsive 

‘Responsive web design’ is an approach that is extremely important. This type of web design is centered on providing the user with an optimal viewing experience. Irrespective of whether the user is viewing your website on a smartphone, PC, or tablet – easy navigation and enjoyable viewing is a must. 

When you consider that most people use their smartphones to browse the web, it is not hard to see why your non-profit website must function effectively on a smaller device. 

What are the benefits of launching a responsively driven website?

  • Increase your reach – One of the main benefits associated with this approach is that you will increase your reach to those who use the Internet on their mobile phones and tablets. This is particularly important when you consider the fact that the popularity of both devices is soaring at present.
  • Improved SEO – SEO, otherwise known as Search Engine Optimization, will improve if you opt for this type of web design. Why? Well, because you only have to create one website, this means you only need to optimize the content or build links for one site. In addition to this, your URL structure will be consistent for all devices. This will increase your ranking and consequently improve your visibility on search engines.
  • Cost efficiency – This point is pretty self-explanatory. It costs a lot less to build and maintain one website than it does to create multiple versions suited to each device – which is what you would be likely to do if you did not opt for a responsive web design.
  • Increase interest and donations – This is arguably the most important point of them all. Problems with viewing and navigation are one of the main reasons for a high bounce rate. If an individual encounters problems whilst they are browsing on your website they are likely to abandon their viewing. Responsive web design decreases the chances of this occurring dramatically.

What makes a successful responsive website design?

There are a lot of key components that go into creating a successful responsive website design. Optimizing your images is one of the most important things. Images are one of the biggest issues related to slow page loading. 

You should also enable compression. This reduces the number of bytes a page is sending across the network by compressing all of your resources. 

Unnecessary page elements must be excluded and you have to pick your hosting solution with great care as well.

Make sure your website is clear

Clarity is the essence of effective website building. It doesn’t matter what your website is supporting: if it isn’t clear and simple to find the information a potential customer wants, they’ll go away.

So, ask yourself; what aspects of your website are most critical? Most importantly, you need to make an impression on your audience with a strong and clear message. What are you offering and why are you better than your competitors? So, where does your money go? What cause are you helping? Why should people trust you with their donations? 

Your homepage is the best tool you’ve got to create an engaging image of your charity and, as such, you should pay close attention to it. It needs to be eye-catching whilst delivering an accurate representation of your non-profit. 

Some of the worst websites you see every day contain all the information they need to, but it’s so cluttered that no one sticks around to find what they’re looking for. 

After a clear message, another critical element is clarity of navigation throughout your website. The best websites are intuitive, anticipating where their visitors will want to go next. Without a basic structure that makes sense, your potential supporters won’t bother trying to find what they’re looking for. 

Look for a website design builder that offers good support

Earlier, I mentioned some of my favourite website builders, and before you select one, I always recommend you check out the support that is offered. While many may believe that web design begins and ends with receiving a commission to build a website and finishing the website, that should never be the case.

Web design/development is never a process that just finishes – it’s an ongoing process that involves support and re-building when necessary. 

So, you need to make sure that the web builder is going to offer you proper web support. Good support doesn’t just consist of dealing with problems when they arise; it’s also about making the most of reporting and analytics so you can make sure your website is helping drive desired results. 

Non-profits have so much to deal with, so it can be easy to fall behind when it comes to the best web design practice. Good support isn’t just responsive in the face of emergencies; it’s an ongoing line of communication.

Market your non-profit effectively

Marketing your non-profit brand always begins with choosing the right brand name, otherwise, you could end up going through an extensive process, which Google only makes more difficult. As mentioned earlier, you need to choose a domain name with care. Make sure it is catchy, contains your keywords, and is easy to remember. Don’t knock off another company either!

Did you know that having a blog on your website can increase traffic to your site by boosting search engine optimisation? Fresh content is how Google thrives, and the more new content you put on your website, the higher you’ll find yourself in the rankings. 

A blog is the easiest way to ensure that you have new daily, weekly, or monthly information on your site – and using outbound links (as well as backlinks to your own content) will boost you even more. But, it’s not just about the search engines. 

As any web design expert will tell you, having a blog is a great way to develop relationships between you and your potential and current supporters. It offers them an insight into how you work, allows them to comment and get involved, and blog posts are ideal for sharing on social media, which gets your name out there and pushes it further than it might otherwise be able to go.

If your blog is full of helpful, interesting information, then that’s where people will visit first, and each person who visits the blog is a potential supporter of your cause. 

Manage your online content with a CMS

Content is imperative for non-profits, as it helps you to reach new people, explain your cause, and gather momentum. However, it can be difficult to manage your online content, which is why a CMS is highly recommended. 

What is a CMS?

CMS, which stands for Content Management System, is a term used to describe an application that enables various users with different permission levels to take advantage of capabilities regarding the management of content and information or data related to a website project.

Content management system integration has become a pivotal part of web development, which isn’t surprising when you consider the imperative role content plays online today. 

Let’s begin by taking a look at the demand for content management systems in the present day. This has come about by a change in the way that websites are developed. Initially, developers would create a website by using an FTP program to generate pages on their local computers. They would move the files to their server, which then made them available via the site. The process would be started again whenever alterations were needed. However, things have become a lot more efficient in recent times.

Issues came about when websites went beyond the conventional brochure-ware designs, and started to delve into live communities, fresh material, and dynamic content. Websites needed to be updated every day, and the previous process did not allow for it. Now, the automatic updating of content through RSS feeds and the ability for different people to add content is imperative. This is why a CMS is now a vital tool for all web developers.

Reasons why non-profits need to use content management systems

Now you know how the demand for CMS came about, so let’s take a look at the benefits of content management systems in further detail below. 

Manage your marketing campaign under one roof 

The best content management systems give you the ability to manage your online marketing strategy via one dashboard. Most systems have numerous tools for SEO, blogging, social media marketing, and email marketing. You can also use these systems to store member information, collect donations and fees, and generate event registration forms.

A complete overhaul won’t be required when re-designing your website

Another benefit of CMS is the fact that the content is going to be separate from the design of your website. This means that you can change the look of your website with ease. You simply lift off the old design and replace it with a new one. Your content will not be impacted.

CMS facilitates collaboration 

It is widely agreed that enhanced collaboration is vital for non-profit efficiency nowadays, and CMS helps you to achieve this. You can facilitate the collaborative efforts of your staff in regards to the creation, edit, and approval of content before it is published. You can also include a workflow engine.

Fresh content will improve your search engine visibility

Of course, one of the most crucial reasons to invest in CMS is because you will be able to produce regular, fresh content with ease. From news pieces to expert commentary and tips, you will be able to cover it all. If you update your content frequently, you will perform better on search engine results, and you will appear more active to your customers.

My main tips for an effective non-profit website

I hope you now feel more comfortable about the steps you need to take if you are wondering how to build a non-profit website. But before I round up, I will give you some helpful tips on how to create an effective non-profit website:

  • Use inspiration – There is only one place to begin, and this is by taking a look at other websites. This does not mean that you should simply copy what others are doing. However, if you take a look at the non-profit and charity websites that are out there at the moment, you will get a feel for what works and what does not. You will get a feel for what you like and what you don’t. 
  • Find a good website builder – Your website is only going to be as good as the software that you have used to create it. If you are raising money, you will want a website builder that makes it easy to get donations. There are then other website builders that are better suited to sites that are not designed for online donations but are purely there for information purposes. 
  • Add value – A good website is one that adds value. For example, let’s say that you are trying to raise money for children with learning difficulties. Why not provide insight into learning difficulties? With permission, you could add videos of the children to give insight. 
  • Do test your website – Another important part of the process when it comes to creating any website, not just a non-profit website, is to test it. You want to make sure that it works correctly before it goes live. You should also enlist the help of friends and family members who you can trust to give an honest opinion. You can use their feedback to find out not only if the website looks good, but also if it is something that they enjoyed using and if they knew exactly what to do and where to go when they landed on your website. Ease of navigation is pivotal.
  • Don’t overcomplicate things – Minimalism is the way forward. Less is more when it comes to website design.
  • Don’t use common stock images – Stock photographs have their place in website design and they can be very useful. However, when it comes to charity causes, authenticity is so important. If you use stock images that are displayed all over the web, you are only going to dilute your brand and reduce the effectiveness of what you are trying to achieve. Whenever you can, it is a good idea to use original photographs. If this is not possible, take the time to source stock photographs from underused sources. It may even be worth paying for photographs so that you can make sure they are less commonly used.
  • Make sure your website is responsive – Last but not least, it is pivotal to make sure that your website is responsive. In the current day and age, most people access the Internet via their mobile phones. If they cannot view your website correctly, it is going to cause them to leave your site and look elsewhere, which is the last thing you want. Instead, you need to make sure that your website functions fully and looks great on a smaller screen. You will also need to tweak your SEO strategy to suit mobile as well.

Final words on how to build a non-profit website

I hope that you have found this guide helpful on how to build a non-profit website. You may feel quite overwhelmed by the process. However, if you follow the step by step process mentioned above, you should end up with an effective and impactful website that helps you to reach followers for your cause. 

FAQ about how to build a non-profit website

I often get asked questions about how to build a non-profit website, so below, I will answer some of the most common ones to give you a better understanding:

How much does it cost to build a site for a non-profit?

The cost depends on how you go about building your non-profit website. If you use one of the website builders mentioned above, you will pay a monthly fee. However, if you pay for a professional to build your website, you can pay anywhere from $500 to $50,000, or in some cases, even more! 

How do you create an amazing non-profit website?

Here are some of my tips for creating an amazing non-profit website: 

  • Link your website to your social media profiles 
  • Make your site responsive
  • Incorporate visual storytelling
  • Make it easy to recruit volunteers 
  • Make your website donor-friendly 
  • Use content to attract supports
  • Make your mission clear and apparent 

What should a non-profit website include? 

Some of the most important elements of a non-profit website include the likes of financial transparency, responsive design, individual staff pages, social media links, and a streamlined donation page. 

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17 Mar 2022

How To Make A Gaming Website With WordPress

Are you wondering how to make a gaming website with WordPress? The gaming sphere is thriving at the moment, and if this is something you are passionate about, you may want to create your own website.

There are many different types of gaming websites that you could create. This includes the following:

  • Gaming websites where you can sell different products
  • Gaming cheat code websites
  • Forums for passionate gamers
  • A gaming blog where you can share your thoughts and opinions
  • Websites where you can actually play games

No matter what sort of gaming website you want to make, read on to discover how to make a gaming website with WordPress below.

A checklist of everything you are going to need to create a gaming website

There are a number of different things that you will require to make a gaming website:

  1. A domain name i.e. the URL for your gaming website
  2. A web host
  3. A WordPress theme
  4. WordPress plugins
  5. An SSL certificate
  6. Market your gaming website

If you are feeling perplexed already, don’t be. I will take you through all of the steps on how to make a gaming website with WordPress below.

Choose a domain name

The first thing you will need to do for your WordPress website is select a domain name.

On a basic level, your website simply won’t work without a domain name. You need to have an address that people can type in to get to your website.

However, your domain name is actually so much more than this. It adds credibility to your gaming business. Plus, you can build your brand and online presence with an effective domain name.

There are a number of different places where you can purchase a domain name today, so I will talk you through some of the various options.

  1. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is the obvious place to start, and I am sure most of you will have heard of this company. Founded by Bob Parsons back in 1997, it was actually known as Jomax Technologies back then!

There are a number of different services offered by GoDaddy, however, domain name registration is one of the most popular. In fact, GoDaddy is the world’s biggest domain name registrar, with more than 73 million domain names managed by GoDaddy.

One thing that I would like to point out about registering a domain name with GoDaddy is that it is a lot cheaper for your first year and then it does end up getting more expensive during the second year, so do keep this in mind so you can have a full understanding of the costs overall.

GoDaddy provides outstanding customer support, which is one area where they do really shine, offering phone support and live chat support. Both are available 24/7.

  1. NameCheap

NameCheap manages more than seven million domains, and the company has won sveeral awards over the years. In fact, it was name the Best Domain Name Register by Lifehacker – quite the feat, right?

I can see why Lifehacker rates NameCheap so highly. You can benefit from a wide range of services and features that go beyond domain name registration, for example, app integration, SSL certificates, email, and domain transfers.

In terms of support, the options available include live chat and an email ticketing system. The knowledge base on the website is pretty extensive as well.

One of the great things about this service is that it is one of the most affordable, as the name indicates!

  1. Domain.com

Another place where you can purchase a domain name is domain.com – great domain choice, hey!

This business was found over two decades ago, and it is owned by the Endurance International Group.

The company provides a number of different services, including a wide range of hosting places.

The customer support is also excellent, which is a recurring theme I am glad to see with all of the top domain companies.

One thing that I do really like about domain.com is that they provide a domain privacy protection service. This does cost an extra £7.12 per annum, but it may be something you are interested in for that added peace of mind.

Select a web host

You also need a web host and the good news is that I have reviewed all of the best web hosts for you.

A web hosting service provider, often shortened to a web host, is a company that gives you the services and technologies that are required for a webpage or a website to be viewed via the Internet. Websites are stored (hosted) on servers, which are basically special computers.

There are so many different web hosting providers to choose from today, and this can make it incredibly difficult for businesses to narrow down their search effectively and find the best host for them. That’s why I create this website to begin with!

Here are some of the common mistakes I see people make when it comes to web hosting…

Not making the effort to communicate with tech support before handing over your money

One of the biggest mistakes that business owners make today is signing up for a web host without making an effort to connect with their support department beforehand.

Make sure you choose a host that provides 24/7 support. You should not settle for anything else. You should also make sure that the company is easy to get in touch with. Try out the live chat or give them a call to see if they answer promptly and how helpful they are.

You want to have the peace of mind knowing that any issues with your website will be dealt with quickly and efficiently. The last thing you want is to have a website that has shut down and no method of getting it back up and running again.

Failing to read reviews that have been left by industry experts

Another way that businesses go wrong when it comes to web hosting is failing to read reviews that have been left by industry experts.

Yes, there are great customer reviews on independent websites, and these are helpful. However, they need to be teamed with unbiased information that has been provided by those in the know.

Now, I am not one to blow my own trumpet, as they say, but I have tested and reviewed all of the main web hosts, so you can find all of the information you need.

Here are some reviews to help you get started:

Choosing a free host or going for the cheapest host that is available

It is understandable why you would do this. After all, we all want to keep our expenses as low as possible.

Nevertheless, this sort of approach could end up costing you much more money in the long run because of the lack of quality you are going to experience. If you were to choose a free hosting provider, you can expect all of the following issues…

  • The web host provider is likely to put unsolicited ads from third parties on your website.
  • You may not have the option to run specific scripts for animation or video.
  • One day, randomly, you may receive a warning message from your web host saying that your website has been closed down.
  • You will never know when or why the server went down. With a free service, you are merely a silent spectator and you have no real control over your website.
  • The website hosting company may not respond to any of your concerns or issues in a timely manner, or at all.
  • You will probably not have any leverage to build up or scale up your site in the way you want to.
  • When it comes to search engine result pages, you won’t get the same level of importance as other websites do.

Not understanding how your web host impacts your SEO efforts

Today, there are more factors that influence your search engine rankings than ever before. This is because all of the search engines have made a dedicated effort to ensure that their results are as user-friendly as possible. Because of this, your choice of hosting provider actually has a massive impact on your SEO efforts.

If you have issues with your website hosting, it can eradicate all of the good search engine optimisation work that you have done so far. There are a number of problems that can cause the credibility of your website to suffer both in the eyes of your viewers and the search engine bots. This includes the likes of slow site speed, database connection problems, and shared hosting that features spam sites of a terrible quality.

If that was not bad enough, you could even result in de-indexing your site in Google with exceeded bandwidth limit, prolonged runtime errors, and internal server errors.

Don’t underestimate the sheer power your web host has. Your decision is going to have a monumental impact on your overall web presence, which is why it needs to be considered so carefully.

As you can see, there are many different ways that you can go wrong when it comes to website hosting. With so many hosting providers to choose from, it is easy to see why you would end up simply going for the first or cheapest web host you find.

After all, a lot of people do not tend to realise that there can be a massive difference in terms of quality and services provided by all web hosts. Hopefully, you can now understand why careful consideration and research are a necessity.

Choose the best WordPress theme for your gaming website

Next on the list is a great WordPress theme. Your theme dictates the look and feel of your website, and so you will want to make sure you choose something that has the right appearance for a gaming website, right?

This does not necessarily mean you have to choose a gaming theme, as these can often be bloated with too many unnecessary features and they sometimes even have compatibility issues. It can often be a lot better to simply go for a standard theme, which has the sort of colours and style you want.

Once you have done this, you can then use plug-ins to add all of the features you want your website to have.

The type of theme you go for will really depend on the sort of gaming website you want to create. Magazine themes tend to work very well.

Make the most of WordPress plugins

There is no denying that one of the best things about WordPress is the wealth of different plug-ins that are available.

The good thing about the plugins on WordPress is that most of them are available free of charge.

With that in mind, continue reading to discover everything you need to know about the best free WordPress plugins for your gaming website.

Yoast 

This is most people’s pick for the best plugin on WordPress, and it is not difficult to see why! One of the most critical things you need to do for your gaming site is to ensure that it is optimised for the search engine result pages.

You are going to increase your chances of ranking high if you ensure all of your blog posts have been optimised in terms of readability and keywords. This is exactly what Yoast is here to assist with.

It gives you tips on improving your gaming site in many different ways, including checking your keywords and how easy your blog posts are to read.

BuddyPress

Forums are commonly found on gaming websites, and this is something you may want to add to your own gaming website.

A forum can act as a discussion board, where people can ask and answer questions, as well as sharing tips about certain games.

A forum will make your visitors feel like they are part of your gaming site, and this works incredibly well for your engagement rates.

Elementor

This is another plugin that I definitely recommend downloading.

You often want to create sales pages and landing pages when you make a site so that you can attract more consumers and promote your items. With this plugin, you will have the power to add pages and design pages without any experience.

It also comes with a WYSIWYG editor, which means you can drag and drop elements to create your own unique pages.

It has never been easier to give your gaming site a unique feel, which matches your brand, without having to spend money on a developer.

Ninja Forms 

The third and final free plugin that I definitely recommend downloading is Ninja forms.

There are a number of different types of forms that you may require for your gaming site. This includes registration forms, as well as upload forms, submission forms, and contact forms.

Ninja Forms will give you all of this. It is a powerful, all-in-one plug-in, which enables you to create any sort of form you need. The great thing about this plug-in is that it is really easy to use. You can use different fields to build unique forms. You are also able to connect with MailChimp so that you can build your email list.

Download an SSL certificate for your website

The next piece of the puzzle is to make sure that your website is secure, and this is where an SSL certificate comes in.

If you have never heard of an SSL certificate before, this is a type of code on your website server that will make sure that your online communications are secure.

When a web browser contacts your secure site, the SSL certificate will create an encrypted connection.

So, why does your gaming website need an SSL certificate?

  • This is vital in terms of protecting your data
  • SSL will affirm your identity
  • You can satisfy PCI/DSS requirements
  • Better search engine ranking
  • You can enhance consumer trust

Market your gaming website effectively

You can create the most visually impressive website on the Internet, but if you do not get any traffic, what’s the point? Marketing your gaming website is a must.

Here are some of my favoured marketing approaches for gaming websites:

SEO

There is only one place to begin when it comes to marketing your gaming website, and this is with SEO.

There are many different strategies you can use here, which can help you to climb up the search engine result pages and gain more exposure.

Make sure you naturally incorporate keywords into all of your content. Link building is also imperative when it comes to SEO.

Streaming

Make the most of gaming streaming platforms, like Twitch. We’re sure you already know about these thriving gaming communities, and you need to be involved in them to get the word out about your website.

Video

The power of video should not be underestimated. Product videos can increase sales and conversions, especially in the gaming market.

The statistics regarding this vary, but there have been accounts online whereby people have reported an increase in sales by as much as 144 per cent by incorporating videos.

Product videos are not the only options you have available to you; you can also use videos that introduce your brand, as well as testimonial videos too.

Social media

You should also make your mark on social media. From Twitter to Facebook, there are a lot of great social media platforms that enable you to engage with people and build your brand. Why not run a competition to drum up interest in your gaming website?

Live chat

Another way to boost your website and your sales is to embrace the live chat feature. More and more companies are going down this route, and they are reaping the benefits.

When someone is browsing your website, if an online chat menu pops up, it makes them feel secure. They know that they can easily get in touch with you should they have an issue, and this creates trust.

Not only this but you, of course, increase customer satisfaction by providing such an instant response to their needs.

Final words on how to make a gaming website with WordPress

I hope that this guide has given you some clarity on how to make a gaming website with WordPress. From choosing your domain name right through to securing your website, all of the steps mentioned are vital.

And, once your website is created, your work is not done! You need to keep optimizing your website and ensuring that it is working effectively so that you continue to drive traffic and get results.

FAQ about how to make a gaming website with WordPress

I often receive questions about how to make a gaming website with WordPress, so I will answer some of the most common ones below:

Is WordPress difficult to learn?

It is easy to learn WordPress but it can be a little bit overwhelming at first, especially as there are so many different plugins. However, with a little bit of patience and practice, you will find that it is quite easy to get to grips with WordPress and it is an enjoyable platform to use as well.

Can I create a free website with WordPress?

WordPress is free for anyone to download and use, meaning you can build any sort of website without any restrictions. However, you will need to pay for a domain name and website hosting, as mentioned above. Nevertheless, this is still an incredibly affordable way of creating your own website.

Can you make games with WordPress?

You can use a WordPress gaming plugin if you would like to add games to your website. There are plugins like the Word Search Puzzle Game and Dinosaur Game that enable you to add simple games to your website. Of course, if you want to build your own games, this is a different area entirely.

 

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