WP101 - Class 2: Content/Traffic Connection, UX, WP Taxonomy & Menus

Introduction to the importance of website content, including what you need to know about "Google's Content 'Rules';" UX: designing for your site visitor; Designing a Custom WordPress Taxonomy, & and How to Build WordPress Menus...

Transcript

1. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
2. Our Sponsors
3. Announcements O LA WordPress – dates vary O Pasadena WordPress – 3rd Thursday O Topanga WordPress – 3rd Wednesday O Advanced WordPress LA – 3rd Saturday And many more in LA County. Just search for “WordPress” at www.meetup.com
4. Keep in Touch! O WP101 is on Facebook: O https://www.facebook.com/WP101LosAngeles/ O LinkedIn: O www.linkedin.com/in/karenmccamy O Facebook: O https://www.facebook.com/FTReview O Twitter: O @ftreview O WP101 Meetup: O http://www.meetup.com/Los-Angeles-WordPress-101/
5. Hands-On WP Workshop WordPress: WP 101 Build your own WordPress Website! O 8-hour hands-on workshop O 4 Saturdays, 2-hour Hands-On sessions O Next Class: July, 2016 O Join Girl Develop It, LA to be notified
6. Agenda  Website Models  The “Content / Traffic” Connection  Why You Need to Specialize  Key Elements to Content Development  Designing UX & Building MENUs ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
7. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com Website Models  Model determines…  Purposes  Needs  Goals  Audience(s)  Navigation  Infrastructure
8. 4 Common Models  Corporate  Storefront / Retail  Freelance / Small Business  News / Magazine ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
9. Corporate Sites  High-level Branding  Media Releases  Corporate Bio’s  Possibly special causes  Little to NO visitor engagement  One-way conversation! ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
10. Storefront / Retail  Examples:  Amazon  Zappos  Apple  Home Depot  Staples  Auto Dealers  Common Needs:  Product search  Product filtering  Image-heavy  Category search  Shipping options  Payment options  *May have useful, relevant articles ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
11. News / Magazine  Examples:  WSJ  CNN  CNBC  NY Times  Huffington  Tech Crunch  PC Magazine  Cnet  Nat Geo  Needs/Resources  Current News  Breaking News  Many staff writers!  Lots of categories!  Photo-rich  Video-heavy  Real-time reports  Local traffic/weather  Maps  Global reach/coverage ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
12. Freelance/SMB  Probably…all of US!  Small staff…likely a ‘SOLO shop’  Over 55% of us are solo workers!  Small (often “tiny”) budgets  Promoting services  Some e-products  Some local retail  Print shops  Web Services  Design Services  Interior Design  Photography  Heavy Reliance on Website for marketing! ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
13. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com WHY???  …all this focus on website models  …all the time spent on “theory”???
14. “A website is a marketing tool!” ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
15. Typical Marketing via Websites  Social Causes  Corporate Presence  Hobbies (think lifestyle “blog”)  Freelance Services  Small Business Services / Products  Storefront / Retail ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
16. Different Models…  Different website needs  But…also our demographic has vastly different resources!  Minimal staff, if any  Small budgets  Time demands ◦ Freelancers usually “do everything” ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
17. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com You may be wondering…  How can WE compete with the “corporates?”  What levels the “playing field?”
18. Content!  Create in-demand content  Engage personally  Create a true dialog  Create relationships  Establish trust  Form communities  Make adjustments quickly ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
19. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
20. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com Google’s Content Rules  Search Algorithms…  Google Sets the Standards  Google’s Current “Rules”:  Useful / desired by your readers  Fresh / timely  Original  Plenty of it  Popular (think: ‘social media’)
21. You need a Plan! “If you fail to plan…you plan to fail!” ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
22. Early Planning  Take the 30,000-foot view…  What website model fits best? ◦ It’s likely the Freelance/SMB model ◦ Hybrid model?  Think combination of 1 or more 4 models  Could be a special-purpose site  WHY will the site exist? ◦ Products / services ◦ Promoting a social cause  Don’t succumb to “overwhelm!” ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
23. Planning Tip #1: Specialize! What is a Niche?  A ‘specialty’ market  Tightly-focused  Ideally, underserved – little competition  Often: “ ‘too small’ for big companies” ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
24. Niche Examples Generalist Specialist  Gardener  Architect  Auto mechanic  Photographer  Doctor  Desert succulent gardner  High-rise earthquake- zone architect  Ferrari technician  Action-sports photographer  Brain surgeon ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
25. Specializing… It may seem counter-intuitive… “Doesn’t a niche shrink my market?” “I need to market to ‘everyone’ ” “I’ll cast my marketing net wide…someone will hire me!” “I’ll lower my fees…” ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
26. Benefits of a Niche 1. Specialists are considered experts 2. Specialists earn more 3. Specialists are highly-respected 4. Specialty means less competition 5. Specialty simplifies “branding” ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
27. Website Plan Outline 1. Site goals  Services/Products  Work examples  Social Cause 2. Your niche  Research! 3. Your "voice”  What’s your style? 4. Audience  Demographic Research 5. *Relevant Content:  Articles (text-based)  Videos  Podcasts  Galleries/Portfolios  Screencasts *Realistically able to be consistently & continuously produced! ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
28. More Planning Components: 1. Site Features 2. Appearance  Typography  Colors  Style 3. UX / Navigation 4. Marketing  Social Media  SEO  Monetizing 5. Logistics  Hosting ◦ Shared? ◦ SSL (e-commerce)  Publishing ◦ Who will do the work? ◦ Will you need to outsource? ◦ If so, what? 6. Costs  Time  Money ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
29. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com Planning Summary “…lots of moving parts!”  Planning is essential  Time invested will pay off ten-fold!  Don’t cut corners on research!  Plan content realistically!  Adhere to “Google’s Content Rules”  Write it down!
30. ©2014 Karen McCamy 
33. DIY…not Do-it-for-me!  Common misconception:  Meetups are great for learning!  Our purpose is to help you learn… ◦ To DIY it ◦ To build your resources ◦ To know where to get further help  We can’t “do-it-for-you” ◦ There just isn’t time in a 3-hour meeting ◦ It isn’t fair to your fellow members ◦ ASK, email if you get stuck! ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com
45. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com MENUs Review  2-Step Process: 1. Create Your Taxonomy (Posts Menu) ◦ Categories ◦ Tags 2. Create Your Menu ◦ Appearance  Menus  Edit Menu - Create or Select Menu - Make sure to select the correct menu! - Menus are theme-specific
46. ©2014 Karen McCamy  FreelanceTechnologyReview.com