1. graphicallydesigning

2. Working with themes & plugins
Susan Ramsey

3. AGENDA
 About Me
 Introduction
 Themes
 Frameworks
 Child Themes
 Plugins: Free
 Plugins: Premium
 FAQs
 Helpful Links
 Q&A

4. About Me
Susan Ramsey
Fort Worth, TX
Owner, Graphically Designing
www.graphicallydesigning.com
Where you’ll find me online:
 Pretty Darn Cute Design – Theme Support & Customizations
 StudioPress Community Forums – Moderator/Volunteer
 Twitter: @GraphDesigning

5. Introduction
What is a Theme?
 A theme provides the user a way to control the look, design,
functionality and presentation of their website.
 It’s sometimes called the “skin” of a website, but it’s much more than
that.
 It’s a collection of files (“template files”) each of which provides
different functionality.

6. Default
Themes
 Each WordPress install comes loaded with three
default themes.
 Even if you don’t use one of these themes, keep one
in your dashboard. Ideal for Troubleshooting

7. How to Choose A Theme
Select a Theme which is suitable for your business and/or niche
 A theme which is designed for someone who blogs about their
family is going to look and feel different than a theme design for
an insurance company.

8. How to Choose A Theme
Keep it Simple
 Choose a theme which provides you with the functionality you need, rather
than one which has all the “bells and whistles”
Responsive or non-Responsive?
Check Browser Compatibility
Check Terms of Service

9. Free Themes
Available through WordPress.org (or via your site’s Dashboard)
 Support provided via WordPress volunteer support forums
Available through Third Party Developers
 Support may or may not be provided

10. Frameworks
A Theme framework is a foundation for WordPress development,
designed to be used with a Child Theme.

11. “Child” Themes
A child inherits the functionality of another theme,
called the parent theme
Child themes allow you to modify, or add to the
functionality of that parent theme
Updates to a child theme will not be wiped out when
the parent theme is updated.
Easier for new users to modify

12. Plugins
Plugins are scripts which add to the functionality of WordPress. They enhance existing
functionality, or new functionality.
There are currently over 33,000 plugins in the WordPress Repository.
 Spam Blockers
 SEO
 Email Forms
 E-Commerce
 Photo Galleries
 Events Calendars
 Newsletters
 Social Media
 Social Sharing

13. How to Choose a Plugin
Determine Need – don’t add unnecessary plugins.
Rating – check the rating and popularity of a plugin; how often has it been
downloaded?
Support – who provides the support? Is it free, or an additional cost? Check the
support forum for the plugin – how quickly are support tickets responded to?
Updates – when was the plugin last updated? Is it compatible with the latest version
of WordPress?

14. Akismet – Spam Blocker

15. Yoast SEO

16. Free Plugins & Premium Plugins
Free plugins are available through the WordPress Repository, or may
be available outside of the repository.
Many plugins off both a free version and a premium version.
 Premium version offers more functionality, including “add-ons”
 Dedicated support

17. Questions?