Updated: 2014

[Note: I haven’t updated the video guide to the latest version. Much of the material applies but there are some subtle differences. I will be working on updating the videos soon.]

Rather than create a print version of my Beginner’s Guide to WordPress series, I decided to start creating a series of videos that go along with the WordPress 101 Workshop I teach. So below are the initial WordPress how-to video tutorials. You can also download a visual crib sheet to the editing buttons here: Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Editing Button Icon Cheat Sheet

For recommended books and WordPress Theme sources, scroll past the videos. The WordPress Theme recommendations are affiliate links, however, they are sources I actually use and I chose them because they offer professional, responsive, high-quality designs that require a limited learning curve. Remember my mantra, Keep It Simple and Focus on Creating Content That Shows How You Best Answer the Needs and Desires of Your Target Audience.

And for a limited time, I’m providing this downloadable version of my 35 Ways to Make Your Website Better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many of my Intro to WordPress (aka WordPress 101) students have a few common questions. I’ll answer these first. If you just want the videos, jump to here.

How do I install WordPress on my computer?

You don’t. WordPress is not a desktop program. It doesn’t run on your computer. WordPress is a program that runs on a web server and requires the Apache web server and the MYSQL database programs to run. Everything you do with WordPress will be over the Internet through a web browser, like Firefox, chrome or Safari, using a web connection.

On my WordPress.com blog, why can’t I [fill-in-the-blank]?

Because whatever you are wanting to do is not allowed on your WordPress.com account. There are a lot of things not allowed. A free WordPress.com account is not the same thing as a self-hosted, fully-supported WordPress program-based site. I recommend a self-hosted WordPress program based site to my business students so they have complete control. You can find out the difference between a self-hosted website and a free WordPress.com blog here.

Recommended hosting services can be found here.

Videos

WordPress Tutorial – Logging-in

The two ways to log-in, depending upon your site’s navigation, are presented in just over a minute.

WordPress Tutorial – Adding a New Post

In WordPress the difference between a Page and a Post is that Posts are organized are categories while a Page is unique like Contact Us or the Home Page. The basics of creating a new post are presented in this video.

WordPress Tutorial – Editing a Post Part 1 –

Now that we have a post, we start learning to edit and style our content (and find out what those little buttons do).

WordPress Tutorial -Editing a Post Part 2

Learn what the rest of those editing button icons do and how to correctly copy-and-paste content safely into your posts and pages.

WordPress Tutorial – Adding Images and Media

This is a series of videos about adding and editing images, media, and galleries in WordPress Version 3.5 and up. While most of the information for WP Version 3.0 is still much the same in WP Version 3.5, there has been a major change to the look-and-feel of handling media, and there has been the additional feature adding of allowing us to create image galleries directly in WordPress without a third-party plugin.

Part 1 — Adding a Single Image to a Post or Page

Part 2 — Adding Another Media Type and Galleries

 Part 3 — Editing an Image in the Post and the Media Library

(And yes, I’ll be re-doing ALL of the videos with a bit higher quality image and a script to take out the pauses some time this spring. I just wanted to get this up quickly for my students who are working away in their “sandboxes.”)

WordPress Tutorial – Editing a Post – Categories, Tags, Screen Options and More

Recommended Books

This new up-to-date edition is available after April 14, 2014:

Recommended Theme Sources

You should get your free themes from either the WordPress.org (available through the WordPress Administration menu at Appearances>Themes and clicking on the Install Themes tab) or oen of Smashing Magazine’s compilation lists to prevent infecting your site with hidden, malicious code. For the full story, check out the posts:If you are serious about your site, but don’t feel you can afford to invest in a custom theme development, I highly recommend you consider a commercial theme from the sources listed below (and yes, I have an affiliate relationship with them and receive a small referral commission if you click through and purchase something. The referral commissions are small (usually around $10) but help keep the site up).

 

    

Also, please leave a comment below letting me know what is your biggest online marketing fear and frustration or what online marketing information you feel you need.

 

And if you find these videos or this post useful, please feel free to link to it, tweet it, Like it on Facebook or share it.