9/5/2016
Create your own WordPress website
John Tully ‐ DSM
Delta Strategic Marketing | Website Design
All about me • My name is John Tully • Originally from the UK • Small Business, Sales & Marketing for over 20 years • DSM established 2009 • Boutique marketing company providing cost‐ effective, custom‐built (WP) websites for small and micro businesses
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1 9/5/2016
All about you! Denise DeLeo Susan Symczak Stephanie Fritsch Kevan Wisniewski Dawn Maloney James Maloney Regina Shanklin
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About C3 Workplace
• BUSINESS SUPPORT AND RESOURCES • EDUCATION & EVENTS • OFFICE AND MEETING SPACE
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2 9/5/2016
Agenda 3 week program Week 1: Background and initial setup Week 2: Inside your website Week 3: Making your website your own (customizing and content)
Delta Strategic Marketing | Website Design
Agenda Week 1: Why do you want/need a website? Why WordPress? Hosting Installing WordPress
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Our focus tonight • Small Business and Organizations (non‐profits) • Teacher‐led (minimal hands‐on) • Follow the exact steps I take
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Why do you want/need a website?
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4 9/5/2016
Some numbers for you • Daily searches on Google
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Some numbers for you • Daily searches on Google – 6 billion • Percentage for products and services –46% • Percentage for local services –20% • 1.2 billion searches for local services every day
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5 9/5/2016
The Internet has: • Replaced directories (Yellow Pages, Thomas’s Register, etc) • Killed off printed newspapers • Allowed people to watch TV on their own schedule without ads
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The Internet has also: • Removed the requirement to shop in a “brick & mortar” store • Replaced encyclopedias / company libraries • Facilitated almost instantaneous worldwide communication ( outsourcing)
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6 9/5/2016
What about small business? They need a web presence because: – Their competitors have a web presence – They are “invisible” without it – Gen Y and Millenniums default to the web if you don’t have a professional looking website, they are going to dismiss you
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The Hierarchy of Things 1. First comes your company, product or service. If you don’t have this set up STOP! 2. You need a website. No longer optional. A website is “yours”. 3. Everything else (Blogging, Social Media, E‐mail marketing) comes next!
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7 9/5/2016
?
PR SM
Web PR SM site
Ads SM
PPC
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Have I convinced you about needing a website?
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8 9/5/2016
Why WordPress?
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Brief history of WP
• Released 2003 ‐ Matt Mullenweg • Open source (General Public License) • Started as blogging platform • Morphed into full featured CMS
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9 9/5/2016
WordPress.org & WordPress.com
WordPress vs. WordPress
Delta Strategic Marketing | Website Design
WordPress.org & WordPress.com • WordPress.com – Commercial site where you can host your blog for free (ad supported) – Many paid upgrades (own domain, additional space, no ads, etc) – Limitations on themes, plugins, access to files – Cannot be “monetized” with AdSense
Delta Strategic Marketing | Website Design
10 9/5/2016
WordPress.org & WordPress.com • WordPress.org – Repository for downloadable software and support documentation – Needs external hosting – “No” Limitations – Simple user interface but very complex just “behind the curtain”
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Current State of WordPress • Number of websites – ~25% of the top 10 million websites – 60 million blogs/websites worldwide • Financial – Automattic – (“Matt” Mullenweg) • WordPress.com, Akismet, VaultPress, WooCommerce • Forging ahead (REST API)
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11 9/5/2016
Let’s talk about domains • A domain is “an address” on the web that points to a website or other content – www.google.com – www.facebook.com – www.dsm‐llc.com • Like a PO Box – its rented not purchased • Recurring costs (~$12/year)
Delta Strategic Marketing | Website Design
Let’s talk about domains • Do you have your domain? • If yes, keep it in your pocket for now. • If no: – Pick a domain name (after checking if its available) – Find a domain registrar – Register your domain(s)
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12 9/5/2016
Let’s talk about hosting • If a domain is like a PO Box, hosting is like renting a plot of land that the PO Box forwards mail to. • Your website is built on this rented plot of land • Rented – not purchased • Recurring cost (monthly, quarterly, yearly) • Required for a WordPress website
Delta Strategic Marketing | Website Design
Let’s talk about hosting • Picking a hosting company is a BIG decision • Many, many choices out there • Suggestion: – Avoid the big / cheap guys – Crammed into one big server – Security issues • Ask a professional for advice
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13 9/5/2016
Let’s talk about hosting • When deciding make sure there’s access to cPanel (or similar) dashboard for managing your website.
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Back to WordPress
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14 9/5/2016
Installing WordPress A choice One touch installation Step‐by‐step (2 major steps) Softaculous or similar Cons: Time Pros: Easy consuming, multiple Cons: Bloatware, not steps as secure Pros: Tighter code, no “extras”, more secure Delta Strategic Marketing | Website Design
Major components of WordPress
• Core • Themes • Plugins
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15 9/5/2016
Core Plugins
Theme
USER Delta Strategic Marketing | Website Design
WordPress Core
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WordPress Core
• Just released 4.6 • Minor updates (x.x.1, x.x.2, etc., as needed) • Major updates (4.3, 4.4 etc., 2‐3/year) • Why bother – Things break – Security patches – Useful/cool updates
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Major step #1 • Create database • Most modern websites use a piece of software called MySQL, an Open Source database • It is owned by a company but is made available for widespread, free use.
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Major step #2 • Installing WordPress • Download most recent version of WP from wordpress.org • Download a text editor – Notepad++ for Windows – Text Wrangler for Mac
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Major step #2, more • Upload WordPress to hosting environment • Unzip files • Navigate to domain and follow instructions
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18 9/5/2016
Our next step • Each of you will have your “own” WordPress installation to work on – My server – My domain – My hosting • At the end of the program you’ll be able to move to your domain and your hosting if you want to.
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