Everyone has a story to tell; and you think the web is the perfect place to tell it. But how do you start? Welcome to WordPress for Beginners. WordPress powers over 25% of the websites on the global Internet. There’s a reason for that number. It’s SO simple. Spend an hour and you can publish to a global audience of more than 3.5 billion people. And it’s SO complex. You can spend years learning how it works. So what can we cover in two hours? Enough to get you started & going in the right direction!

1. WordCamp Raleigh 2017Course material - bit.ly/2plSkNK

2. About me
Doug Foster
dougfoster.info
convinsys.com
doug@convinsys.com
@theIdeaMechanic
I’m a geek. I love stories. WordPress is awesome.
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3. This workshop
Beginner level
Not technically deep
Overview & context
Enough to get you started
Where to learn more
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4. Caveat
Two hours will only scratch the surface …
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5. Drawing at the end
Free license for 1 year
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6. bit.ly/2plSkNK
ithemes.com/publishing/getting-started-with-wordpress/
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7. WordPress
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8. Agenda - Part 1
1. What Is WordPress? 6
2. WordPress.com or WordPress.org 10
3. Getting Started 13
4. Your WordPress Login 17
5. Exploring the WordPress Dashboard 19
6. Using the WordPress Admin Bar 23
7. Exploring WordPress Settings 27
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9. Agenda - Part 1
8. WordPress Posts vs. Pages 36
9. Creating a WordPress Post 39
10. Adding Links in WordPress 43
11. Adding Images to Posts & Pages 45
12. Using the WordPress Media Library 48
13. Formatting WordPress Posts 51
14. Scheduling WordPress Posts 54
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10. Agenda - Part 2
15. WordPress Categories & Tags 56
16. Creating a WordPress Page 59
17. Applying a WordPress Page Template 62
18. What are WordPress Plugins? 64
19. Installing WordPress Plugins 67
20. What is a WordPress Theme? 71
21. How to Install a WordPress Theme 74
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11. Agenda - Part 2
22. Using WordPress Widgets 78
23. Creating a Custom Menu in WordPress 81
24. Managing Comments in WordPress 84
25. Creating Users in WordPress 90
26. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & WordPress 95
27. WordPress Security 97
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12. 1. What Is WordPress? 6
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13. What Is WordPress?
Free, open source (but there _are_ costs)
Originally just for publishing blogs
Now a full Content Management System (CMS)
Easy to use, but HIGHLY customizable
Google “WordPress” = 1,750,000,000 hits
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14. 2. WordPress.com or WordPress.org 10
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15. WordPress.com or WordPress.org
VERY similar * (under the hood is evolving)
.com - Automattic does most of the heavy lifting
.com - easier to get started, but limited options
.org - DIY - you host your website
.org - harder, but UNLIMITED options
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16. 3. Getting Started 13
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17. Getting Started
Choose your domain name … yoursite.com
There is good hosting … and there is bad hosting
Local - Shared - Virtual server - Private - Cloud
Look for a host with “One click WordPress install”
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18. MAMP (free) & MAMP Pro ($59) - local hosting
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19. MAMP Pro (14 day free trial) - Control panel
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20. One click WordPress install
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21. A fresh WordPress install
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22. 4. Your WordPress Login 17
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23. Your WordPress Login
log in at … yoursite.com/wp-login.php
or … yoursite.com/wp-admin
user=admin, pass=admin (change it !!!!!)
Pick a unique administrator username
Pick a strong password
More on security at the end of Part 2
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24. 5. Exploring the WordPress Dashboard 19
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25. Exploring the WordPress Dashboard
Navigation on the left
Dashboard (especially WordPress News)
Screen options at the top
Help at the top
Log out at top right
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26. 6. Using the WordPress Admin Bar 23
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27. Using the WordPress Admin Bar
Only see it if _you_ are logged in
Some love it, some hate it
You can turn it off (page 26)
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28. 7. Exploring WordPress Settings 27
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29. Exploring WordPress Settings
Show or hide the site from search engines
Get these set before your first post
Pick your media URL strategy now
Pick your permalink URL strategy now
Is your front “page” a page or a post?
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30. Settings -> Reading
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31. Settings -> Media
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32. Settings -> Permalinks
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33. Let’s try it
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34. 8. WordPress Posts vs. Pages 36
Posts have a time context (e.g. news updates)
Posts have categories, tags, & an RSS feed
Pages are a type of post (but no tags, …)
Pages tend to be more static (e.g. dictionary page)
Pages can be nested in a hierarchy (parent/child)
Publish now or later
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35. 9. Creating a WordPress Post 39
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36. Creating a WordPress Post
TinyMCE editor (careful about Visual <—> Text)
“slug” comes from the title (but can be changed)
Screen options at top to show more
Publish options (Draft/Pending/Published)
Post format = theme feature to customize content
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37. 10. Adding Links in WordPress 43
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38. Adding Links in WordPress
Links inside the site - open in the same window
Links outside the site - open to a NEW window
Watch for broken links (yours & others)
Links are good, but not too many & don’t stuff
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39. Link details
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40. 11. Adding Images to Posts & Pages 45
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41. 12. Using the WordPress Media Library 48
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42. Using the WordPress Media Library
Images can be .jpg, .png, .gif - .svg (needs a hack)
Also be audio, video, .pdf (you need a viewer)
Your media should be not too big, not too small
Media into post: needs to be in library (or upload)
Stored in /wp-content/uploads/2017/month/…
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43. WordPress directory structure
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44. 13. Formatting WordPress Posts 51
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45. Formatting WordPress Posts
Formatted style is controlled by the theme (or you)
Many themes now support the WP customizer
Customizing without coding
Careful, some themes don’t like it yet
You can add your own CSS styles & stylesheets
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46. WordPress Customizer
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47. Customizer options
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48. 14. Scheduling WordPress Posts 54
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49. Scheduling WordPress Posts
Posts will sort by reverse chronological order
Schedule a post: pick a future date & time
Plugins can be used to “expire” posts
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50. Let’s try it
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51. Questions?
51

52. Break
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53. Agenda - Part 1
What Is WordPress? - ✓
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org - ✓
Getting Started - ✓
Your WordPress Login - ✓
Exploring the WordPress Dashboard - ✓
Using the WordPress Admin Bar - ✓
Exploring WordPress Settings - ✓
53

54. Agenda - Part 1
WordPress Posts vs. Pages - ✓
Creating a WordPress Post - ✓
Adding Links in WordPress - ✓
Adding Images to Posts & Pages - ✓
Using the WordPress Media Library - ✓
Formatting WordPress Posts - ✓
Scheduling WordPress Posts - ✓
54

55. Agenda - Part 2
WordPress Categories & Tags 56
Creating a WordPress Page 59
Applying a WordPress Page Template 62
What are WordPress Plugins? 64
Installing WordPress Plugins 67
What is a WordPress Theme? 71
How to Install a WordPress Theme 74
55

56. Agenda - Part 2
Using WordPress Widgets 78
Creating a Custom Menu in WordPress 81
Managing Comments in WordPress 84
Creating Users in WordPress 90
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & WordPress 95
WordPress Security 97
56

57. Drawing at the end
Free license for 1 year
57

58. bit.ly/2plSkNK
ithemes.com/publishing/getting-started-with-wordpress/
58

59. 15. WordPress Categories & Tags 56
59

60. WordPress Categories & Tags 56
A way of organizing your content
Categories (major) are like drawers in a file cabinet
Tags (minor) are like red, blue, green file folders
or … Category=Animal, Tag(s) = Dog, Cat, Stories
SEO hint: add descriptions
Create no more than needed
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61. Post categories & tags
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62. 16. Creating a WordPress Page 59
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63. Creating a WordPress Page
Remember earlier, a page is a type of post
… but no categories, tags, & RSS feed
More for static content
Can future schedule too
Some themes have page templates
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64. 17. Applying a WordPress Page Template 62
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65. 18. What are WordPress Plugins? 64
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66. What are WordPress Plugins?
Plugins are … 1) Awesome! 2) Awful #$%$@!!
Add functionality
Why reinvent the wheel?
Free, Freemium, Paid, Subscription
Too many plugins = 4 tons on a 1/2 ton pickup
Research. Test. Don’t assume they will always work.
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67. add code to WP: themes, plugins, functions.php
The WordPress “Loop” - for content
WP core functions - “the_post()”
Action hooks - actions do something
Filter hooks - filters modify content
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68. Plugin admin panel
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69. 19. Installing WordPress Plugins 67
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70. Installing WordPress Plugins
Look for ratings
Look for downloads
Look for when last updated
Look in the support forums & “compatible with …”
Always do a backup first (I love BackupBuddy)
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71. Let’s try it
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72. 20. What is a WordPress Theme? 71
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73. What is a WordPress Theme?
Style your content
Themes are front-end like plugins are back-end
Be very careful, just like plugins
Twenty Seventeen is free
You often get what you pay for (think ahead)
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74. 21. How to install a WordPress Theme 74
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75. How to install a WordPress Theme
Works “almost” like plugins
Search, install, activate, enjoy
Easy to change themes (unless you get locked in)
Theme - child theme (or try a framework theme)
wordpress.org/themes/
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76. 22. Using WordPress Widgets 78
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77. Using WordPress Widgets
“Splotches” of content
Widgets depend on the theme (Twenty Seventeen)
A simple way to re-apply code (calendar)
Often in sidebars & footers
I like Builder widget areas for placing code
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78. 23. Creating a Custom Menu in WordPress 81
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79. Creating a Custom Menu in WordPress
Create the menu
Your theme has a place to “hook” it into
Menus can be hierarchical
You can buy amazing menu plugins (UberMenu)
Menus should be mobile friendly
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80. You can have multiple menus (depends on the theme)
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81. 24. Managing Comments in WordPress 84
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82. Managing Comments in WordPress
Don’t have to show comments
Akismet will block SPAM comments
Might want to NOT auto-approve comments
An excellent way to boost SEO (authoritative)
Upgrade with plugins & services
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83. 25. Creating Users in WordPress 90
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84. Creating Users in WordPress
Subscriber/Contributor/Author/Editor/Administrator
Use secure passwords
Replace “admin” with … “wpwizard” ??
Have a backup admin account
Roles can be extended (“for your eyes only”)
You can build membership sites, forums, …
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85. 26. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 95
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86. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
You want to be found … right?
SEO for the site
SEO for pages, posts (images, …)
Social media
Check out Tony Zeoli’s workshop tomorrow
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87. 27. WordPress Security
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88. WordPress Security
Good backups are part of your security plan
Keep everything updated (WP, theme, plugins)
LOTS of ways in - be aware
LOTS of ways to secure your site
Can you go overboard? Some say yes, some no.
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89. Questions?
89

90. Recap
Two hours only scratched the surface …
90

91. This workshop
Beginner level - ✓
Not technically deep - ✓
Overview & context - ✓
Enough to get you started - ✓
Where to learn more - ✓
91

92. About me
Doug Foster
dougfoster.info
convinsys.com
doug@convinsys.com
@theIdeaMechanic
I’m a geek. I love stories. WordPress is awesome.
92

93. Drawing at the end
Free license for 1 year
93

94. WordCamp Raleigh 2017Course material - bit.ly/2plSkNK