WordCamp Milwaukee 2012
What You Can Learn From the WordPress Sites

Michael McCallister
● Co-Author, WordPress in Depth, with Bud
Smith (QUE, 2010-11)
● Notes from the Metaverse
(metaverse.wordpress com)
● Senior Document Architect, PKWARE
● President, Wisconsin Society for Technical
Communication (www.stc-wi.org)
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Ask questions any time you want!!
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

When Do You Visit
the WordPress Websites?
● You're new at this
● You're stuck
● You want to try something different
● You want to help
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com
● Plain visitor: SELL! SELL! SELL!
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com
● Logged in:
– New Post
– Reader
– Notifications
– Stats
– My Blogs
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Free and Premium Features
● More marketing for new folks
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com/Premium
● Domain Registration
● Extra Storage
● Custom Design
● VideoPress
● Ad-Free
● Guided Transfer to WordPress.org
● Premium Themes
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Support
● Customize My Site
● Create Content
● Add a Domain
● Get Started
● Manage Profile
● Manage Comments
● Get More Site Traffic
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com Forums
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com News
● Blog from Automattic:
What's New at
WP.com
– New Themes
– New Features
– New Partners
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com Theme Showcase
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Theme Search
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Hot Topics/Popular Tags
● Tags: what posts are
about
● Critical for SEO
● Nice way to find
something to read
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com Advanced Services
● Place to help: Translate.wordpress.com
● Marketing: Premium Features, VIP program
● Other ways to access: mobile site, IM,
Firehose
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com Stats
● Mind Crushing Numbers
– Posts
– Comments
– Likes
– Some statistical FAQs
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress Apps
● Mobile Apps
– IOS (iPod, iPhone, iPad)
– Android
– Blackberry
– Windows Phone / 8 (Metro)
● Browser-based Apps
● Desktop Apps
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress Apps
● Mobile Apps
– IOS (iPod, iPhone, iPad)
– Android
– Blackberry
– Windows Phone / 8 (Metro)
● Browser-based Apps
● Desktop Apps
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.com/About
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.org
● A bit simpler than dotcom
● Login serves a different function
● Marketing's a little more subtle
● The Download button is a bit more prominent
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Theme Showcase
● Creative Ways to
Display Your Site
● Browse by Site Type,
Subject
● Vote for your
favorites
● Submit Your Site
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.org/Extend
● Themes
● Plugins
● Mobile
● Ideas
● Kvetch!
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Free Themes Directory
● Also accessible from your dashboard
● Highlights of Directory Page:
– Featured
– Popular
– Recent Updates
– Search
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Theme Info Page
● Basic info:
– Last update
– Links to theme, author home pages
● What's unique?
– Ratings: If you're logged in, add your rating
– Forum tags
– Support topics
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Commercial Themes
● Developers, not individual themes
● If a developer is here, they have GPL-based
themes
● Descriptions in haiku
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.org: Plugin Directory
● Just like Themes:
– Featured
– Popular
– Newest
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Plugin Info Page
● Basic info
– Last update
– Compatibility (What the developer says)
– Downloads
– Links to theme, author home pages
● What's unique?
– Quality Ratings
– Compatibility Ratings (what you say)
– Support/Forum link (see the Support tab too)
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Plugin Info Tabs
● Installation: Not always needed
● FAQ: Maintained by developer
● Other Notes: Not-so-FAQs, Credits
● Changelog: Bugs fixed and features added in
each release
● Stats: Downloads per day, download history,
versions in the wild
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Mobile Apps
● Just like DotCom Apps + Nokia and WebOS
● Not Windows 8 (yet!)
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Ideas / Feature Requests
● Not unlike userVoice or
GetSatisfaction
● Log in
● Look for something
similar to your idea
● Submit your unique idea
● Vote for other good
ideas
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

KVETCH!
Some days are filled with sweetness and light
and love for the goodness that is WordPress.
Other days, Wordpress is just driving you up the
wall. The Kvetch! Page is here for those less than
sunny days.
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

KVETCH!
Some days are filled with sweetness and light
and love for the goodness that is WordPress.
Other days, Wordpress is just driving you up the
wall. The Kvetch! Page is here for those less than
sunny days.
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Support
● Codex
● Forums
● Hosting
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Codex
● If you have any connection to the community
at all, you probably know about the Codex.
● Check the Codex = RTFM
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Forums
● Similar to, but completely separate from,
DotCom Forums
● Find Meetups and Plugin Support here too
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.org: Hosting
● These folks pay for the listing here
● Always click the “Forum threads about...” link
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

WordPress.org/About
● No group photo, but links to all project team
members (including Matt Mullenweg)
● What you need to know to run WordPress
● Goodies
● Miscellaneous stuff
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

More Stuff About WordPress
● Books
● Swag
● Logos and Graphics
● Fan Art
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Rules About WordPress
● Domains (Don't put “WordPress” in your
domain Name!)
● GNU General Public License (GPL)
● Privacy Policy
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

Other Stuff
● Philosophy
● Roadmap
● Statistics
● Contact
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister

That concludes our tour. Please
proceed safely to the gift shop.
June 3, 2012 Mike McCallister