by Marinela Miclea, Managing Partner, Mendo Digital
Contents:
- Why WordPress
- Creating Your Website
- Maintaining Your Website
- Questions and Answers
1. Why WordPress
Factors to consider when choosing a content management system (CMS):
- Cost
- Design and layout
- Developers
- Difficulty
- eCommerce
- Flexibility
- Hosting
- Security
WordPress Pros and Cons
WordPress strengths include:
- Ease of use
- Multiple add-ons (plugins, themes, widgets), most of which are free
- Customizable
- Good search engine optimization (SEO) integration
- Plenty of support (guides, tutorials, Q&A forums)
WordPress weaknesses include:
- Security vulnerabilities
- Customization may require Web development knowledge
- Slowed-down site (if too many plugins) needs optimization
WordPress Compared to Other CMSs
| WORDPRESS | SQUARESPACE | WIX | JOOMLA | DRUPAL | |
| WEBSITES | 75M | 1M | 1.2M | 2.8M | 1.3M |
| MARKET SHARE | 60% | 1.5% | 0.7% | 6.6% | 4.6% |
| DIFFICULTY | Easy | Easy | Easy | Easy | Intermediate |
| THEMES | 3,000+ | Limited | Limited | 1,000+ | 2,000+ |
| PLUGINS | 45K | Limited | Limited | 5K | 26k |
| HOSTING | Self-hosted | Hosted | Hosted | Self-hosted | Self-hosted |
| COST | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
2. Creating Your Website
Go through the following steps:
- Register your domain name
- Choose your Web hosting company
- Install WordPress
- Choose a WordPress theme
- Install plugins
- Customize settings
- Write and publish pages and posts
- Illustrate with images
Install WordPress
Choose a WordPress Theme
Install Plugins
Recommended Plugins
Listed in alphabetical order:
- Akismet Anti-Spam
- Disable XML-RPC
- EWWW Image Optimizer
- Google Analytics Dashboard for WP (GADWP)
- Jetpack by WordPress.com
- Loginizer
- MailChimp for WP
- Sucuri Security
- UpdraftPlus – Backup/Restore
- W3 Total Cache
- Yoast SEO
Customize Settings
Write and Publish Pages
Write and Publish Posts
Illustrate with Images
3. Maintaining Your Website
Make sure you log into your WordPress site and do the following on a regular basis (at least once a month)
- Update plugins on a regular basis
—helps to keep your software up-to-date - “Harden” WordPress
—helps to prevent hacking of your website - Connect social media to your website
—helps to drive traffic to your website - Review website traffic (analytics)
—helps to see where visitors are coming from and pages of greatest interest - Write and publish (blog) posts regularly
—helps to strengthen the SEO value of your website
4. Questions and Answers
Anything else you’d like to know about:
- Creating your website?
- Or maintaining it?
- Or WordPress?
Thank You
If you have any questions, you can reach me at:
Marinela Miclea
Mendo Digital
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Marinela Miclea has over 27 years of experience working on websites and online communications for small enterprises in coastal Mendocino/Fort Bragg as well as with large, high-tech companies in the Bay Area. Certified in content marketing, inbound marketing, and social marketing, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in sociology, specializing in social psychology, from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) as well as a marketing strategy Certificate from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. Marinela is the managing partner and founder of Mendo Digital, which works with local businesses to improve their online presence and communicate with customers.
ABOUT COAST WOMEN IN BUSINESS
Coast Women in Business supports the business community on the coast. We meet monthly to foster entrepreneurship and professional development on the Mendocino Coast and beyond. We’re affiliated with and sponsored by West Company.
Our membership fees are $50 annually or $10 per drop-in meeting. Your first meeting is always free, and we offer a limited number of need-based memberships—please inquire. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting!