The VANEL WordPress Masterclass is a one-day intensive look at arguably the most useful webtool available today.
The next Masterclass is Tuesday 27 March 2012
Our first Masterclass was on 22 Nov 2011 and there will be more scheduled during 2012. Keep an eye on our blog for ongoing details.
Why do we run the Masterclasses and what are they? …
For charities, social enterprises, voluntary and community groups and small businesses, WordPress provides an almost free way of building a effective website with little effort. But WordPress is also a hugely powerful, extendible and adaptable tool to build almost any sort of online presence.
Our MasterClass will take you through the whole WordPress experience (in depth). You’ll emerge with an understanding of the entire capabilities of WordPress and will be able to decide a) whether it’s the tool for you, or (more likely) b) how little or how much of WordPress you need to use to do some great things online.
The Masterclass is not an introduction to website development – we’re assuming you know your way around basic web technology.
The Masterclass is not a simple overview on how to use WordPress – you’ve either used WordPress before and are looking to explore more, or you’ll be up to speed with WordPress in the first hour or so!
The Masterclass will introduce you to all the functionality lurking beneath the surface of WordPress – plugins, themes, post types, databases, taxonomies, multi-site, user management etc etc
The Masterclass will give you practical advice, tips, do’s and don’ts. Based on experience you’ll find the shortcuts, the things to do and the things to avoid. Don’t re-discover the wheel – use the Masterclass to use WordPress effectively from the start.
The Masterclass will give you ideas and inspiration – how to use WordPress in ways you didn’t even think you could.
By the way, you’ll leave the Masterclass with a hugely comprehensive training guide with all the information and links you’ll need for your journey through WordPress.
A quick overview of what the topics that the Masterclass covers:What is WordPress?
What are the alternatives?
Wordpress.com vs .org
The 5 minute install.
Build a website in 30 minutes.
Walk through the WordPress feature set.
Inspiration – a WordPress showcase
Step-by-step through all the main WordPress features.
Using WordPress for many different things.
Exploring WordPress blogging.
Understanding Content Management with WordPress.
Design work and using Themes with WordPress.
Understanding Plugins and Theme construction and use.
Do’s and don’t. Tips and advice. Practical expertise and lessons on using WordPress well.
Managing a WordPress site well.
Wordpress as a tool for non-profit organisations.
Getting staff involved.
Getting management involved.
What’s free – what should you pay for?
How to manage your project properly.
Advanced techniques:
backups and anti spam / building user communities / search engine optimisation and analytics / integration with Social Media tools / custom menus / custom post types / understanding theme frameworks / using CSS, PHP, HTML and more
The actual structure of the next course is under review but will address all of these areas.
