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Basics - Setting up a WordPress Site
The document is a guide for lawyers on building a website using WordPress, highlighting essential steps such as choosing a domain name, selecting a web host, installing software, setting up design elements, and ensuring SEO practices. It also emphasizes the importance of continuously updating content and maintaining website security. Additionally, the document covers ethical considerations for legal marketing and offers recommended plugins for better functionality.
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Basics - Setting up a WordPress Site
- 1. WordPress for Lawyers Buildinga Website for your Law Firm North Carolina Bar Association Presenter Jennifer Ellis Lowenthal & Abrams, PC & Jennifer Ellis, JD @jle_jd www.LowenthalAbrams.com www.jlellis.net Copyright Jennifer Ellis, 2014. All rights reserved.
- 2. About Jennifer Ellis •Legal Malpractice & Ethics Attorney • Also Manage Online Presence for Lowenthal & Abrams, PC in Philadelphia • Consultant – Online Marketing for Lawyers • Jennifer Ellis, JD • Author • WordPress in One Hour for Lawyers • Available on ABA’s Website
- 3. Today’s Seminar • Choosinga domain name • Picking a host • Installing software • Setting up the basics • Design • Choosing plugins • Adding widgets • Creating and editing a page • Creating and editing a post • Adding media • Updating software • Security • SEO (Search Engine Optimization) • Ethics
- 4. You Can’t Builda Website in an Hour • But you can create one in • A weekend • A week • A month • Websites are a continuing project • Keep adding content • Examine results • Improve • Repeat
- 5. Why WordPress? • Easyto install • Easy to use • Easy to update • Great functionality through plug-ins • Free software • Supportive community • Excellent for SEO
- 6. Choose a DomainName • Your address on the web • Choose carefully • Branding • First thing people see • Creates a sense of who you are • Email address • Relate to your firm • Easy to type • Not too long • No dashes • No numbers
- 7. Think Through YourBranding • Firm’s Name? • Initials? • Law or Lawfirm at the end? • Area of practice? • Geographic area? • Hard to find good names • Be creative • Use .com
- 8. Ask Others toLook • Bad Examples • whorepresents.com • WhoRepresents or WhorePresents • speedofart.com • SpeedOfArt or SpeedoFart • therapistinabox.com • Therapist in a Box or TheRapistInABox
- 9. See if theName is Available
- 11. Not Available? • Addlaw, lawfirm or lawyers? • Consider other options • Be careful about adding S or ing • Especially bad if the other site is a law firm • Domain available for sale from the owner? • Check for cost
- 12. Choose Webhost • Reliable •Able to handle WordPress • One click installation • Recommend • Web Synthesis • Bluehost • HostGator
- 13. Purchase Hosting Plan •Don’t choose the lowest plan. • Choose an appropriate plan • Business Level • WordPress specific (if available) • But….see discussion on Sucuri & CloudProxy • The lowest level is fine for Web Synthesis • Note, can register your domain on Bluehost or HostGator. • Not on Web Synthesis
- 17. Point DNS • Whatis a DNS? • Domain Name Server • Domain Name System • Connects IP address and domain name • Type in domain name, sends it to the right location • Like a phone book or a map for the Web
- 18. Using Same Registrar& Host? • Will not need to point the DNS • It should automatically work • Less secure to use both in the same place
- 19. Different Registrar &Host • Required to point DNS to the correct location • The steps vary based on your registrar and host • Sometimes change Name Servers • Sometimes change IP Address • Get information from Host • More secure
- 20. Warning – Email! •Make sure you do not mess up your email when you change your DNS! • If in doubt, ASK!
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- 28. Setting Up theBasics • Click on Settings and Access • General • Writing • Reading • Discussion • Permalinks
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- 34. Website Appearance • Theme •Complete website design • Modifiable • Coding • Internal options
- 35. Finding Themes • WithinWordPress • Free • External sites • Various prices • Framework themes • Basic underlying framework • Theme over the framework • Hire website designer
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- 42. Plugins & Widgets •Add functionality • Plugins • Back end • Widgets • Front end • Often work together
- 44. Recommended Plugins • YoastWordPress SEO – SEO • Askimet – Comment Spam • Acurax Social Icons – Social Media Icons • Disable Comments – Hides Comment Box on Pages • Display Widgets – Controls Where Widgets Appear • Gravity Forms – Contact Box • Jetpack – Numerous Tools (including statistics) • W3 Total Cache – Speeds Up Site • Advanced Image Styles (control aspects of image appearance)
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- 47. Enter Data (IfNeeded)
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- 50. Important – Updates! •WordPress = Microsoft of Web • Common malware attack target • Update plugins and software as required • Use security • Sucuri Malware Scanner ($89/year) • Plugin and external scanning service • Sucuri Cloud Proxy ($9.99/month) • Sucuri included with Web Synthesis
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- 61. Edit Media -Add Advanced Image Plugin
- 63. SEO • Content matters •What will bring clients? • What questions are they asking? • Answer the questions • Good links from other sites • Encourage linking with good content • Write for sites with follow me links • Follow me = recognized by Google as providing link “juice” • No follow = no link “juice”
- 64. SEO Tools • Yoast– WordPress Plugin • On site SEO analysis • Moz – External Help • http://moz.com • Education • Analysis • Comparison • ahrefs – Linking Analysis • https://ahrefs.com/
- 65. Yoast • Provides toolsto analyze each page and post • Helps with Sitemaps • Other tools as well
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- 70. Moz Analyze your site againstothers for key words and other information
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- 73. Google Analytics • http://analytics.google.com •Numbers • Location • Pages • Bounce rate • Mobile versus desktop
- 75. Google Webmaster Tools •http://webmaster.google.com • Informs if problems with site • Provide Google with sitemap • Information about Google searches
- 77. Ethics Rules 7.1et seq. • Marketing rules apply • Use appropriate disclaimers for your jurisdiction • Do not share detailed information about clients without permission • Appropriate disclaimer – past results do not guarantee future outcome • Beware providing specific legal advice • General, educational information
- 78. Questions? • Feel freeto contact me • Jennifer@jlellis.net • Twitter: @jle_jd • Facebook: www.Facebook.com/jle.jd