WordPress 201

Getting Started with WordPress as your Website Publishing Tool

Jeff Bennett

www.DigitalSplashMedia.com

WordPress.org

twitter.com/digitalsplashfacebook.com/digitalsplashmedia

Topics

• What is WordPress.org - self-hosted WordPress

• Finding a web host

• Simple installation of WordPress with BlueHost

• Review of dashboard, posts, pages and menus

• Themes - lots more, and they’re customizable

• Plugins - need some additional functionality? There's a plugin for that!

• Security

• Backups

• Migrating from WordPress.com to WordPress.org

• Transferring from one WordPress.org site to another WordPress.org site

What is Web Hosting?

Web Host - a company that rents web server

space for your website

WordPress is a software product made by a company called Automattic

makes

Automattic offers free blogs & websites at wordpress.com

Automattic:Provides free web hostingSets up WordPressHandles backupsHandles upgradesStops spam

This is the “.com” flavor.Limited themes, options and flexibility and no code hacking.

Web Host

Web servers display your

website to people who visit it

They pay a monthly fee to a web host, and install the free WordPress software on the

web host’s server

Many people want more options or control than WordPress.com offers.

Web HostWebsite owner responsibilities:Buy the web hostingSet up WordpressHandle backupsHandle upgradesStop spamUpload new themesUpload plugins

This is the “self-hosted” or “.org” flavor.Complete control but comes with extra responsibility

With greater control comes greater responsibilities

My Experience with Web Hosts

Simple WordPress Installation with BlueHost

LIVE

DEMONSTRATION

WordPress Admin, aka Back Endhttp://visualthinkmedia.wordpress.com/

wp-admin/

What the world sees, akaFront End

http://visualthinkmedia.wordpress.com/

2 Views of Your WordPress Site

Hint: Use Your Browser’s Tabs

One tab for viewing the public view of the site

One tab for the “back end” / admin section

The DashboardCustomize Layout

Expand/Collapse Menu

Plugins

Theme- and Plugin-specific menu items

Themes

Thousands more themes than WordPress.com

Free and Premium

Theme foundries and frameworks

*Customizable

Premium Themes

StudioPress.comWooThemes.comElegantThemes.comTemplatic.comThemeForest.com

http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2011/04/20/detailed-comparison-of-premium-wordpress-theme-clubs/

Creating Posts

Title

Type or paste content

Insert imagesFormatting icons

Click for all icons

Publish options

Categories

Tags

Creating Pages

Similar layout as posts

Attributes instead of Categories and Tags

Posts vs Pages

Posts PagesTime-based content displayed in reverse chronological order - more “bloggy”

Pseudo-static pages used to create web pages for non-changing information like contact, about, products, services, etc. Not listed by date, and they don’t use categories and tags

Editing Posts & PagesSelect Edit under either Posts or Pages

Select item to edit

Categories & Tags

Categories - helpful for organizing your posts by topic

Tags like keywords

Blog post about Categories vs tags

http://digitalsplashmedia.com/2011/03/categories-vs-tags/

Custom Menus

Plugins

ExtraFunctionality

Need additional functionality? Thereʼs a plugin for that!

Plugins

List of installed plugins

Notice of available upgrade

Search for new plugins

Useful Plugin FunctionalityStop spamBackupsSecurityGalleriesSocial MediaContact FormSEO

More details on some of these later

Donʼt overdo it on plugins. They can slow down your site, bloat your database and be a security risk.

A WordPress site ANY website needs care and feeding.

You need to monitor it.

You need to keep it up to date and current.

You need to perform regular backups.

Security

Never, never, never use the default username “admin”

Use strong passwords

Upgrade to the latest version of WordPress

Host your WordPress site with a reliable web host who practices good security and has good, reliable tech support

Backup your site regularly to your own computer - not on the web server Database Uploads files .sql backup .xml backup

Backup options: Manual Automated and plugins

Security

Restoring from Backups - Sometimes it goes smooth and easy, sometimes not.

Backup files can get too big to reimport without resorting to trickery.

Keeping your blog clean to minimize bloated backup files. Consider drafting your posts in a basic text editor outside of WordPress.

Security

DO NOT USE WP PHPMYADMIN - IT HAS BECOME A SECURITY THREAT

Document your plugins and how you have them configured. Document your widgets. Document your menu structure

Plugins can be a vulnerability too. Don’t go overboard on them. Be careful with the plugins you select.

Upgrade plugins too http://wordpress.org/news/2011/06/passwords-reset/

Protective plugins WP Security Scan WordPress Firewall WP File Monitor

Follow WordPress.org on Twitter - security notices

Security

.htaccess files

Database table prefix

Hide Your WordPress version number

Prevent multiple login attempts

More... http://www.mauiwp.com/2011/06/wordpress-security/

Advanced Security

http://www.packtpub.com/wordpress-3-ultimate-security/book

Advanced SecurityIf you manage your own WordPress site, buy this book. If you have someone else manage your WordPress site, have them

buy this book.

If you think you may have been hacked, scan your site:http://sitecheck.sucuri.net/scanner/

Security

BackupsBackup your database. Options:

Tools > ExportThrough CPanelPlugins

Backup your files (images, etc. that youʼve uploaded; customizations). Options:

Through CPanelFTP softwarePlugins

LIVE

DEMONSTRATION

Backup PluginsVaultPressWP DBManagerWordPress Backup (by BTE)EZPZ One Click BackupWP phpMyAdmin

Upgrading

Always backup your database and files before upgrading

Check that your host has the minimum requirements of PHP and MySQL for the new version youʼre upgrading to. http://wordpress.org/about/requirements/

Might want a full backup of the old version of WordPress just in case something goes wrong with the upgrade (older versions available at http://wordpress.org/download/release-archive/)

Disable plugins first

Update Automatically

http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups

LIVE

DEMONSTRATION

Upgrade Chateau Maui

MigratingMigrating/moving a WordPress.com site to WordPress.org

If you want, WordPress.com team will take care of this for you with their new Guided Transfers feature for $119: http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/guided-transfers/

Moving a WordPress.org site to another hosthttp://digitalsplashmedia.com/2011/03/how-to-move-your-wordpress-site-to-a-new-web-host/

LIVE

DEMONSTRATION

cPanelLIV

E

DEMONSTRATION

BackupsFile ManagerFTP phpMyAdmin

SEO

http://www.wevecreatedamonster.com/the-beginners-guide-to-wordpress-seo/

Additional PluginsStop spamBackups Security Galleries Social MediaContact FormSEO

Additional PluginsStop spam

Akismet - Needs API key nowOther options: http://www.mauiwp.com/free-alternatives-to-akismet/

Additional PluginsBackups

VaultPressWP DBManagerEZPZ One Click BackupWP phpMyAdmin

Additional PluginsSecurity

WordPress Firewall or WordPress Firewall 2WordPress File MonitorWP Security ScanSecure WordPress

Additional PluginsWordPress Firewall

Additional PluginsGalleries

NextGen GalleryTubePress

Additional PluginsSocial Media

Social Media WidgetFB Like ButtonTwitter Blackbird PieEmbed FacebookShare This

Additional PluginsContact Forms

Contact Form 7Grunion Contact Form

Additional PluginsSEO

All in OneWordPress SEO by YoastHeadspace 2

Additional Topics

Additional Topics1. A look at Premium Themes2. WordPress theme structure3. Customizing themes4. Managing comments5. Static Home Page6. Media Library7. Widgets

Theme Structure

Customizing ThemesAppearance > Editor

Always make a backup of any file that you modify before you edit it

Modify the stylesheet to alter the look of your theme - you really need to know some CSS before you try this

Child themes are recommended approach to customization

Using Firebug

Easy way to find what CSS rules are governing the look of your content elements

WordPress Theme Makeoverhttp://digitalsplashmedia.com/2011/03/wordpress-theme-makeover-tutorial/

Managing Comments

UnapproveApproveSpam

Static Home Page

First create a page that will be your home page

Under Settings > Reading click on A static page in the Front page displays section & select the new home page for Front page and new blog page for posts page

Create another new page that will be for blog posts

Media Library

Upload and manage photos, video and other media

Widgets

Content for your sidebar & footer

Drag-n-drop widgets with your mouse

Find it under Appearance menu

Useful Widgets:Recent PostsArchivesCategoriesRSS

Some themes & plugins include extra widgets

WordPress ResourcesDigitalSplashMedia.com

MauiWP.comWordPress.tv

codex.wordpress.orgTwitter.com/DigitalSplash

Twitter.com/MauiWP

Digging Into WordPress

http://digwp.com/book/

1. Welcome to WordPress2. Setting up WordPress3. Anatomy of a WordPress Theme4. Theme Design and Development5. Extending Functionality6. Working with RSS Feeds7. Working with Comments8. Search Engine Optimization9. Maintaining a Healthy Site10.Bonus Tricks!11.WordPress 2.9 Update12.WordPress 3.0 Update