Let's Learn WordPress!

The Basics Workshop at Loveland CreatorSpace

Gordon Seirup

@coppergordon

gordon@copperleafcreative.com

What is WordPress?

  • A Blogging platform
  • A Content Management System
  • A publishing platform
  • Open-Source Software
  • Most popular in the world*
    • 25% of all websites
    • 50-60% of all websites using a CMS

*Source: https://www.codeinwp.com/blog/wordpress-statistics/

.org

  • Download source code
  • Your own hosting
  • Your own domain
  • Infinitely customizable
    • Plugins, Themes
  • Maintenance: Updates, Security, Performance
  • Great for custom sites

.com

  • Hosted platform
  • Free to sign up
  • Premium add-ons
  • Limited Themes
  • No Plugins
  • Great for blogging!

WordPress

Database:

  • Content
  • Settings
  • In rare cases:
    • Code

Files:

  • Code
  • Media
  • In rare cases:
    • Content
    • Settings

What's under the hood?

3 Areas of Code & Functionality

  • Core
  • Plugins
  • Themes

WordPress Core

  • Download from wp.org
  • Hosting 1-Click Install 
  • Updates every 3-4 mo's
  • Do not hack core
  • Posts (Pages)

  • Media

  • Users

  • Comments

  • Menus

  • Widgets

  • Customizer

  • Plugin & Theme Installer

WordPress Plugins

  • Custom
  • Free vs. Premium
  • Once vs. Subscription
  • Updates
  • Compatibility
  • Security concerns
  • Avoid Bloat
  • Extend functionality

    • Performance

    • Security

    • Backups

    • Features:

      • Forms

      • Sliders

      • SEO

      • Social

WordPress Themes

  • Responsive
  • Free vs. Premium
  • Child Themes
  • DIY 'Builder' themes
  • Drag-and-drop
  • Avoid Bloat
    • ​Unused features
    • Functionality
  • Control layout & style

  • More Widget Areas

    • Header

    • Widgetized Home

    • Footer Widgets

    • Sidebars

    • Custom

  • Menu Positions

Posts

  • Date-based
  • Most recent first
  • Categories
  • Tags

Pages

  • Static content
  • Hierarchical (Parents)

Content

Both:

  • Rich text editor
  • Status
  • Visibility
  • Publish Date
  • Featured Image

Custom Post Types

Media

  • Photos
    • Basic editing
  • Video & Audio
    • Locally hosted
    • Auto-embed
  • Files (doc, pdf, etc.)

Demo Site Logins:

http://lcsdemo.wpengine.com/wp-admin

user: demo

password: lovelandcreatorspacerocks

Let's do some stuff!

  • Create a Post
  • Add Media
  • Create a Page
  • Add Menu Item

Watch me do some stuff...

  • Manage Widgets
  • Install & Activate a Theme
  • Install & Activate a Plugin
  • Settings

Settings

  • General
    • Site Title, Tagline, Timezone
  • Writing
  • Reading
    • Front Page (Posts/Widgets vs. Static Page)
    • Search Engine Visibility
  • Discussion (comments)
  • Media
  • Permalinks
    • set to Postname

Commodity

  • Cheap
  • Over-leveraged shared 
  • Security concerns
  • "all in one" - domain, email, etc.

Managed

  • Security
  • Performance
  • Updates
  • WP Tools
  • Modular

Hosting

(not WordPress.com)

Picking a Theme

  • Ratings (and how many)
  • Version number
  • Support responsiveness
  • Business/Payment model
  • Avoid Bloat
    • ​Unused features
    • Functionality
  • Frameworks
  • Widget Areas

  • Menu Positions

  • Fonts & Spacing

  • Layout(s)

    • Page, Single, Archive

    • Sidebar(s)

  • Flexibility/Options

  • Customizer Capability

  • Responsive

Vetting Plugins

  • Ratings (and how many)
  • Version number
  • Support responsiveness
  • Screenshots
  • Live Demos
  • Free Trials / Guarantee
  • A Specific Purpose

  • Business/Payment model
    • One-time
    • Subscription
    • Freemium
  • Avoid Bloat

Favorite Free Plugins

  • Akismet - Filters spam comments for review (be sure to license)

  • Ninja Forms - Forms

  • Shortcodes Ultimate - Create tabs, accordions, maps, etc

  • BlackStudio TinyMCE Visual Editor - Widget with visual editor

  • Easy FancyBox - Lightbox images on click

  • Menu Social Icons - Add social icons to menu

  • Simple Share Button Adder - Add social sharing to blog posts, etc

  • Simple Social Icons - Widget with social icons (link to your profiles)

  • TablePress - Create/import tables

  • WooCommerce - Complete basic e-commerce capabilities

  • WP Google Fonts - Lets you apply Google fonts

  • WP Google Maps - Insert a Google map with marker

  • WP Responsive Menu - Display a responsive menu on mobile sizes

  • Yoast SEO - Improve site's search engine readability

Favorite Premium Plugins

  • Easy Digital Downloads - for selling digital products

  • Gravity Forms - forms

  • GravityView - display Gravity Forms entries

  • Shortcodes Ultimate: Extra Shortcodes - freemium-model add-on

  • WooCommerce Extensions - shipping, payment methods, marketing, etc.

Gordon Seirup

@coppergordon

gordon@copperleafcreative.com

WordPress Basics - Full Workshop

By Gordon Seirup

WordPress Basics - Full Workshop

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