Wordcamp columbus-100-things

www.jtpratt.com/wordpress-100-things WordCamp Columbus 2011 100 Things You Should Know About WordPress

About the Presentation
Originally given at WordPress Ann Arbor
Presented by WordCamp Detroit founder Anthony Montalbano and myself
10 Topics with 10 Things
Plugins, Themes, Tips, Best Practices...
Links and Resources at the link below
www.jtpratt.com/wordpress-100-things

The 10 Topics
Webhosting
Setup and Installing WordPress
Choosing a WordPress Theme
WordPress Security
Default Plugins to Install
Content Creation
Theme Modification
Fundamental Plugins to Install
Content Organization
WordPress Resources

1. WordPress and Webhosting
Choose a WordPress web host by reading complaints in official support forums
Unlimited Web Hosts aren't really unlimited
Keeping domain registrations separate makes it easier to move in the future
Backing up off-site is best for disaster recovery
Change all passwords every 30 days (wp-admin and web hosting control panel)
Directory indexing should be turned off
Minimize resources by caching your site as much as possible
Keep other software up to date so WordPress doesn't get hacked
Optimize your database tables automatically
Webhosts do server related support – not WordPress support

2. Setting Up and Installing WordPress
The Simple WordPress install
Automated WordPress install
More installation help
Don’t create a wp-config.php file manually
Don’t user ‘admin’ when installing WordPress
Don’t use ‘wp_’ as your database prefix when installing WordPress
Install more than 1 WordPress site to the same database
Build your site offline
Install multiple sites under one WordPress installation
Use help and support forums for setup

3. Choosing a WordPress Theme
Never search Google for Free WordPress themes
The more professional your layout is, the higher your conversion rate will be
If you like a theme google the name + conflict, broken, and help
Premium themes generally come with more mature code, multiple revisions, and support
In most cases rely on a theme for design and layout - not functionality
Some themes excel at functionality: directories, auctions, classifieds, video, magazine
View admin functionality before choosing a theme; make sure you're capable of customizations
Use "Maintenance Mode" or "Theme Test Drive" plugins when switching themes
Test in Windows, Linux, Mobile, and Mac before launch
Always be aware that design changes always affect search rankings

4. WordPress Security
Hide WordPress files
Excellent password practices
Change your default login link
Prevent too many login attempts
Monitor your WordPress installation
Upgrade WordPress to latest version
Scan your install after making admin changes
See installing WordPress tips
Backup your database regularly
I’ve been hacked, what do I do?

5. Default Plugins to Install
Akismet
Hotfix
Jetpack
Revision Control
Subscribe to Comments
Contact Form 7
Error Reporting
Login Lockdown
Secure Wordpress
All in One SEO Pack / Google XML Sitemap / Robots Meta (or WordPress SEO)

6. WordPress Content Creation
Make a post sticky
Require a password to view a post
Schedule posts for the future
Make images “web friendly”
Re-use the same images when possible
Spell check your posts and pages
Copy and Paste your Microsoft Word content properly
Link to other posts quickly
Easily search and embed content from the web
Write for the web

7. WordPress Theme Modification
Widgets enable drag and drop functionality for content or plugins (usually sidebar / footer)
A WordPress theme can have unlimited "widgitized areas“
Widgitized areas can be "conditional" (for specific conditions or pages)
WordPress 3.0+ adds custom "menu" functionality (like widgets, but for navigation)
Core theme files are index.php, single.php, page.php, header.php, footer.php, style.css
You can create custom headers, footers, and stylesheets to be used in certain conditions
Custom theme page "templates" can be used and then assigned to display for specific pages
You can control how many posts "the_loop" shows
You can control the display of each post (content or excerpt)
Small modifications can alter meta info and navigation for posts

8. Fundamental Plugins to Install
The Events Calendar
MapPress Easy Google Maps
NextGEN Gallery
Audio Player
WordPress SEO by Yoast
WP-Touch
GD Star Rating
Lightbox Gallery
WP Table Reloaded
Theme My Login

9. WordPress Content Organization
Update "previous" and "next" post links to standard pagination
Add Breadcrumbs to pages, posts, categories, and tags
Pages are meant to be "static" (infrequently change), Posts are frequently added
Pages can have heirarchy (children), Posts cannot
Posts can be assigned to tags and categories (and sub-categories), Pages cannot
Posts can be grouped and sorted (custom post types like blog / products / services)
Organization plugins exist (PageMash, Category Manager, Custom Post Type UI)
Provide relevant content options for visitors (related posts, tags, categories)
Redundant navigation is good (header / sidebar / footer)
You can schedule, update, and re-publish posts

10. WordPress Resources Available
WordPress Dedicated Sites
Blogs with Heavy WordPress Categories
WordPress Roundups
WordPress Books
WordPress Podcasts
Free WordPress Theme Lists
Help/Support Forums
WordPress Videos
WordPress Cheatsheets
WordCamps and WordPress Meetups

We Share A LOT of WordPress Stuff
Twitter: www.twitter.com/jtpratt
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jtprattmedia
Blog: www.jtpratt.com/blog

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Wordcamp columbus-100-things

by John Pratt on Jun 17, 2011

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Wordcamp columbus-100-things — Presentation Transcript