Wordpress and Your Brand

Wordpress and Your Brand Sara Cannon Designer/Interactive at Scout Branding.

Wordpress and Your Brand Sara Cannon Designer/Interactive at Scout Branding. @saracannon sara@scoutbrand.com

Why Use Wordpress?

Why Use Wordpress? • Content Management System (CMS)

Why Use Wordpress? • Content Management System (CMS) • Easy to Use (almost anyone can catch on how to make a post)

Why Use Wordpress? • Content Management System (CMS) • Easy to Use (almost anyone can catch on how to make a post) • With Training: The Client Can Even Figure it Out!

Why Use Wordpress? • Content Management System (CMS) • Easy to Use (almost anyone can catch on how to make a post) • With Training: The Client Can Even Figure it Out! • Search Engine Optimized (SEO)

But I don’t want my website to look “bloggy”

But I don’t want my website to look “bloggy” thats ok.

Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand

Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand not your brand to wordpress.

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want 3. Design for your Brand

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want 3. Design for your Brand 4. Skin the Template

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want 3. Design for your Brand 4. Skin the Template 5. Customize the CMS (TIPS)

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want 3. Design for your Brand 4. Skin the Template 5. Customize the CMS (TIPS) 6. Customize the Design (TIPS)

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy

Brand Strategy

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online?

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person - Companies

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person - Companies - Stores

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person - Companies - Stores - Locations

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person - Companies - Stores - Locations • Online Brands: Brands who’s presence is primarily web-based

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person - Companies - Stores - Locations • Online Brands: Brands who’s presence is primarily web-based - internet services

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person - Companies - Stores - Locations • Online Brands: Brands who’s presence is primarily web-based - internet services - events

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person - Companies - Stores - Locations • Online Brands: Brands who’s presence is primarily web-based - internet services - events - products

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine or Online? • Ofﬂine Brands: who you will meet in person - Companies - Stores - Locations • Online Brands: Brands who’s presence is primarily web-based - internet services - events - products - blogs/individuals

Brand Strategy: Online Brands

Brand Strategy: Online Brands • MasdenCycles.com

Brand Strategy: Online Brands • MasdenCycles.com • Mint.com

Brand Strategy: Online Brands • MasdenCycles.com • Mint.com • Wordpress.org

Brand Strategy: Online Brands

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine Brands

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine Brands • Target.com

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine Brands • Target.com • PFChangs.com

Brand Strategy: Ofﬂine Brands

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want

Theme Functionality

Things to Look for in Choosing a Theme - Base Menu Structure

Things to Look for in Choosing a Theme - Base Menu Structure - Does my Main Menu need to be based off of Pages, Categories, or Both?

Things to Look for in Choosing a Theme - Base Menu Structure - Does my Main Menu need to be based off of Pages, Categories, or Both? - Sidebars

Things to Look for in Choosing a Theme - Base Menu Structure - Does my Main Menu need to be based off of Pages, Categories, or Both? - Sidebars - Does my brand need sidebar widget features?

Things to Look for in Choosing a Theme - Base Menu Structure - Does my Main Menu need to be based off of Pages, Categories, or Both? - Sidebars - Does my brand need sidebar widget features? - Front Page (index page) functions.. useful?

Things to Look for in Choosing a Theme - Base Menu Structure - Does my Main Menu need to be based off of Pages, Categories, or Both? - Sidebars - Does my brand need sidebar widget features? - Front Page (index page) functions.. useful? - Design Somewhat Similar?

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want 3. Design for your Brand

Designing Your Brand

Designing Your Brand • Use PhotoShop/Illustrator to Design

Designing Your Brand • Use PhotoShop/Illustrator to Design • Don’t constrain yourself to the Chosen Theme’s Layout.

Designing Your Brand • Use PhotoShop/Illustrator to Design • Don’t constrain yourself to the Chosen Theme’s Layout. • Slice Out and Optimize what needs to be images... CSS the rest

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want 3. Design for your Brand 4. Skin the Template

Skinning Your Theme

Skinning Your Theme • Use Dreamweaver to Edit Your Theme Files.

Skinning Your Theme • Use Dreamweaver to Edit Your Theme Files. • Upload your Custom Images and CSS

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want 3. Design for your Brand 4. Skin the Template 5. Customize the CMS (TIPS)

Customizing the CMS - 3 Tips

1. Custom Page Templates

1. Custom Page Templates Duplicate your page.php

1. Custom Page Templates Duplicate your page.php Rename it and add this to the top:

1. Custom Page Templates Duplicate your page.php Rename it and add this to the top: <?php /* Template Name: Custom Page Name */ ?>

2. Make a Static Page hold a Category

2. Make a Static Page hold a Category Put this in your static Page Template to Query your Category

2. Make a Static Page hold a Category Put this in your static Page Template to Query your Category <?php $my_query = new WP_Query('cat=29'); ?> <?php while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post(); ?> //insert entry formatting / calling <?php endwhile; ?>

3. Make Custom Category Templates

3. Make Custom Category Templates put this at the top of your single.php

3. Make Custom Category Templates put this at the top of your single.php <?php $category = get_the_category(); $currentcat = $category[0]->cat_ID; ?> <?php $category = get_the_category(); $currentcat = $category[0]->cat_ID; if (ﬁle_exists(TEMPLATEPATH."/single-$currentcat".".php")) { include(TEMPLATEPATH."/single-$currentcat".".php"); } else { ?>

Steps to Adapt Wordpress to Your Brand 1. Know your Brand / Brand Strategy 2. Choose a Theme that best ﬁts the FUNCTIONALITY that you want 3. Design for your Brand 4. Skin the Template 5. Customize the CMS (TIPS) 6. Customize the Design (TIPS)

Customizing the Design - 2 Tips

“good typography improves user experience”

1. Style Your Headlines With WP-sIFR

1. Style Your Headlines With WP-sIFR Install the WP-Sifr Plug In

1. Style Your Headlines With WP-sIFR Install the WP-Sifr Plug In Use the sIFR Generator to convert your fonts

1. Style Your Headlines With WP-sIFR Install the WP-Sifr Plug In Use the sIFR Generator to convert your fonts Upload and Activate!

2. Hide or Show Comments Plug-in

2. Hide or Show Comments Plug-in Install the Hide or Show Comments Plug In

2. Hide or Show Comments Plug-in Install the Hide or Show Comments Plug In Open single.php In this ﬁle you have to replace:

2. Hide or Show Comments Plug-in Install the Hide or Show Comments Plug In Open single.php In this ﬁle you have to replace: <?php comments_template(); ?> with

2. Hide or Show Comments Plug-in Install the Hide or Show Comments Plug In Open single.php In this ﬁle you have to replace: <?php comments_template(); ?> with <?php hideshowComments(); ?>

thanks for coming

sara cannon @saracannon sara@scoutbranding.com “life is short, art is long” TYPE is EVERYTHING

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Wordpress and Your Brand

by Sara Cannon

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