Wordpress
• Wordpress is a good general purpose CMS• Wordpress is not the only solution• Wordpress is what we’ll be looking at today
About Me
• Founder of Lewis Studios and Trail Websites• Design, develop and operate websites for a variety of customers
including many nonprofits• Repeatable solution for conservation and land trusts
Introduction
• What is Wordpress?• Content matters. A lot.• Wordpress is a foundation. Add a theme, some plugins, your content
and maybe a page builder and you’ve really got something!• Editing HTML can be difficult, error prone and is usually no longer
necessary• Visitors arrive on many device types and screen sizes
It is all about the conversation
• Start with the audiences• Nonprofits usually have 3 or more key audiences!
• Map their journey, inventory your existing content and build a plan• PDCA – this isn’t a once and done thing!
Plan
Do
Check
Act
Wordpress Tech Basics
• LAMP• Hosting Choices• Domain Name• Email and other services belong
somewhere else• Installation and
PROD/STAGE/DEV• Local development with AMPPS,
MAMP, Flywheel, other tools
MySQL Database
Linux Operating System
ApacheWeb Server
PHP
Wordpress
Theme Plugins
Infrastructure (Hosting Service, Server, VM, Laptop, etc.)
Pages, Posts, Choice of Editors
• Pages are found by menu or links• Posts are in newsfeeds, the blog or posts widgets on pages• Posts have categories and tags
• Editing is more like word processing than coding• WP 5 Block Editor• Classic Visual Editor• Text Editor• Page Builder
Themes, Plugins and Page Builders Oh My!
• Efficient, well supported, flexible themes rule• Just enough plugins and no
more• Page builder if you need it
Media
• Uploading, organizing, using images, PDFs, audio, video• Do you need more tools?• Featured Image• Galleries, Lightboxes and
Slideshows
Custom Content and Taxonomies
• Toolset, ACF• CPTs• Taxonomies• Collections and Works Example
Shortcodes
• Themes, Page Builders, Plugins and custom functions make dynamic content available via shortcodes• Ie. [member]content for members only[/member]
Sidebars and Widgets
• Sidebars seem to be fading in a mobile-first world• Widgets can be anywhere. Usually in header, footer, sidebar• Wordpress comes with some widgets. Plugins add more.
Search
• Make search easy to find• Enhance with Relevanssi
Owned v. Earned Media
• Bring ‘em to your media!• Your site is under your control and free of distractions• Social is controlled by someone else with their own motives
Operations
• Backups• Periodic testing• Offsite storage
• Upgrades and Updates• Pretesting
Nonprofit Considerations
The Conversations
• By role: Client, Citizen, etc., Volunteer, Donor• By action: Learn, Attend, Get Involved, etc.• By topic: News, Events, Trails• Segment and make sure the visitor can find themselves in one or
more sets of messages
Nonprofit Examples
• Land trusts• Events, Audiences, Properties & Trails
• Food Pantry• Clients, Volunteers, Donors, Online Giving
• Historical Society and Museum• Shop, Historical Documents
Donor Pages
• GiveWP• Paypal buttons• Outside services• Donor Management System
integration• Privacy and security
Calendar / Events List
• Embed• Plugin• Custom Post Type
Volunteer Pages
• Volunteer Interest Form• Storytelling• Show ‘em how they’ll be
engaged
Forms
• Theme may include a basic contact form• WPForms, Gravity Forms, etc.• Externally embedded forms• Mailing List Signup
Newsletters
• If PDF, add ToC in post• Use categories to put in their
own feed• Present on site, not at EMS’ site
Wordpress for Nonprofits
• Powerful solution with infinite customization options• Requires some maintenance• Start with audiences and content• Part of overall marketing strategy, not an island• Plugins are available for nonprofits' common needs
