wordpress workshop
TRANSCRIPT
WordPress Workshop
Terri Orlowskibeyond the office
About Terri
• Founded beyond the office in 2006• Specialize in WordPress, websites &
email marketing templates• Certified Internet Webmaster• Internet Marketing Virtual Assistant• IVAA EthicsCheck Certification• @torlowski• facebook.com/beyondtheoffice
What is WordPress?
• “WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.” (from WordPress.org)
• First released on May 27, 2003, by Matt Mullenweg as a fork of b2/cafelog. (Wikipedia)
• As of 02/11, WP 3.0 had been downloaded over 32.5 million times.
• WordPress is used by over 13% of the 1,000,000 biggest websites.
WordPress.com• Free• Custom Domain ($)• Free hosting (limited)• Limited Themes• Limited Plugins• Automatic backups and
upgrades• Hosted across servers,
can handle traffic
WordPress.org• Free (to download)• Custom domain ($)• Requires Hosting ($)• Unlimited Themes• Unlimited Plugins• Responsible for your own
backups & upgrades• Your-choice hosting*
.com vs. .org
How to Install WordPress?
One-click installation
• Quick & Easy install available from most web hosts Not all hosts use Fantastico, but most offer some
one-click installation option
• Good option for non-techies• Not as secure as manual installation• Takes about 3-5 minutes
“Famous 5 Minute Install”
• Some technical experience required• Download latest version from WordPress.org• Create MySQL Database & User• Edit wp-config-sample.php• Rename to wp-config.php• Upload WordPress files (FTP or File Manager)• Go to site to activate install script
*may take longer than 5 minutes depending on your computer speed and Internet connection
• DB_NAME (line 19)• DB_USER (line 22)• DB_PASSWORD (line 25)• DB_HOST (line 28)• Authentication Unique Keys & Salts (lines 45 -
52)– https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/
• Table Prefix (line 63)
wp-config.php
WordPress Security
• Remove or neuter the admin account
• Non-default table prefix• Hide version &
Generator meta tag• Regular Updates• Strong Password• .htaccess in /wp-admin
• Security Plugins• Be choosy about
theme & plugin sources
• File permissions• Move wp-config.php• Good Host• Regular Backups
Plugins - Security
• Semisecure Login Reimagined• User Locker• WP Security Scan• WP Optimize – use to rename admin account &
remove post revisions to decrease db size• WordPress File Monitor• Akismet (Bad Behaviour, Spam Karma, Disqus)• SEO Ultimate – (404 monitor)• Bluetrait Event Viewer (BTEV)• Theme Authenticity Checker (TAC)
Plugins - Backup
• WP DB Backup• WordPress Backup by BTE• Backup Buddy ($)
Plugins – Other Useful Stuff
• Gravity Forms ($)• Google XML Sitemaps• Sexy Bookmarks• WordPress Editorial Calendar• WP Google Analytics• WPtouch (free or $)• All in One Webmaster (free or $)• Broken Link Checker• Simple URLs
Plugins
• Where to find plugins?– http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins– IVAANet (ask for recommendations)
• What are your favorite plugins?
What about themes?
• StudioPress• ithemes• WooThemes• ElegantThemes• Frameworks
– Thesis– Genesis– Headway
• wordpress.org/extend/themes (free, use with caution)
WordPress for Podcasting
• Simple – link to an audio file from a post • Podpress plugin• PowerPress by blubrry.com
WordPress for Newsletter
• WordPress/Feedburner– Add a new category (ie Newsletter)– Exclude this category from Category list– Exclude regular blog posts from newsletter category– Create new feed in Feedburner for your category– Enable email subscriptions in Feedburner for that
feed– Get code from Feedburner for subscription & put it in
a widget– Enable full text feeds in WordPress Settings– Publish post in newsletter category and let
Feedburner take care of the rest
WordPress for Newsletter
• Use RSS feed option with your favorite mail service (MailChimp, Aweber)
• Get code for signup box and put it in a widget, page or post on your site– MailChimp List Subscribe Form plugin– Gravity Forms Pro add-on plugin for MailChimp– Aweber Web Form Plugin
WordPress for Newsletter
• ALO EasyMail Newsletter– Track/manage subscribers in WordPress– Can send to additional email addresses– Merge tags available for subscriber names, post titles,
excerpts, etc. – Can create HTML or plain-text email messages– Scheduled sending– Reports and stats
How do you use WordPress?
• Website• Blog• Video Blog• Podcast• News Site• Membership Site• Social Networking Site• Project Management• E-commerce• Forums• Article Directory
• Invoicing• Newsletter• Photo Blog• Business Directory• Contact Manager• Online Job Portal• Online Classifieds• FAQ Portal• Ticket System• Wiki• Digg Clone
• Questions?• Comments?• Tips?• Suggestions?
Thank you!
WordPress WorkshopTerri Orlowski, beyond the office
@torlowski
facebook.com/beyondtheoffice
beyondtheoffice.com/summit11