Getting started
We’re assuming that you have hosted your WordPress blog on your own domain. If you don’t have a domain (URL) yet, you can get one on Go Daddy. We like Go Daddy because it’s easy to use and very inexpensive.
Then you’ll need a hosting company to host the actual site. Hosting for WordPress requires MySQL database access and PHP4 at a minimum.
It’s also super nice if your host offers installing through a control panel so you can install the WordPress with a click or two instead of setting up the database and configuring it all yourself.
We recommend Media Temple and Lunar Pages for inexpensive hosting with easy to use control panel installs for WordPress. If your host doesn’t have these features and you’re feeling geeky, go to the WordPress Codex page for installation instructions.
Don’t want to deal with setting this up? We can do it for you, configure the top 5 plugins we recommend for SEO, spam protection and ease of use, for a lot less than you think. Just drop us an email to get started.
Requirements
Although a lot of this works the same with earlier versions, we assume that you have WordPress 3.0 or higher installed for these tutorials.
Dashboard Introduction
Once you’ve logged in you’ll see the “dashboard” for your blog. Here’s a quick overview.
Settings Tab Overview (all tabs)
Don’t skip this section. You’ll learn something even if you’re an experienced WordPress user.
Working With the WordPress Theme Twenty Ten
Adding pages to the menu (Twenty Ten)
Here’s how to add to your navigation with internal and external links with the new default theme Twenty Ten.
Working with users
Learn how to add a new user to Your WordPress site, what the each of the various permissions levels mean and how to set them.
Managing Themes
Where do you find a WordPress theme that will work for you? What is the difference between a free theme and a “pro” theme I have to pay for?
Writing your first post
How to write and format your posts and use WordPress’s text editor
Using Categories and Tags
Tagging and categorizing your posts can help both the search engines and humans find your site when searching for the topic you want to be found for.
Adding images and using the media library
The media center is a powerful too. Learn how to use it and add images to your posts and pages.
Finding images for your posts
Using search tools to add images to your blog posts.
Adding video to your post
Adding a video to a blog post or page is one of the often asked questions on the site. Here’s how.
Using your Blogroll
The links tab on the dashboard allows you to add links to your favorite resources and other blogs. Here’s why you should use these, and some ideas on taking it to the next level with plugins.
Create WordPress Pages
Adding new pages is a breeze with WordPress. Here’s how to create pages and use custom templates with pages.
Managing Comments
An overview on managing comments and plugins that can make it even easier.
Managing Widgets
The sidebar column of your blog can be a powerful pace to add information from recent posts and links to your other social media profiles to dynamic content.
Plugins
There are literally thousands of plugins for WordPress. If you can think it up somebody has probably created a plugin to do it. Here are some of our favorites and we’ll show you how to find good plugins and make sure they work with your WordPress install.
Updating WordPress
You don’t have to upgrade immediately every time WordPress gets updated but it’s important to know how to decide if you should and what steps to take before you upgrade.
Want more?
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