I am the owner of SEO Aware. Obviously as an SEO company we observe a lot in our local market. We also keep an eye on the competition. Our company has been discussing the benefits of Wordpress for a long time (see this article from 2007).
I want to tell local businesses to be careful before hiring a company to develop a Wordpress site, because there are MANY, MANY aspects to creating an effective Wordpress site and/or blog. The SEO benefits don’t just happen even if you add a plugin or two. Make sure your Wordpress person knows what needs to be done or consults with an SEO company to ensure everything that should be done is being done. Suplee Design is a good example, they contact us for every client to ensure that the site is done right and they haven’t missed anything. That is what you want, a company that cares.
One other thing, I have seen about 10 local sites this week all built off of the same template. The only thing that changes is a header and some colors. Make sure, if you are going to spend the money, that you get a look that is unique and that your template is not easily recognized. Be careful, research and make sure your spend your hard-earned dollars with the right company.
Melissa Fach - SEO Aware - FloridaSEOTraining.com - MedicalSEOTraining.com
SarasotaPartyPlanning.com.