This is a follow up presentation to my original WordPress 101 session. Videos and previous slide decks are included. The purpose of this presentation is to make business decisions after someone has decided to go with the WordPress Platform.

1. WORDPRESS 102
SHANTA R. NATHWANI
WORDCAMP ANN ARBOR 2015

2. AGENDA
1. About Me
2. Hosting
3. Backup
4. Contact Information
5. Themes
6. Plugins
7. More on hiring someone
*This is a follow up to my WordPress 101 Talk. You can view the video from WordCamp Hamilton here.
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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3. 1. FIND ME!
Tweet Me:
@ShantaDotCa
Email:
shanta@shanta.ca
My Web Site:
http://shanta.ca
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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4. 1. ABOUT ME
• Instructor, Sheridan College
• Joint program with University of Toronto at
Mississauga: Institute of Culture,
Communication, Information and Technology
• Web Design and Capstone Project
• Independent Consultant, Web Weapons
• Clients include NPOs, Real Estate, Software
Development, Financial and Political Sectors
• Bachelor of Commerce in Info Tech Mgmt.,
Ryerson University
• Serial WordCamper. Went to 7 last year and
crowdsourced my tour this year for 7 more
and hoping to do WordCamp Mumbai 2016.
• Co-organizer, WordCamp Hamilton and
Toronto 2015
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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5. 2. HOSTING
Shared hosting
• GoDaddy
• BlueHost*
Managed hosting
• WPEngine
• Siteground*
* - I’m an affiliate
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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6. 3. BACKUP
• Most hosting companies will offer a backup system of some kind
• Jetpack has one
• WordPress.com doesn't need one
• I recommend Backup Buddy by iThemes because of its options, it's
easy to use and to migrate, especially those in the room hoping to
do their own development business
• Another good solution (and free for the most part) is Updraft Plus
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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7. 4. CONTACT INFORMATION
• Contact forms rather than publishing your email address
• Mailchimp signup form. Integrates with WordPress and can be done as a
widget
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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8. 5. THEMES
• The “Look and Feel” of your website
• Might include some functionality
• The “Front End” or what people see
From Graph Paper Press
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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9. 5. THEME SELECTION
Start with the repository
• Can be accessed through your Dashboard > Appearances > Themes
• Directly at wordpress.org/themes
If not, go outside and use the authors in the repository as a start
Do not Google “free WordPress themes”!
• These could contain malicious code
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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10. 5. THEME SELECTION (CON’T)
Where do I start?
• Ask yourself, “What is the purpose of the website?”. Many of the themes
are categorized by purpose (i.e., photography/portfolio, business, blog,
etc.)
• Ask yourself, “What do I want it to look like? Do I want a big header? Do I
want columns? Main content with sidebar?”. A good way to familiarize
yourself with these is to look in the repository.
Make sure that the them you choose is mobile-enabled/responsive!
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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11. 6. PLUGINS
• Plugins extend the
usefulness of your website
• Some examples are Backup
Buddy and Jetpack
• The “Back End” or what
people don’t see
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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12. 6. PLUGIN SELECTION
Just like the themes, best to check the repository
(http://wordpress.org/plugins)
Don’t overload your site. Choose your plugins carefully.
• First, by function. What do you need it to do?
• Is there a plugin that does multiple functions, such as memberships AND
payments? This is such a wide area, you need to research it. It will depend
on what functionality you need.
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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13. 7. MORE ABOUT HIRING A PROFESSIONAL
Educate yourself
• Not only about the terminology, but also have an idea of what you want.
This saves everyone a good amount of time and effort.
• Expect to give a deposit of some sort, whether you’re working with a
student or a professional. Don’t expect any of this for free.
• This is not a cookie cutter process, nor is it an overnight one.
• Some of the best advice: Lucas Cherkewski: Spoke at WordCamp Toronto
2013 on this topic…at the age of 16!
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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14. EXTRA RESOURCES
• WordPress.com: This is where you can learn almost everything I’ve just talked
about! There is also one for .ORG, but this will get you about 90% of the way
there. Skip the “Getting Started” part if you are using the .ORG
• WordPress.tv: Most of the talks given at WordCamps are recorded and
archived here. You can find my talks there!
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa
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15. QUESTIONS?
Tweet Me:
@ShantaDotCa
Email:
shanta@shanta.ca
My Web Site:
http://shanta.ca
Shanta R. Nathwani - http://shanta.ca - @ShantaDotCa