April 8, 2009 Reuben D. Rock an introduction to

What’s Your R.O.I. Today? You’ll Learn… What Wordpress is How it goes beyond blogging How you can get it today - for FREE Writing posts and pages Basic ways to customize Wordpress Embedding video

You’ll Learn…

What Wordpress is

How it goes beyond blogging

How you can get it today - for FREE

Writing posts and pages

Basic ways to customize Wordpress

Embedding video

Consider this… + Cliff’s Notes

Part One What is it?

Wordpress huh? Wordpress.com is a free blog site Anyone can sign up Blog about anything - within reason Limited ability to customize = FAIL Wordpress.org is free blogging software Thousand of custom themes Thousands of plugins You can do anything

Wordpress.com is a free blog site

Anyone can sign up

Blog about anything - within reason

Limited ability to customize = FAIL

Wordpress.org is free blogging software

Thousand of custom themes

Thousands of plugins

You can do anything

Who Uses Wordpress? The little guys Me ( ReubenRock .com ) LaunchMemphis .com The BIG guys Harvard , Dartmouth , Berkeley , Cornell Sony , GE , Coca-Cola , Ford Motor Co. Martha Stewart

The little guys

Me ( ReubenRock .com )

LaunchMemphis .com

The BIG guys

Harvard , Dartmouth , Berkeley , Cornell

Sony , GE , Coca-Cola , Ford Motor Co.

Martha Stewart

Part Two More than a blog

Beyond Blogging Wordpress does more because… Themes - customize appearance/layout Plugins - add functionality Both available at Wordpress.org/extend Freebies will get the job done, but there are some that cost $$$. BUT before we dive into the glitter and pizzazz…

Wordpress does more because…

Themes - customize appearance/layout

Plugins - add functionality

Both available at Wordpress.org/extend

Freebies will get the job done, but there are some that cost $$$.

BUT before we dive into the glitter and pizzazz…

Part Three Installation

Let’s Install Wordpress You need: Hosting account (your storage space ) Cpanel & Fantastico make Wordpress a breeze! I recommend HostGator .com Domain name (e.g. ReubenRock.com ) I recommend 1and1.com Wordpress software Fantastico will download this for you

You need:

Hosting account (your storage space )

Cpanel & Fantastico make Wordpress a breeze!

I recommend HostGator .com

Domain name (e.g. ReubenRock.com )

I recommend 1and1.com

Wordpress software

Fantastico will download this for you

Setting Up Hosting/Domain It’s easy, so we won’t cover it in depth Buy hosting Buy domain name Link domain name to hosting account Change your domain’s DNS settings to match your hosting account Here’s an easy guide if you need help: http: //faq .1and1. com/domains/dns_settings/index .html

It’s easy, so we won’t cover it in depth

Buy hosting

Buy domain name

Link domain name to hosting account

Change your domain’s DNS settings to match your hosting account

Here’s an easy guide if you need help:

http: //faq .1and1. com/domains/dns_settings/index .html

Finally, Installing Wordpress Log in to your hosting account Cpanel Usually at www.yourdomain.com/cpanel Scroll down until you see Fantastico Click it!

Log in to your hosting account Cpanel

Usually at www.yourdomain.com/cpanel

Scroll down until you see Fantastico

Click it!

Fantastico Fantastico quickly installs Wordpress to save you hassle Click “Wordpress” Click “New Installation” Select domain name from drop-down menu Type admin name, password, nickname, email Click “Install Wordpress” Now, Click “Finish installation”

Fantastico quickly installs Wordpress to save you hassle

Click “Wordpress”

Click “New Installation”

Select domain name from drop-down menu

Type admin name, password, nickname, email

Click “Install Wordpress”

Now, Click “Finish installation”

Boom! Finished Now, enter your website URL and check out your Wordpress blog:

Now, enter your website URL and check out your Wordpress blog:

Part Four Writing posts and pages

Managing Wordpress Dashboard is found at: www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin Log in to add posts, change settings, activate themes and plugins You can also change code (html, css, php) This isn’t required, but can be fun later

Dashboard is found at:

www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin

Log in to add posts, change settings, activate themes and plugins

You can also change code (html, css, php)

This isn’t required, but can be fun later

Writing Posts In the dashboard, Expand “Posts” on left Click “Add New” Now you can add a title, tags, and write a new post Toolbar allows formatting, like bold , italics , color , and much more. Click “Publish” to finish your post Click “Save Draft” to save post for later

In the dashboard, Expand “Posts” on left

Click “Add New”

Now you can add a title, tags, and write a new post

Toolbar allows formatting, like bold , italics , color , and much more.

Click “Publish” to finish your post

Click “Save Draft” to save post for later

Writing Pages In the dashboard, Expand “Pages” on left Click “Add New” Now you can add a title and write a new page Toolbar allows formatting, like bold , italics , color , and much more. Click “Publish” to finish your page Click “Save Draft” to save page for later

In the dashboard, Expand “Pages” on left

Click “Add New”

Now you can add a title and write a new page

Toolbar allows formatting, like bold , italics , color , and much more.

Click “Publish” to finish your page

Click “Save Draft” to save page for later

Post vs. Page What’s the difference? A post shows up in your “feed” For instance, your main page might show the last 10 posts you made A page does not do this Pages can be used for special sections, like About Me, Contact Information, etc.

What’s the difference?

A post shows up in your “feed”

For instance, your main page might show the last 10 posts you made

A page does not do this

Pages can be used for special sections, like About Me, Contact Information, etc.

Part Five Making it your own

Themes Change the appearance of your site Available at Wordpress.org/extend/themes More cool themes: http://www.noupe.com/wordpress/15-high-quality-free-premium-wordpress-27-themes.html Found one? Download it. Next, upload it to your hosting account

Change the appearance of your site

Available at Wordpress.org/extend/themes

More cool themes:

http://www.noupe.com/wordpress/15-high-quality-free-premium-wordpress-27-themes.html

Found one? Download it.

Next, upload it to your hosting account

Uploading Themes Return to Cpanel ( yourdomain.com/cpanel ) Click “File Manager” Click “Go” On the left, expand these folders Public_html -> yourdomain.com -> wp-content -> themes Click “Upload” Browse for your theme, select it, and it automatically uploads for you

Return to Cpanel ( yourdomain.com/cpanel )

Click “File Manager”

Click “Go”

On the left, expand these folders

Public_html -> yourdomain.com -> wp-content -> themes

Click “Upload”

Browse for your theme, select it, and it automatically uploads for you

Uploading Themes cont. Return to file folder view Select your theme file Click “Extract” On the pop-up window, Click “Extract File” Click “Close”

Return to file folder view

Select your theme file

Click “Extract”

On the pop-up window, Click “Extract File”

Click “Close”

Uploading Themes cont. Now return to your Wordpress dashboard www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin Click “Appearance” Click your theme to preview it Click “Activate” in the upper right corner Your new theme is ready. Visit your URL to check it out.

Now return to your Wordpress dashboard

www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin

Click “Appearance”

Click your theme to preview it

Click “Activate” in the upper right corner

Your new theme is ready. Visit your URL to check it out.

Plugins Add functionality your site Plugins for video, creating forms, adding analytic tools, 5-star ratings, etc. Available at Wordpress. org/extend/plugins Installation may vary for certain plugins Found one? Download it. Next, upload it to your hosting account

Add functionality your site

Plugins for video, creating forms, adding analytic tools, 5-star ratings, etc.

Available at Wordpress. org/extend/plugins

Installation may vary for certain plugins

Found one? Download it.

Next, upload it to your hosting account

Uploading Plugins Return to Cpanel ( yourdomain.com/cpanel ) Click “File Manager” Click “Go” On the left, expand these folders Public_html -> yourdomain.com -> wp-content -> plugins Click “Upload” Browse for your plugin, select it, and it automatically uploads for you

Return to Cpanel ( yourdomain.com/cpanel )

Click “File Manager”

Click “Go”

On the left, expand these folders

Public_html -> yourdomain.com -> wp-content -> plugins

Click “Upload”

Browse for your plugin, select it, and it automatically uploads for you

Uploading Plugins cont. Return to file folder view Select your plugin file Click “Extract” On the pop-up window, Click “Extract File” Click “Close”

Return to file folder view

Select your plugin file

Click “Extract”

On the pop-up window, Click “Extract File”

Click “Close”

Uploading Plugins cont. Now return to your Wordpress dashboard www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin Click “Plugins” Scroll to find your new plugin Click “Activate” on the upper right side Your new plugin is ready. You may need to adjust the plugin’s settings. Always read FAQ/Installation for plugins

Now return to your Wordpress dashboard

www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin

Click “Plugins”

Scroll to find your new plugin

Click “Activate” on the upper right side

Your new plugin is ready. You may need to adjust the plugin’s settings.

Always read FAQ/Installation for plugins

Part Six Embedding video

Wordpress and Video It didn’t used to be easy Now, you can upload many video formats Or embed videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler, etc.

It didn’t used to be easy

Now, you can upload many video formats

Or embed videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Viddler, etc.

Upload Video Start a new post or page Click the “Add Video” icon Click “Select Files” and choose a video Upload begins automatically Click the “File URL” button Copy the URL that appears Now, Close the add video window

Start a new post or page

Click the “Add Video” icon

Click “Select Files” and choose a video

Upload begins automatically

Click the “File URL” button

Copy the URL that appears

Now, Close the add video window

Upload Video cont. Click “Show/Hide Kitchen Sink” to expand your toolbar Click “Insert/edit embedded media” Select your video file type Paste the URL of your video file Click “Insert” You’re done!

Click “Show/Hide Kitchen Sink” to expand your toolbar

Click “Insert/edit embedded media”

Select your video file type

Paste the URL of your video file

Click “Insert”

You’re done!

Review What have we learned?

Review Did you learn… What Wordpress is? How it goes beyond blogging? How you can get it today - for FREE? Writing posts and pages? Basic ways to customize Wordpress? Embedding video?

Did you learn…

What Wordpress is?

How it goes beyond blogging?

How you can get it today - for FREE?

Writing posts and pages?

Basic ways to customize Wordpress?

Embedding video?

Resources Wordpress documentation http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page Top 50 Wordpress tutorials http://net.tutsplus.com/articles/web-roundups/top-50-wordpress-tutorials/ And of course…

Wordpress documentation

http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page

Top 50 Wordpress tutorials

http://net.tutsplus.com/articles/web-roundups/top-50-wordpress-tutorials/

And of course…