mixing business and wordpress for fun and profit
TRANSCRIPT
For Fun and Profit
Mixing Business & WP
Mary Anne Shew
www.BizVitality.com
ROC WP 03/16/2015
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• Started making web sites in 1998
First client: About.com’s Rochester NY site
Hand-coded HTML + used clip art
FTP, hosting console, email setup, etc.
• Thru 2013 hand-coded sites (Dreamweaver)
Created modest graphics (Fireworks)
Used ASP for “includes” (repeatable snippets)
Learned basic CSS (TopStyle)
ABOUT ME
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• 2004: Formally added business coaching Had been informally coaching to get
marketing info sm biz clients didn’t have
Became certified business coach
Business owners, professionals as clients
Maybe a site involved, often not
• 2013: WordPress here to stay
• Am I in or out of the web site business?
ABOUT ME
+ Biz
Coaching
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• 2014 focus: Learn WP and all it entails
• Hired experienced WP developers to help
me through the hard parts of first few
client sites (and my own)
• Did two client sites on my own successfully
• Decided I was still IN the web site business
ABOUT ME
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Business First
Add WordPress
Profit from the Mix
Mixing Business
& WordPress
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Business First
A. Selling a service creating web sites
for businesses
B. Selling something other than web
sites and using your web site to:
• Market your business
• Sell online
• Both
YOUR BUSINESS IS FOCUSED ON EITHER…
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A. It’s a fast, flexible, reliable, (relatively)
safe, (relatively) easy tool for creating
client web sites.
B. You need/want to build and run your
business web site yourself. Plus A above.
YOU’RE USING WORDPRESS BECAUSE…
Add WordPress
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Profit from the Mix
A. Producing high-value sites that clients
can afford and get business from.
B. Saving money by not paying a web
designer, especially in early stage of your
business.
YOUR PROFIT COMES FROM…
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• Marketing works the same way.
• All the site prep work is the same.
Targeted audience, keywords, etc.
Choose design.
Site pages and hierarchy decided.
• Under the hood, it’s still a web site.
Site architecture still made sense.
Still have hosting console, FTP, etc.
HAPPY SURPRISES
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1. Make people want to do
business with you.
2. Make people want to buy
your product or service.
(Slide from 2007)
For Both A & B:Marketing Goals
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For Both A & B:Online (STILL) Just a Part of Strategy
Productsand
Services
OnlineMarketingChannels
YourBilling
Process
YourSales
Process
YourProduct/ServiceDeliveryProcess
YourCustomerServiceProcess
OfflineMarketingChannels
Brochure
Business Card
PromotionalItems
Ads
Press Releases
Articles
SponsorshipsYour
Employeesand Subs
(Slide from 2006)
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Domain
Name
Web SiteEmail
Address
Email Signature File
• Tag line
• Web site name
• Office/fax numbers
• HTML: Title, Metatags,
img ALT parameters
• Navigation
• Text-based content
What the USER sees
Web Site Components
Search
Engines
Links from
Other
Relevant
Sites
• Web sites
• E-zines
• Blogs
NewsletterForwarded
Newsletter
Purchased
Ads on
Other Sites
• Yahoo
• MSN
Word of
Mouth
You can control the “ovals.”
You can’t control the rest.
(Slide from 2007)
For Both A & B:Online Marketing STILL Works the Same Way
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Products &Services
Home Page *
* *
* = Link appears on every pg
About Us
HistoryEmployment info (with PDF
application)Map to OfficeMission/ValuesExecutive ProfilesCertifications, AwardsPress ReleasesPrivacy/Copyright Statements
SamplesClients/Portfolio
* *
CONTACT INFO ONEVERY PAGENews
AnnouncementsEvents
List of clientsTestimonials
Samples of workPhotos of work
Description of benefitsHow you do business How to do business with you
Contact Us
*
For Both A & B:Site Layout STILL Important
(Slide from 2007)
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web site hosting service
viewer’sPC/Mac
Your PC/Mac
•dial-up•RoadRunner
viewer’s Internet access•dial-up•RoadRunner
Internet browser
http://www.yourname.com
wp-contentfolder
ftp software
(copy files--maybe)
YourInternet access
If site designer is YOU:• Red italic items cost you money• Blue items cost you your time
(+ money if paid theme)
your share of hosting server
For Both A & B:When Site Designer Is YOU
(Slide from 2007--modified)
your browserWP Dashboard
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• Internal SEO still works the same:
Page title, meta desc, paragraph tags,
image ALT/TITLE, file names, cross-links
• HTML still comes in very handy.
• CSS still part of it (but more complicated)
• Graphics became easier—now a puzzle of
good images that theme pulls together.
• Can set up pages for content very quickly.
• Changing navigation a breeze.
HAPPY SURPRISES
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• Theme? Child theme? Widgets? Plugins?
• Dashboard?
• Why doesn’t the installed theme look like
the demo??
• Where the heck is the menu?
• There’s only one menu in this theme? I
need TWO!
• Why isn’t there a home page?
• Categories versus tags?
“FUN” CHALLENGES
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• Where can I test site before it goes live?
• What do I do for backups? Restores?
• Whaddya mean I shouldn’t change the
theme’s CSS?
• How the heck do I create CHILD theme?
• Where are the <HEAD> meta tags?
• How do I overwrite uploaded files?
• Where does Google Analytics code go?
“FUN” CHALLENGES
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• Overall amount of development work is
the same; just allocated differently.
WP requires installation on host.
Less hand-coding but more pieces to
understand, choose, deal with.
Theme tools vary considerably.
WP not as easy to use as “sold.”
I developed guide for clients who
blog.
WHAT I LEARNED
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• Ongoing WP, theme, and plugin updates
and backups are a MUST.
Set expectations if client chooses not
to have me do that.
Insist they do a backup themselves
after they make changes.
Good idea to get to know your hosting
backup system also (ask me how I know).
WHAT I LEARNED
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• Overall amount of development work is
the same
Less hand-coding but more pieces to
understand, choose, deal with.
Understanding CSS is critical.
WP and plugin security an ongoing
challenge.
It’s not as easy to use as perceived.
For clients who blog, set boundaries.
WHAT I LEARNED
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• Paid themes and plugins are worth the
money
Paid themes less likely to be a security
risk.
Paying for backup plugins are worth it.
• TRACK SUPPORT SITES and PASSWORDS
See ROC WP FB>Files>customer_site_info_v1 .doc
WHAT I LEARNED
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• Keep a notebook!
Develop standard list of your favorite
plugins.
Where WP dashboard, theme, plugin
settings are.
Make note of why you created each
bkup.
Results when you try something new.
WHAT I LEARNED
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Learning WordPress is like raising a child—it
takes a village. Many have helped me, and
I’m happy to help you, if I can!
Mary Anne Shew
585-746-9140
Contact Me