Set Up and Maintenance of your WordPress Website - Charleston WordCamp

Set Up and Maintenance of your WordPress Website

Suzette Franck2014 Charleston WordCampCharleston, SC #wcchsSaturday, May 17, 2014

Media Temple // 8520 National Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232 / 877-578-4000 / mediatemple.net / @mt_Suzette © 2013 (mt) Media Temple


Suzette Franck with a “ck”

@mt_Suzette

★WordPress Evangelist @ (mt) Media Temple

★Born in Hollywood, California Native

★Over 20 Years Coding & Web Development

★Developed over 200 WordPress sites

★Spoke at 18 WordCamps to date★WordPress Podcast WPUnicornProject.com

https://www.youtube.com/user/mediatemple

★Reg. Contributor on WPwatercooler.com

★Blogs at: suzettefranck.com

★Slides: speakerdeck.com/suzettefranck

http://suzettefranck.com

http://suzettefranck.com

https://speakerdeck.com/suzettefranck



★ Look or “Skin” of Your Site w/Themes

★ Functionality w/Plugins

★ Widgets and Sidebars

★ Maintenance Best Practices

★ Where to get WordPress Help

What We Will Cover


What is a Theme?


WordPress Themes

A WordPress Theme is a group of template files stored on your server that make up the “look” of your site and can be installed and customized from the Dashboard

Best are listed in WP Repository, strict standards, made by volunteers, may not have support, GPLv2, may have “Pro” paid version w/additional features

Not listed in WP Repository, no standards, made by anyone, typically do include some support, license varies

Types of Themes


Appearance > Themes

★Change Themes

★Customize Themes

★Widgets (sidebar)

★Menus (navigation)

★Header (depends on theme)

★Background (if theme has)

★Theme Options

★Editor = No Undo!! Avoid!


How to Install a New Theme?


Appearance > Themes


Install, Preview, Details


Preview/Customizer


Activate


Customize


The Customizer for Origin Theme

Different options depending on your theme


When Searching for a Theme

★Not all themes are created equally

★Do not search Google for free themes (malware)

★WordPress Repository is best for free themes

★Avoid Theme Forest (complicated, hard to customize)

★Trusted Premium Theme Shops: Google all the Reviews!


Recommended Free Themes

★Customizr

★Magazine Basic

★Origin

★Quark

★Swift

★Pagelines


Recommended Premium Theme Makers

★WooThemes

★Elegant Themes

★Graph Paper Press

★DevPress

★Okay Themes


What is a Plugin?

What is a Plugin?

+

A WordPress Plugin is a single or group of php file(s) stored on your server that add functionality, features, or applications to your site


What Can Plugins Do?


Plugins Can Do Anything!

★Change Default Functionality: add an option to admin

★Add Applications: e-Commerce, Social Networking

★Provide Interactivity: Contact Forms, Surveys, Sharing

★Help you Maintain Your Site: Backups, Optimization, Caching


You Don’t Need a Plugin For That

★Adding video or embedding media

★Uploading pictures and audio

★Just add URL (YouTube, Flickr, SoundCloud)

★http://codex.wordpress.org/Embeds

Best are listed in WP Repository, strict standards, made by volunteers, may not have support, GPLv2, may have “Pro” paid version w/additional features

Not listed in WP Repository, no standards, made by anyone, typically do include some support, license varies

Types of Plugins

WordPress Plugin Repository

★FREE! GPLv2 (General Public License)

★Will not spam your website with advertising

★Includes readme.txt

★No obfuscated (hidden) code

★Cannot disable functionality or annoy to force you to buy

★No unauthorized collection of data

★No banner or advertising, sponsored links

Premium Plugin Sources

★Gravity Forms (gravityforms.com)

★VaultPress (vaultpress.com)

★Code Canyon (codecanyon.net)

★WPMU Dev (premium.wpmudev.org)


When Searching for Plugins

★Not all plugins are created equally

★Know your sources!

★WordPress Repository is best for free plugins

★Many free plugins have a paid pro or premium version

★Check last updated, compatibility, rating and other info

★Trusted Premium Plugin Shops: Gravity Forms, WPMU, etc.


How Do Install a Plugin?


Plugins > Add New

Search by Name or Keyword

Browse by clicking on Category & Tag Links

Search Results

Plugin Details

As few as possible!

How Many Plugins Should I Have?

Plugin Performance Profiler or P3

Free Plugins for Every Site

★WP-Help (Create Documentation) or SIDEKICK

★Akismet (Spam blocker)

★Jetpack by WordPress.com (Everything)

★WordPress SEO by Yoast (SEO)

★WordFence Security (Security)

★WP-Optimize (Optimize your DB)

★BackUpWordPress (Backups)

★Google Analyticator (Statistics)


What is a Widget?

What are Widgets?

Widgets are pieces of dynamic or static content that can be dropped into your sidebar,

defined by you

What are Sidebars?

Sidebars are any area that can contain a widget, not necessarily on the side: “Widgetable Areas”

defined by your theme


Where to get Widgets?

★Some widgets come with WordPress

★May come from the installed theme

★Can be installed via a plugin

★Configuration and look of widgets vary widely

Widgets

Widgets

Helpful Widgets for Every Site

★ Search (WordPress)

★ Archives (WordPress)

★ Twitter (Jetpack Plugin)

★ Image Widget (Plugin)

★ Social Web Links (Plugin)


WordPress Maintenance and Housekeeping

Best Practices

★Run backups regularly and before updating

★Keep core, plugins and themes updated

★Remove unused plugins and themes

★Every editor should have their own account

★Practice least privilege, remove unused accounts

★Do not access admin from public WIFI

★Do not use plain FTP, use SFTP

★Document everything for later (WP Help)


Getting WordPress Help

Getting WordPress Help

★Community is best resource

★Local Meetups & WordCamps

★Online Groups: LinkedIn, Google Plus, Facebook Groups

★WordPress Support Forums for Plugins

★Contact Seller or Developer for Themes

★http://codex.wordpress.org

★http://wordpress.stackexchange.com/

★Your hosting provider’s knowledgebase


Further WordPress Learning


★Follow smart people on Twitter

★Watch and attend their speeches

★Read their books and articles

★Work and collaborate with smart people

★Smart people never know it all

★“The more you know the less you know”

Learn from Smart People

@chrislema


WordPress.tv


★http://wordpress.org/support/

WordPress Support Forums

@IpstenuMika Epstein


★http://wordpress.meetup.com/

WordPress Meetup Groups


★ http://www.visualistan.com/2014/05/wordcamp-events-around-world-may-july.html

WordCamps

@mt_Suzette

Questions?

Follow Me!

Suzette [email protected]


Have Fun and Learn!

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Technology

Set Up and Maintenance of your WordPress Website - Charleston WordCamp