Transforming WordPress into a Powerful CMS: Insights and Plugins
Discover how to elevate WordPress into a robust Content Management System (CMS) in this informative guide. Covering the evolution of WordPress since its inception in 2003, gain insights into essential plugins for both newbies and developers that can enhance functionality and aesthetics. Learn about tools like Jetpack, Backup Buddy, and WooCommerce that make site management easier and more efficient. Understand the key advantages of using WordPress, from its active community to its user-friendliness. Perfect for anyone looking to maximize their WordPress experience!
Transforming WordPress into a Powerful CMS: Insights and Plugins
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Presentation Transcript
Turning WordPress into a full-blown CMS -Alex Young
About me • Work at Punchline Advertising • Currently studying at UVU • 3 years web development experience • 1.5 years of WordPress experience • 1.5 years of Husband experience • Favorite band is Queen • 4 years of World of Warcraft experience
A brief history of WordPress (only the stuff that matters to this presentation)
Plugins • Plugins can either be your best friend, or that one friend who is kind of annoying. • Can really make your site beautiful, useful, and functional. • Also can make your site clunky, slow, and fugly. • Gives you a lot more bang for your buck • Saves you a lot of time
Some great plugins for newbies • 1. Jetpack - http://jetpack.me/ • 2. Ultimate TinyMCE - http://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-tinymce/Sadly, stopped working in 3.9. - http://wpeditpro.com/ • 3. Column Shortcodes - http://wordpress.org/plugins/column-shortcodes/ • 4. Contact Form 7 - http://wordpress.org/plugins/contact-form-7/ • 5. WooCommerce - http://www.woothemes.com/woocommerce/
Some great plugins for developers Pods.io - http://pods.io/docs/learn/what-is-pods/ • Extend current WordPress post types (Posts, Pages, etc.) • Create your own post types • Create your own custom meta fields • Create ADVANCED content types(can still use get post meta)
Another plugin JSON API - http://wordpress.org/plugins/json-api/ • Great for making web services and apps • Works where Jetpacks’s API didn’t • Allows you to add your own controllers, methods etc without modifying plugin source code • Extends the CMS ability of WordPress into the world of single page html5/jsapps
One last plugin for both newbies and developers Backup Buddy - http://ithemes.com/purchase/backupbuddy/ • Database or full-site backups • Offsite storage • Scheduled backups • Super easy site migration
Just a few reasons why I choose it • There are very few annoyances with WordPress • WordPress is constantly under active development • The WordPress community is excellent • WordPress is safe • WordPress is extremely forgiving and easy to use. A single person can run large sites