This document provides an overview and agenda for Week 3 of a WordPress course. It discusses themes, widgets, and plugins - how to find, install, and use them to customize WordPress sites. Themes control a site's front-end styling and layout. Widgets add extra content to sidebars. Plugins expand functionality. The document provides examples and guidance on selecting, installing, and managing these extensions to build out WordPress sites.

1. WordPress Site Design
ACE #CT01756 Intro to WordPress
By Adrian Mikeliunas
http://learnwp.us/week3/
SESSION# 3 of 6

2.  Themes, Plugins & Widgets
 How to find and how to install them
 Themes provide all of the front end styling of your
WordPress site
 Widgets add additional content and features to your
WordPress site’s sidebars, configured via Theme
 Plugins are bits of software that can be uploaded to
extend to expand the functionality of your WordPress site
Week 3 Agenda
2/2016WordPress #3

3. Themes Widgets Plugins
eCommerce
Marketing
Forms
2/2016
WordPress Extensions
WordPress #3

4. WordPress Management
http://learnwp.us http://learnwp.us/wp-admin/index.php
2/2016WordPress #3

5.  People say: “Content is King”
 They will come back to your blog…
 Or they will run away if they
 can’t find what they want
 It’s not aesthetically pleasing
 If looks are NOT important…
 25 Remarkable Examples of WordPress Websites
www.tripwiremagazine.com/2012/04/examples-of-
wordpress-websites.html
Content vs. Looks
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6.  Make your site Unique!
 Integrate with current company Logo or color theme
 Integrate with existing web site
 Seasonal changes [community, retailer]
 Special occasions [protests]
Why Change Looks?
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7.  Configurable via Dashboard,
Appearance, Theme Options
 Color Scheme & Background
 Header or Banner
 Layouts: single or multi-column
 Widgets
 Posts and Pages Formats
 Navigation Menu
 [Mobile Devices Support]
 Footer area
Theme Options
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8.  A Post Format is a piece of meta information that can be used
by a theme to customize its presentation of a post:
 aside - Typically styled without a title
(Similar to a Facebook note update)
 gallery - A gallery of images
 link - A link to another site
 image - A single image
 quote - A quotation
http://codex.wordpress.org/Post_Formats
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Post Formats
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9.  Paid Themes ($10-$100)
 Features, Quality, Support, Uniqueness
 Examples:
 http://themeforest.net/category/wordpress
 http://www.elegantthemes.com
 http://www.woothemes.com
 Free Themes
 Less Features
 NOT Unique!
 “50+ Beautiful & Free WordPress Themes”
https://colorlib.com/wp/free-wordpress-themes
Themes
Atahualpa 3.7.15 , over 1 million downloads!
http://wordpress.bytesforall.com
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10.  WordPress Showcase
http://wordpress.org/showcase
 WordPress site
http://wordpress.org/extend/themes
 References:
 hackertarget.com/wordpress-themes-in-top-1-million-websites
 www.woothemes.com/product-category/themes
 www.webdesignermag.co.uk/tutorials/5-hot-wordpress-themes-for-2014
Find a Theme
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11.  Find out the technology
behind websites:
 http://builtwith.com
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Research
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/charlescal203963.html
WordPress #3

12.  Lightweight and
adaptable
 Custom menu, header
image, and
background
 Showcase page
template, widget
support…
2011 Theme
http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/twentyeleven
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13.  Clean, blog-focused, and
designed for clarity
 Simple, straightforward
typography is readable
on a wide variety of
screen sizes, and
suitable for multiple
languages
2015 Theme
https://wordpress.org/themes/twentyfifteen
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14.  From Dashboard, Appearance, Themes, Install Themes
 2 Steps from outside Dashboard [for paid themes!]
 Download from vendor site
 Install from local hard drive
 1 step from Dashboard [for free themes]
 Install
 Activate Theme!
 TIP: Always preview your theme before you install it!
Installing a Theme
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15.  At a minimum:
 index.php
 style.css
 A javascript.js file
 Additional PHP files
Theme Components
2/2016
http://codex.wordpress.org/Site_Design_and_Layout
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16. Themes Directory
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17.  PHP pre-processor server side logic to build dynamic
content
 CSS rules which describe what something should look
like, such as the color or font of text, or where things
line up on the page
 JS JavaScript for client logic
 HTML Hyper Text Markup Language
Component Languages
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18.  1) Hire a programmer or designer $$$
https://www.upwork.com or http://www.peopleperhour.com
http://creativefolks.net
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/cpg/
 2) Build custom WordPress Themes without coding!
http://themeframe.com
 3) Take another course! $99
http://www.udemy.com/building-custom-wordpress-sites-
from-scratch/?tc=email.topcourses
Build a Theme
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19. My 3 factors criteria for selecting a good plugin [or
widget or theme]
 Check the rating, at least 3 out of 5 stars,
and from more than 10 reviewers!
 At least version 1.0!
[many plugins are still version 0.x or BETA]
 Preferably less than 1 year old
[older plugins may NOT be compatible with your site]
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Selection Criteria

20.  Widgets are drag-and-drop design elements that you
can easily add to your WordPress site
 On Main Page, Blog Page, sidebars, or footer
 WordPress has a few built-in widgets
 Calendar, Tag Cloud, Archives, Pages, Search, …
 Thousands more available at WordPress.org!
 http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Widgets
Widgets
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21.  Widgets are installed & activated same as plugins
 Once installed, go to: Appeareance, Widgets to select them
via drag and drop!
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Widget – Installation
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22.  Some themes offer a Widget options feature without the
tricky drag and drop! Example: 2015
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Widget – from Theme
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23. Examples:
 Search
 Archives
 Categories
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Widgets in Action
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24.  Both are based on PHP!
 Widgets focus on the UX (user experience)
 They get activated by dragging them in Theme,
Appearance,
 Plugins offers new functionality
 May or may not be viewable by users
 User verification
 Multimedia: Slide shows, Video or Music players
Widgets & Plugins
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25.  Plugins can extend WordPress to do almost anything
you can imagine!
 In this directory you can find, download, rate, and
comment on all the best plugins the WordPress
community has to offer…
 http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/
 To manage plugins, you need to go to the PLUGINS
section of your dashboard, where you’ll find a list of
plugins already installed…
Plugins
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26.  Backup your site
 Better Editor toolbar for your posts!
 Receive data or news feeds from other sites: stocks,
weather, news, etc.
 Receive Donations via Paypal
 Take look at the most popular plugins here:
https://wordpress.org/plugins/browse/popular
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Plugin Ideas

27.  There are at least two default plugins:
 Akismet - the best way in the world to protect your blog
from comment and trackback spam
 Hello Dolly – first oficial plugin
 Plugins need to be ACTIVATED before they run
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Default Plugins
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28. 2/2016
Plugins- Installation
TIP: Check the RATING and the version [at least 1.0 recommended!]
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29. 2/2016
Plugins- Update & Delete
TIP: Check on a weekly basis for plugin updates…
WordPress #3

30.  How to find and install new Themes
 How to find and install new Widgets
 How to find and install new Plugins
Week 3 Review
2/2016WordPress #3