How to Teach Yourself WordPress
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How To Teach Yourself WordPress Alternatively: This is how I attempt to learn WordPress with my crazy schedule
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For the October 2014 Women Who Code Meetup. For more details on the event, visit http://www.meetup.com/Women-Who-Code-Tampa/events/206020072/ Presentation Notes: Bloc scholarship: https://www.bloc.io/scholarships/new/women-who-code Started with a little bit of everything, ended up picked a direction and went with it. Given a really great foundation, you can learn anything even on a busy schedule. What are you not doing to make something more important possible? Why WordPress? Multi-sites, contributors, many resources & support methods, easy content management system Don’t overwhelm yourself with options! Pick one thing and start--a tutorial or framework. A framework is a bundle of code with existing functionality. You must learn HTML & CSS before learning WordPress. Find a project that matters to you Do it for things you love and things that motivate you! Be careful of paid projects - they’re motivating, but someone’s business is at stake What do you already have resources for? Put together your toolbox Proper browser - anything but IE. Hosting space & URL Brand across social media - keep one name, make sure you can get website and social sites under the same username Be careful of people with similar usernames. If you own allysapples.com but someone owns allysapples as a twitter account, and they’re posting inappropriate content, that may reflect poorly on your overall brand Gravity forms Make sure you have the license to use plugins and things on all your sites-check for a developer’s license. WordCamps are amazing for networking and knowledge-go to them! Find mentors-they are worth their weight in gold. Ask Twitter! People are always looking for questions to answer. Don’t be scared to ask people questions. Backing up websites: WP Migrate DB Pro Plugins: download vs. stars-look at the number of downloads, not necessarily the start rating (along with some extra research!) Learn SEO! Think of the words people would use to find your site and use those throughout your post’s content. Make sure you maintain readability, and don’t wind up with garbled text.
Transcript of How to Teach Yourself WordPress
How To Teach Yourself WordPress
Alternatively: This is how I attempt to learn WordPress with
my crazy schedule
Lindsay Jo CrenshawGraphic Designer & WordPress Developer
... but by no means a WordPress Expert
www.lindsayjodesigns.com | @lindsayjodesign | [email protected] | @lindsayjodesign | [email protected]
my web development
knowledge
MY WEB DEV JOURNEY
2000-20072007-20092009-20102009-20142010-2014
2015
Geocities, Xanga (L-O-L), MySpaceComputer Animation > Graphic Design at RinglingIn-House Designer at Trade Only Design LibraryWeb Development at IADT/Sanford Brown Email Campaign Manager at AutoLoop??? (Hopefully more WordPress goodness)
I DO A LOT.
I work 9am-6pm in the corporate world+ I am the City Evangelist for Women Who
Code Tampa+ I’m a volunteer/design lead for
WordCamp Tampa 2014+ I play roller derby
… and I’m teaching myself WordPress.
www.lindsayjodesigns.com | @lindsayjodesign | [email protected]
SO CAN YOU!
www.seanwes.com
MAKE WORDPRESS A ROUTINE
WHY WORDPRESS?
● Abundance of resources
● Very scalable (with multi-sites)
● E-commerce support
● Tons of contributors
● Huge community● Support and fixes
always needed from sites already running WordPress
● Easiest CMS to learn?
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/running
LIMIT YOUR OPTIONS(A common overwhelm-reducing trick)
Pick one tutorialOR Pick one framework
OR Pick one themeOR Pick one subject or project
OR Pick one pluginAnd get to it!
BUT FIRST...
You MUST Learn HTML +
CSS
FINDING YOUR WORDPRESS PROJECT
It should mean something to you - people don’t like to do things they don’t care about
Find a paid project (but be careful) - you’ll be more motivated if paper is involved and
someone’s business is at stake
What do you already have the resources for? Photography, essays, school
work? Do that - finding content is hard.
TOOLBOX & STEPS
1.Proper browser2.Hosting space3.+ URL4.Content5.Themes6.Plugins
1. Install2.Mess around3.Break it4.Troubleshoot5.Fix it6.Repeat
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
● Go to local WordCamps (~$40 each)● Find a mentor● Find people on Twitter and @ them!● Facebook groups - DesignHer, Genesis Facebook,
WordPress Tampa Bay● Ask questions! But don't forget to buy them a
coffee if you ask a lot.
Full list of awesome resources at http://2014.tampa.wordcamp.org/session/wordpress-fundamentals-women-who-code/
BUT REALLY… TWITTER
ANDREW NACIN
LEAD WordPress Developer
