WORDPRESS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

JACQUELINE LEE DeVITO

WordCamp NYC 2010

•Webologist at WPStartups

•Project Manager at MarkNet Group, Inc.

•Only heard of WordPress 8 months ago

(and now I’m here!)

Who is Jacqueline?

•Graduated from the University at Albany•Graduated with a BA in History and Judaic Studies•Generation Y•Got my start with:

MySpace, LiveJournal, & AOL Hometown Pages

History 101

•Easy, Easy, Easy!

•Themes

•Helpful Plug-Ins

Reasons to Use WordPress for Your Small Business

•Easy to build, easy to use, easy to maintain

•I f you can send an e-mail, you can manage a WordPress site

•Ability to change content on pages and posts in a matter of seconds

Easy, Easy, Easy!

•Maintain your site from any computer, iPhone, BlackBerry or Droid

•Large WordPress community to help

•No secrets and no hidden costs

Easy, Easy, Easy!

•Quick way to format and design your site•A predetermined layout, color scheme, and style•Ability to edit themes to match your brand•StudioPress’ Genesis Framework•Child Themes

Themes

•Little extras that make your site more user friendly•Gravity Forms, $39.00•Testimonial Manager•NextGEN Gallery•Google Map Integrations

Helpful Plug-Ins

Gravity Forms

Testimonial Manager

NextGEN Gallery

Google Map Integration

•Get Organized!

•What are your website goals?

•Color

Getting Started

•Can’t paint lay down the carpet until you build the walls•Take your time to prepare and make sure you have what you need•Content•Images•Can always edit later

Get Organized

•Don’t start until you have an answer!•Selling goods?•Sharing Information?•Non-Profit?•What do you want visitors to get from your site?

What Are Your Website Goals?

•Knowing what you don’t want is just as important as knowing what you do want•Check out your local and global competition•Stay within the norms•Fine line between being having a memorable site, and having a flawed site

Why Do You Need a Website?

•Über important•Red vs. Green vs. Blue•Accent colors•Match your brand•Adobe ® Kuler

Color

Color

•Page vs. Post•To Blog or not to blog, that is the question•Target Audience•Be consistent

Building Your Site

•A page is more of a “content giving” means•Will edit less frequently•A post is for your blog•More of a content giving/comment receiving means•More ways to organize content

Page vs. Post

•Answer: BLOG!•Does not need to be everyday, or even every week•Personifies your website•Allows for comments, polls, etc…

To Blog, or Not to BlogThat is the Question

•Build for your target audience, not for yourself•Put content where it feels like it should be•K.I.S.S.•People don’t read.•Current and accurate content

Target Audience

•Page orientations•Color•Image titles•Open links in a new window•1s t person vs. 3 r d person•Spelling and Grammar

Be Consistent

•Preview first

•Keep it fresh

•Unique Password

Maintaining Your Site

•When making edits, preview your changes first, then submit

•It is a live site!

•Edits during off peak hours

Preview First

•Keep content current

•Rotate images

•Example: Real Estate and the seasons

•Track inventory

Keep it Fresh

•Be creative, Be smart•Something not easily guessed•Password Generators•Change password often•Most Common passwords:

password, 123456,abc123, qwerty, 1q2w3e4r

Unique Password

•Have fun•Don’t be afraid to ask for help•WordPress Community•Forums for both WordPress and your Theme•Don’t be a superhero•One minor mistake can be big trouble

Mazel Tov!You Have a Site!

http://wpstartups.com

Facebook.com/WPStartups

@WPStartups

YouTube.com/wpstartups

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Jacqueline Lee DeVito

Facebook.com/jacqueline.devito

@Jacq_Devito

jdevito@wpstartups.com

845-259-9397

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