quick and easy wordpress.com by ben pollock

45
Quick and Easy WordPress.com Presented by Ben Pollock

Upload: wcfay

Post on 06-Sep-2014

329 views

Category:

Self Improvement


0 download

DESCRIPTION

This 101-style presentation for the July 2013 Fayetteville AR WordCamp ( wcfay.com ) covered the basics of using WordPress to create — for free — both blogs and conventional websites for personal and business projects. WordPress.com will be the basis of demonstrations to create a site then create individual pages and posts. WordPress.org details will be integrated into the presentation. Other details can be had at benpollock.com/wordcamp-class .

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Quick and Easy WordPress.comPresented by Ben Pollock

Page 2: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

What we’re talking about. Croquet.And what do you want in your site. Create a site map (it’s an outline).

Page 3: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Site maps are found on many websites. Often there’s link at the bottom of a site. The more you plan like this the better your site will be, sooner.

Page 4: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

But the roughest of rough sketches will be just fine for a site map, and planning.

Page 5: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

If you don’t have a WordPress.com account this is what you’ll see. Click “Get Started,” and there you go.

Page 6: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

You’re simultaneously creating a WordPress.com account and getting rolling with your first blog. Choose the right email address. Then there’s another pitch to pay for an upgrade. Don’t need it. Caution: Choose your username well; it cannot be changed. My hosting service has me as “--------.” Three spots on WordPress have me as “----------,” “-----------” & “----.” ... Plus 3 passwords at the 4 spots.

Page 7: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

In contrast, here is WordPress.org’s home page.

Page 8: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

With a WordPress.com account, this is what you will see. Next step is click that new site.

Page 9: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

So you move to the Dashboard. From here you control everything.

Page 10: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Start with a template, called a Theme in WordPress. It’s not just for the demo, I recommend the Twenty Ten theme, use it myself. Now let’s make it unique.

Page 11: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

This is from the WordPress photo menu, but let’s make this unique.

Page 12: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Click Browse then choose a picture off your computer. Click Open then click Upload. It may take a half-minute to upload, if it’s “high-res.”

Page 13: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

If you haven’t Photoshopped the image to fit the dimension listed, you can crop it yourself in the WordPress header editor.

Page 14: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Here is what the World Wide Web will see. Your picture.WordPress has a starter blog post with filler words.

Page 15: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Here is, or will be, the listing of static Pages you put on your website.Take a breath -- I am -- this is the heart of the talk: Creation tips using this first Page.

Page 16: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

The About page comes with filler words. Consider keeping the About page, with your data of course, and not rename it, either.

Page 17: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

The previous was an edit Page window. This one is for a fresh Page. Note “Attributes” on the right sidebar. The Add New Post otherwise is similar. That second line of icons = Kitchen Sink

Page 18: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

This is the Add New Post window. The Kitchen Sink button is at far right, it adds the second line of options. The Post builder has a change on the right “sidebar,” attributes out, Categories instead.

Page 19: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Likewise, the “add” or “edit” builders for Posts and Pages are nearly the same in WordPress.org. When it’s time, you can switch the site contents from .com to .org in short order, Tools -> Export

Page 20: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

I advise drafting in NotePad, SimpleText, TextEdit etc. ... or MSWord.For Word, click the Paste from Word button. For the others, the Paste as Plain Text button (shown).Select and Copy your original, then Paste in box. It will delete the hidden, mischievous formatting. Last, press that bottom-right button, Insert. ... From here, you can type, spellcheck or revise, in main window.

Page 21: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Earlier, I inserted my image for the header. The process is similar for inserting into the body of a page or post.Click on the Add Media button where it says Upload/Insert, to get the new window.

Page 22: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Now, fill in some of the fields. Title is internal. Alternate Text can be read when the mouse hovers over the image. Captions are optional, but if you want one, put it in that box. Also, the caption is the perfect place for a credit/source. None, Left, Center, Right placement. “None” and “Center” will not tuck into the copy, but be above. Size. All of these can be modified later, if it doesn’t look like you wanted.

Page 23: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

I chose “left” and the copy wraps around. Note the caption and spacing. The theme governs these, called “padding,” “border,” “margin.”

Page 24: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

The hyperlinks, or “link,” maybe the best feature of reading other people’s stuff on the Web!To get this window, click on the Insert/Edit Link button. It looks like a chain link. Cancel? Broken link icon.

Page 25: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

The URL must have the http:// or https://. The title can be the web page header -- or your comment. Important: Always check “Open link in a new window/tab” so your readers don’t lose your site!

Page 26: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

The theme governs the different look of your linked phrase, which changes after it’s clicked.Bold &/or underline &/or color. Designers may want to customize, in .org. As long as it’s clear, big deal?

Page 27: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Here’s the hyperlink destination. At the top, note this site forms a new tab, because you checked “Open in a New Window/Tab.” When your reader is done with the USCA, he can return to Croquet Fan easily.

Page 28: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Boldface and italics are easy. Select the word or phrase then hit that B or I button. The U underline button is on the Kitchen Sink line. It’s time to introduce html code. Brace yourselves.

Page 29: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Click “Text” from “Visual.” Note angle irons, the slash. This is html, format language. The code in <> is a command. The slash ends it. No <bold> <ital>? Strong = bold. Em = italics, short for “emphasis.”

Page 30: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

You may need to section off your piece with headlines. In html and WordPress, they go from 1 for the biggest down to 6. Like <em>, headlines are look like <h2>What, there are rules?</h2>

Page 31: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Headline 3, turned out to be small. Headline 2 looks good for the purpose. Different themes format these differently. It’s something important to explore when you consider using a new them.

In any website, WordPress or not, only one Headline 1 <h1> per page or post. Search engines key on H1!

Page 32: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Other Pages are added, under the header. A “child-page,” Equipment, is under Rules. This top-horizontal area in WordPress is called a Menu. Widgets go in the sidebar or footer area. Customize!

Page 33: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

In the middle right, see Page Attributes. Click on the field below “Parent.” I chose the Page “Rules of the Game” to be the parent.

Page 34: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

This makes the “child-page,” Equipment, subordinate to Rules. You won’t see the Equipment button except when your cursor flows over Rules of the Game.

Page 35: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Creating posts -- the writing, plus inserting of images and links -- is the same as in pages. Note Categories. Category folders keep you organized ... and also help the reader find related material.

Page 36: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Here are three categories. I’ll fill the first two, leaving the “Busy-ness” for the future. Because it is an empty category, it won’t be seen.

Page 37: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Here are posts I’ve added so later you’ll see how this website’s going to look.

Page 38: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Here’s the Croquet Fan blog all set up. But wait, there’s more! Let’s make this look and be a website.

Page 39: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

For a traditional website, not a blog-first one, WordPress has a couple of intermediate steps.First, create a new static Page. Title it “Blog,” “News,” “Updates,” etc. to tell readers this is where to find blog-like newsy time-stamped items. Here, “Croquet News.” The rest stays blank - no writing no pictures. Click Publish.

Page 40: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Head to Dashboard -> Settings -> Reading. The Front Page Displays indicates the WordPress default of blog comprising the opening page of your website, “Your Latest Posts.” That’s about to change.

Page 41: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

The About page often works. Many people revise the About into a welcome letter etc.But this demo will create a store site, to show how your business or nonprofit can have a helpful, professional looking website. Select “Croquet News,” that blank page, for “Posts page.”

Page 42: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

There it is. A home page for a website not a blog. Oh, the blog is up there in the horizontal Menu -- “Croquet News.”

Page 43: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

The reader clicks on the static Page “Croquet News,” and sees the latest dynamic Post. The blog can be accessed on the right, “Recent Posts.”

Page 44: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

This is how you play croquet, the WordPress.com way.

Page 45: Quick and Easy WordPress.COM by Ben Pollock

Quick and Easy WordPress.comPresented by Ben Pollock