I’ve maintained my own websites since 2009. Just when I’ve thought I’ve exhausted every mistake you can make with a WordPress website: I discover there are more snafus to be discovered. Let’s talk about hacking, misbehaving themes and plugins. Learn some common problem solving steps to fix those thorny WordPress problems.

With around 65% of the population being visual learners, it is no wonder that images can make or break a website. A study has revealed that 60% of consumers are more likely to consider local search results that include an image and another 23% are more likely to actually contact a business that uses images well. It may seem daunting to focus time and energy on your images but with 3 simple steps – creating an image library, optimizing your images and displaying them properly – you can reach a wider audience, increase engagement, lengthen the time your audience spends on your website and bolster your conversion rate. Isn’t that worth it?

Entrepreneurs and hobbyists alike turn to WordPress to set up their web sites, often before they fully understand the two options available—or even realize there is an option. This presentation will attempt to demystify the .com and .org differences and help potential users make the decision that meets their specific needs.

Web sites are a living things that grow and change over time, but we often think of them as static products that the developer will finish and hand off to the client. This mindset can be unrealistic and counter-productive. Learn how approaching site building as a service rather than a product can help all parties set realistic expectations from the beginning, avoid pitfalls along the way, and establish relationships that are mutually beneficial over the long run.

WooCommerce is an amazingly easy way to get your products online. Learn how to create an online store with WooCommerce and how to extend WooCommerce’s basic functionality with extensions.

Do you want to improve your search ranking, conversions, page views, revenue, bounce rate, and reader satisfaction? If you answered yes to any of those (I’m guessing you said yes to all of them), then you need to pay attention to your website’s speed.

Consider these 12 simple suggestions for speeding up your website, before trying to implement the technical and sometimes expensive suggestions of a website speed test. You may be surprised at how much it helps!

HTML is the language of the web.  Designers and Developers use it to create your website.  They use it everyday.  However, they aren’t the only ones who need to know HTML – writers, editors, marketers, evangelists, and content strategists, also need to know HTML.  HTML is for everyone.  When starting out, most people feel intimidated by HTML, because it’s code.  Fortunately, it is designed to be easy to write.  I’ll explain how HTML works, which parts of it you need to know, and provide you with some reference material to assist you with your  writing.

” .. every question is a cry to understand the world. There is no such thing as a dumb question” – Carl Sagan

Have a question that hasn’t been answered by one of the presenters today? Or maybe a discussion with one of your new WordPress friends has sparked your curiosity? This is your chance to get answers, explanations, or just a good laugh from the WordPress Help Twins. Feel free to ask your questions, the WordPress Twins want to help.

Confused by all the geek speak and jargon? We are going to explain the basic terminology used in the WordPress environment. Whether it’s an explanation of what a widget is or the difference between head, header, and heading, you’ll come away understanding the jargon needed to navigate the WordPress and web design world. We’ll cover the terminology used in websites and themes, such as header, slider, navigation, widget, sidebar, footer; terminology used in WordPress, such as dashboard, permalinks, plugin, theme, widget, custom post type; and any more you can think of.

Every WordPress user—from bloggers to site managers to developers—needs to know how to format text that is accessible to all site visitors regardless of how they use a computer. Come learn what web accessibility is, watch examples of assistive technology in action, and see ways to format text, enter images, and generally improve the accessibility of a WordPress website. WordPress users of all levels will leave with new skills that can immediately improve their websites.

In her presentation Sheila Hoffman will talk about her evolution from using free and premium themes and eventually working with frameworks including Headway, Pagelines DMS and currently Elegant Themes Divi. Sheila will talk about who should and should not use a framework and some of the pros and cons of this choice.

If you’ve ever wanted to customize a theme, you’ve probably been tempted to go change the theme’s code directly. But, as Admiral Ackbar once said, “It’s a trap!” Come learn this web developer’s one weird trick to customizing your themes properly with Child Themes and see why cowboy coders hate him!

Take advantage of the resources online and the local community to learn how to build a WordPress site that can promote a product/service, raise awareness of a cause, or simply entertain the masses.

Prepare yourself for your day at WordCamp by taking an up-front tour of the WordPress dashboard and its built-in features. We will discover how to customize the look of your dashboard to remove the clutter. We will also look at where your menus and navigation are created and edited and the flexibility you have for building your own custom menus. We’ll also learn about hidden shortcuts and settings and see, as we add our theme and plugins, where their settings end up and if there is any logic to their new homes.