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WordPress: Your CMS of Choice designbloggersconference.com @LisaSabinWilson February 26, 2015

The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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Page 1: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

WordPress: Your CMS of Choice

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 2: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Lisa Sabin-Wilson Owner, Author, Designer, Developer. WordPress Fan.

Chief Operating Officer & Co-Owner: WebDevStudios.com

Author: WordPress For Dummies; WordPress Web Design For Dummies

Thanks for being here!

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 3: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

WordPress Powers Nearly 25% of the

Web.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 4: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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WordPress Is The Leading Platform On The Internet Today

W3Techs.com - February 22, 2015

38%

2.9%2.0%

23.4%

> 70%

Joomla Drupal WordPress No CMS / or Other

Content StrategyContent structure, navigation, workflow & governance

Social Media Integration / MarketingIntegration with social like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram - own your content FIRST, then share it out.

Photo Galleries & ShowcasesShowcase your design work by creating beautiful, dynamic galleries that are easy to navigate.

eCommerce & Online ShopsSell products and services online and accept payments, subscriptions and memberships with ease.

Web & Mobile ApplicationsCreate web sites that look beautiful on mobile devices, too! You can also use WordPess to create iOS and Android apps.

★ 22 out of every 100 new active domains in the US are running WordPress.

★ WordPress 4.1 released on December 18, 2014 has been downloaded 9,548,082.

★ The Industry created by WordPress such as website development, hosting, theme and plug-in development, security, and support is responsible for over 1 Billion dollars in earnings annually.

★ A 2014 survey conducted by WordPress showed that 25% of WordPress users earned their income from the platform.

★ WordPress was created in 2003 to fill a void in the emerging market of managing and publishing content on the web.

1 in 5 Sites

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WordPress FeaturesWordPress has been designed to be extremely user-friendly. Whether you are a novice or a skilled user, WordPress’ Dashboard makes it easy to maneuver your website.

Easy to Use.

Easy Administration

Control Your Content

Flexible User Accounts and Roles

Search Engine Optimized

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 6: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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WordPress.com VS WordPress.org

Two different flavors of WordPress

WordPress.com = Hosted Version

WordPress.org = Self-Hosted Version

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 7: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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WordPress.com = Hosted Version

Hosted service - you can sign

up for a free account

HostedTool used primarily by people

who run a blog only.

Blogging

You have to use the themes

they give you and you cannot

use plugins.

Limited Customization

There is no software to install,

just sign up, login and start

blogging.

No SoftwareYou can pay to upgrade for

things like your own domain,

premium themes, more space,

etc.

Upgrades

WordPress.com is an excellent way to get a WordPress blog up and running within minutes. If you are interested, primarily, in blogging without any hassle of setting up the software, this may

be the solution for you. You are, however, limited in the design of your site and customizations - the 3,000+ themes and 36K+ plugins found in the WordPress directories cannot be used on

WordPress.com - they limit you to the feature set that they have provided for you. If you want more control over the look and feel of your site, you may wish to consider the WordPress.org

software, instead.

WordPress.com

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 8: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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WordPress.org = Self-hosted Version

Requirements: a domain and a web hosting account that supports PHP v. 5.4+ and

MySQL 5.5+

Self-hostedThe open source platform can

be downloaded at WordPress.org - it needs to be installed on your web server.

Software Install

Access and use the thousands of free themes and

plugins available for the WordPress platform.

Flexible & Extensible

Run a blog, a web site, an online shop, a membership site, a photo gallery - the possibilities are endless.

Sky is the limitAs mentioned earlier

depending on your skill level and experience with web

technology - there may be costs involved.

Some cost

At WordPress.org, you find the open source content management platform that is so popular today. It is a piece of software, however, so it does need to be installed on a compatible web

hosting services, like WPEngine.com. Once installed, you can use any number of free themes and plugins to customize your web site to suit your needs. You can run a blog, a web site, an

online shop, a photo gallery, a membership site - there are no limits to what you can do. The beautiful thing is that you own, and are in control of, your own content.

WordPress.org

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Page 9: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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This talk focuses on WordPress.Org

My session today focuses on WordPress.org because I believe that is the best

solution for any individual or business whose primary goal is to market their

product or services on the internet today.

The software available at WordPress.org offers you the flexibility and

extensibility you need to create a web site that is as unique as you are.

WordPress.org

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 10: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

WordPress is free…. …as in Puppies

You can get it for free…

but you have to babysit it

and make sure it doesn’t poop on your couch.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 11: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Domain Registration & Web Hosting

To run the WordPress software you need

you own domain name and a web hosting

account so you have a web server to

install and run your WordPress web site.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 12: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Theme Design & Development

Out of the box, WordPress is free.

If you want a custom look and feel, be

prepared to pay a professional to do it for

you - unless you have the talent,

experience and time to make it happen

yourself.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 13: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Ongoing Maintenance &

SupportYour website is kind of a big deal.

Protecting your WordPress investment

is a no brainer.

Think of ongoing security checks,

updates, backups and development

needs.

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Page 14: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

These Business Brands Are Turning to WordPress

WordPress Showcase

These brands learned how to leverage the WordPress to use the features they love to connect

with customers, track growth, and expand their reach.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 15: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Microsoft Europe

US Microsoft News Center

The New Yorker

Sony Music MTV

WeTV

Beyonce Playstation

Best Buy Microsoft Lumina

Rush TIME, Inc

http://microsoft.eu http://news.microsoft.com http://newyorker.com

http://sonymusic.com http://mtv.com/news

http://wetv.com http://beyonce.com http://blog.us.playstation http://stores.bestbuy.com/890/

http://lumiaconversations.microsoft.com/ http://rush.com http://timeinc.com

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12

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06

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These Notable Brands Use WordPressOne of the common misconceptions about WordPress is that since it is open source, it may not be good

enough for big brands. To disprove this myth, here is a list of most notable big name brands that are

using WordPress on their websites.

WordPress Showcase

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WordPress Applications for Marketing & BusinessSome popular, and useful, applications of WordPress for your company

Special Features

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Easily Embed VideosVideos from services such as YouTube or Vimeo can be easily embedded in any WordPress post or page

WordPress currently allows you to easily embed videos from the

following services: YouTube, Vimeo or Vine.

OR

Upload your own videos and embed them.

Video isn't just for entertainment anymore. It's quickly becoming the preferred medium for marketing teams to communicate with prospects and customers online. Millions of videos are added to the internet each day

and they are making a huge impact on how people market their businesses online. Videos keep your audience interested and its easier to persuade people with video and a lot of times, decision makers don’t have the

time to read a bunch of lengthy text.

Special Features

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 18: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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Web Lead FormsCreating custom forms in WordPress is pretty easy - - you can even connect them to your favorite CRM

Easily create web forms to allow your customers to communicate

with you directly.

——-

Hook those web forms into popular CRM solutions like Marketo or

Salesforce to collect and manage web leads.

Use the Gravity Forms plugin for WordPress to build custom forms that suit your needs: http://gravityforms.com

For Marketo integration - there is a plugin for Gravity Forms that adds users into your Marketo account when users submit the form: https://wordpress.org/plugins/marketo

For Salesforce integration - there is a plugin for Gravity forms that adds contacts into your Salesforce account when users submit the form: https://wordpress.org/plugins/gravity-forms-salesforce

Special Features

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 19: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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Photo Galleries & ShowcasesA picture tells a thousand words! If I am searching for interior design samples or services - I want to see examples!

Easily create stunning photo galleries to showcase your work with

the built-in photo gallery feature in WordPress - - or extend the

feature by taking advantage of one of many free photo gallery

plugins available for WordPress.

Visual imagery is important in interior design - everyone from the DIY’er to the person who hires you to do it for them wants to see samples of your work and ideas and there is no better way to convey that than to

provide a visually rich experience on your web site to allow your work and ideas to speak for themselves! Luckily, WordPress has built-in photo gallery capabilities allowing you to upload photos and create stunning

photo galleries, out of the box. If you need more than what WordPress offers, there are several plugins available to enhance the experience: https://wordpress.org/plugins/search.php?q=photo+gallery

Special Features

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Page 20: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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eCommerceDo you sell products and/or services? Sell them on your web site, collect money online and manage your inventory and digital goods in WordPress!

If you sell physical products, digital good or services - there are

plugins for WordPress that make it easy to collect payment,

display your inventory and track sales.

My favorite, and recommended, plugin for eCommerce today is WooCommerce: http://woocommerce.com

WooCommerce is the most popular WordPress eCommerce plugin. And it's available for free. Packed full of features, perfectly integrated into your self-hosted WordPress website. Manage products, payments,

shipping, inventory, reporting, marketing, taxes - everything that goes into creating an online shop on the web is bundled for you in the WooCommerce plugin for WordPress.

Special Features

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Page 21: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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Social Media IntegrationBeing social is everything for websites! Your audience isn’t just on your web site - they are on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and more!

Give your web site visitors the ability to share your content on

various social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and

Pinterest so others are able to find you there! Social media

sharing capabilities has become a critical tool for findability on

the web today!

Social media sharing is not just for articles and written content - but videos, photos and photo galleries can also be, individually, shared on social networks. When you give your site visitors the ability to share your

content on the various networks, it increases the possibility that others will find you and your company/brand represented on popular networks, too. Your audience is there - you should be there as well!

The Jetpack plugin for WordPress gives you the ability to provide those sharing tools for content, videos and images: http://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack

Special Features

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 22: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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Mobile Apps with WordPress

Social Sharing, Stats, and moreEverything you need to make a great mobile app

Fast, Beautiful Apps for All Online stores, restaurants, churches, gyms, bands,

magazines, and lots more WordPress based businesses.

Simple to use Build your app with no coding, and no hassle

Integrate your WordPress content Add WordPress posts, pages, products, media and more.

Reactor by AppPresser - http://reactor.appresser.com

Convert your WordPress website into a mobile app, publish on the app stores. It’s easy and affordable. Allows you to build mobile applications to compliment your existing web site. These apps can be distributed via the popular application

stores for Apple and Android. This is a great companion network that you can distribute your web site content and offerings to

Special Features

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Page 23: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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Search Engine OptimizationWordPress is optimized for search engines, out of the box - it’s a great platform for it by default!

Hundreds of businesses vying to appear on Google’s first page and in the “7-pack” of business listings. Designers often have

limited time for online marketing, working seemingly around the clock to design spaces,

meet with clients, and oversee contractors. Even so, local SEO is a must-have to ensure

that clients can find you in the first place

SEO is similar to interior design in some ways — elements can be placed within a space, but if placed optimally they work together better and make the space both functional and simultaneously more attractive. As

with an interior space, if a company’s online presence isn’t optimal, it’s less attractive to visitors. The next few slides contain some SEO tips for your business - but as far as WordPress in concerned, you can utilize a

great plugin for SEO called WordPress SEO by Yoast: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/

Special Features

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

• Write better content with Yoast SEO • Page Analysis • Social Media Integration • XML Sitemaps • Image optimization

Page 24: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Market your Business with the

Best KeywordsGoogle Trends shows that “Interior

Design” has the most search volume in

the United States. Also mentioning

your specializations or types of

building interiors or businesses that

you focus on

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Page 25: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Company Info on your Home & Contact

PagesInclude your company name, address, and phone

number in plain text on your site’s home page and

contact pages. Doing this makes it easier for search

engines to crawl your site and verify that it should

be associated with your business listing in their

databases.

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Page 26: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Add your Company Listing in Online

DirectoriesIf your business is new, listing in

online directories is critical because

your information won’t magically get

distributed by itself.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 27: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Share Photos on Pinterest, Flickr, and

InstagramPeople frequently browse Pinterest,

Flickr, Instagram, and similar sites for

ideas on decorating, inspiration, and to

find vendors of furnishings or even to

find designers to hire.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 28: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Make Site Images Crawlable

Designers sometimes get too uptight

about allowing others to access their

images, which can result in shooting

themselves in the feet — as far as

marketing — if taken too far.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 29: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Post Videos of your Designs on YouTube

Videos can rank well in search results by

themselves, and they also can include links

back to your business website.

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015

Page 30: The Ultimate Blog Platform - Lisa Sabin-Wilson

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Thank You!Find me on Twitter: @LisaSabinWilson

These slides are available online: http://lisas.co/designbc

design-­‐bloggers-­‐conference.com                                           @LisaSabinWilson  -­‐  February  26,  2015