wordpress intro

David NorthVice President, MBO Partners

dnorth@mbopartners.comBlog: www.northideas.com

Twitter: David_North

WordPressa tool for

building web sites

Overview

• Open Source CMS concepts• Selecting a CMS• WordPress–Overview–Demo–Q&A

CMS

• Content Management System• Software that make it possible

for a user to manage the content of a web site.

• Does not require a programmer to make changes to content.

Open Source

Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in. – http://www.opensource.org/

– Public development team (usually large community)– Managed by some group or committee– Source Code available

A great way to build software

Free Software General Public License

Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it means that the program's users have the four essential freedoms: – the freedom to use the software for any purpose,– the freedom to change the software to suit your

needs,– the freedom to share the software with your friends

and neighbors, and– the freedom to share the changes you make.

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

A great way to get access to good software

Open Source CMS• Number of Popular Open Source CMS–WordPress– Joomla– Drupla

• Large passionate user community• Lots of development going on• Lots of free add-ons (plugins, themes)• Lots of free support

Great tools for building Websites

Selecting a CMS• Ease of Setting up a Simple Site • Ease of Hosting and Installation • Ease of Learning to Configure a More Complex Site• Content Admin Ease of Use • Graphical Flexibility • Structural Flexibility • User Roles and Workflow • Community/ Web 2.0 Functionality• Extending and Integrating• Scalability and Security • Site Maintenance • Support/Community Strength

Good Criteria to evaluate and understand

Selecting a CMS• Most CMSes can be made to do the job• Depending on the job some will be

harder to make do the job than others.• They all have their pluses and

minuses• WordPress– Easiest to use out of the box– Largest usage and community of users– Largest number of extensions

How do you decide? Pick one and use it

WordPress

• Open Source GPL CMS• Most widely used Open Source CMS – www.wordpress.com – hosted service– www.wordpress.org – download software

• Very Large Community• Technical Description– Open Source/GPL Software– PHP, CSS, MySQL

A great tool for building Websites

Why is WordPress Great?

• Flexible – you can use it in lots of ways• Functional - it provides a wide range of

function (plugins)• Look– you can make it look anyway you want

(themes)• Easy of use – non-tech user can maintain it

themselves• Fast – quickly set up a site• Support – get good support from WordPress

community• FreeNorth Ideas – Seven Reasons Why I like WordPress

http://www.northideas.com/wordpress_solutions/reason-wordpress/

WordPress CMS functions

• Multiple User Roles• Post Workflow process• Post Revision tracking• Custom Post Types and Custom

Taxonomies• Custom Menu Structures• Media library• Add in functionality• Flexible page layout and style

Is WordPress A Good CMS

• Ease of Setting up a Simple Site *****• Ease of Hosting and Installation *****• Ease of Learning to Configure a More Complex Site ***• Content Admin Ease of Use *****• Graphical Flexibility *****• Structural Flexibility *****• User Roles and Workflow ***• Community/ Web 2.0 Functionality ***• Extending and Integrating ****• Scalability and Security ****• Site Maintenance *****• Support/Community Strength *****

What kind of web sites can you build with WordPress?

• Blog site– www.michellecookseveryday.com

• Brochureware site– www.lighthousemedicalclinic.org

• Membership site– www.ccfsa.org

• Ecommerce site– www.lightmypathministries.com

• Magazine site– www.northides.com

What kind of web sites can you build with WordPress?

• Multiple Blog site–Wordpress MU–Wordpress.com

• Social Network– Buddy Press (like Facebook)– P2 (like twitter)

Who uses WordPress?

• Daily Oklahoman• New York Times• Wall Street Journal• Mashable• Mozzilla• Wired• MTV• Ford• Harvard Law• Cornell• Texas Tech

• ZDNet• Flickr • Mark Cuban• Andy Roddick• Martha Stewart• Network Solutions• GE• Livestrong

WordPress Components

• WordPress software from www.wordpress.org– Manages Content– Backend system– PHP functions

• WordPress Plug-ins – catalog of over 9000– Adds function– PHP, CSS– Fee, Paid support

• WordPress Themes - thousands– Displays Content– PHP,CSS– Free, Premium

How to Get Started with WordPress?

• Read & Watch– www.wordpress.org/– http://ithemes.com/tutorials/ – www.wordpress.tv– www.wptavern.com – Books

• WordPress for Dummies• WordPress Bible

• Come to OKC WP user group meeting• Try it out

Seven Steps to building a WordPress site

1. Plan Site2. Install WordPress3. Setup WordPress4. Select Theme5. Install Plug-ins6. Do SEO7. Add Content

Planning a Site

– Purpose of the site– Audience of the site–Message to users from the site–What can users do at the site– Site Map– Post Types and Taxonomies• Categories/Tags• Post Types/Taxonomies

Planning a SiteExample: OKC Disc Dog

– Purpose of the site• To provide information to and encourage

participate of the members of the OKC Disc Dog Club

– Audience of the site• Club members• Potential club members• People interested in the sport of Disc Dog

– Message to Users from the site• Disc Dog is fun, popular, exciting• Disc Dog club is fun, helpful, skilled,

knowledgeable

Planning a SiteExample: OKC Disc Dog

– What can users do at the site• Display content:

– About club– About disc dog– Coming events

» Club meetings/practice» Contests

– Results– Records– News– About local dogs and owners– Training info– Pictures

• Send updates to registered users• Collect info on people interested in joining

Planning a SiteExample: OKC Disc Dog

– Site MapHome

About Disc Dog

About OKC Club

Events Gallery

MemberForm

RecordsResource

s

Club News

Disc Dog News

Features

Planning a SiteExample: OKC Disc Dog

– Post Types and Taxonomies• Categories (TOC)/Tags (Index)

– Club News– Disc Dog News– Training – Competition Results

• Post Types/Taxonomies– Dogs– Events

Installing WordPress

– Selecting a Host• Requirements: PHP 4.3 and MySQL 4.1.2• http://codex.wordpress.org/Hosting_WordPress

– Selecting an domain– Installing WordPress

• Manual Install - 5 minute install• http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress • Auto Install - Simple Scripts/Fanstastico Install• Get Admin password

Installing WordPress Example: OKC Disc Dog

– Selecting a Host– Selecting an domain• New site: www.okcdiscdogs.com• Point URL to site location

– Installing WordPress• 5 minute install• One click - Simple Scripts/Fanstastico Install

Setting up WordPress

– Set up users and change admin– Set Site Name– Set Site description– Set Blog URL– Set Permalink plan– Set Date and Time– Set search engine access

Setting up WordPressExample: OKC Disc Dog

– Set Users• Add users and change admin password

– Set General/Site Name • OKC Disc Dog

– Set General/Site description • Promoting the sport of disc dog in the OKC area

– Set General/Blog URL • www.okcdiscdog.com

– Set General/Date and Time• Format, week start

– Set Permalink• /%category%/%postname%/

– Set Privacy • Set to no access until ready

Select a Theme

–Where do you get theme• Free – Wordpress.org • Buy – iThemes• Create - Artisteer

–What is important about the theme• Gives you the look that communicates the

message• Gives you the functions you need

– Install and Activate

Select a Theme Example: OKC Disc Dog

–Where do you get theme• Create – Artisteer

– Install and Activate

Install Plug-ins

–Where do you get plugins• Fee – WordPress.org• Buy - Pluginbuddy.com• Build – for programmers

–What plugins do you need• Basic• Special Functions

Install Plug-insExample: OKC Disc Dog

– Standard• Editing – Tiny MCE Advanced• SEO – HeadSpace2, SEO Slugs• Promotion – Sociable, Twitter Tools• Spam - Akismet• Backup - BackupBuddy• XML Site Map - Google XML Site Map• Email subscription - Subscribe2• Host test - ServerBuddy

- Special Functions- Gallery Display - WordPress Gallery Slideshow- Email Subscription – Subscribe2- Membership Form – Gravity Forms- Events - Events Manager- Links - Blogroll Links

Do SEO

– Plan SEO• Site Description/ Keywords

– Set up standard on site SEO• Permalinks• Set up SEO Plugin• Meta data • Write good Post/Page Titles• Related Posts• Following

– Set up off site SEO• Links to site from other sites

– Set up Stats• WordPress Stats (Plug-in)• Google Analytics (Plug-in)

Do SEOExample: OKC Disc Dog

– Plan SEO• Site Description -• Site Keywords -

– Set up standard on site SEO• Permalinks - done• Set up SEO Plugin

– Descriptions– Meta data

• Write good Post/Page Titles• Related Posts• Following

– Set up off site SEO• Links to site from other sites

– Set up Stats• WordPress Stats (Plug-in)• Google Analytics (Plugi-n)

Add Content

– Add Pages• Page Title

– Add Posts• Add Categories• Post Titles• Post Conant

Add Content Example: OKC Disc Dog

– Add Pages– Add Posts• Add Categories

WordPress Demo

• Install• Install theme• Install plug-in• Making a post• Making a page