Top Web Resources for WordPress Sites

The NetSquared Guide to Free Web Resources

Tonight we celebrated our 50th NetSquared event. Over the years, we’ve collected our notes and learned a lot from our workshops and presentations, so on our 50th anniversary event we compiled all these lessons into a handy guide.

Great one-click hosting for WordPress:

1. http://www.bluehost.com/
2. http://www.dreamhost.com/
3. http://mediatemple.net/
4. http://laughingsquid.net/
5. http://www.siteground.com/
6. http://www.rackspace.com

Free photo editing tools

• www.picnik.com
• http://aviary.com/
• http://www.gimp.org/
• http://www.irfanview.com/

WordPress wins award for best overall open source CMS

• http://www.packtpub.com/award

Free video tutorials on using WordPress:

• http://wordpress.tv/flavor/wordpressorg/

Text based WordPress training:

• http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Lessons

Free WordPress Themes:

• http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/

Top 10 WordPress plugins:

• Forms http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/
• SEO Friendly images: http://www.prelovac.com/vladimir/wordpress-plugins/seo-friendly-images
• Add a facebook like button to your wordpress blog
  • http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/like/
  • http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/facebook-like-button/
  • http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/facebook-like-button-plugin/
• Disqus plugin http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/disqus-comment-system/
• Share this http://secure.sharethis.com/publishers/getbutton?type=wpplugin
• All in one SEO pack http://semperfiwebdesign.com/portfolio/wordpress/wordpress-plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/
• If your theme doesn’t have a special place for inputing your Google Analytics code, use Google Analyticator http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analyticator/
• Akismet comment spam control http://akismet.com/
• Site maintenance plugin let’s you show an under construction sign while you perform maintenance or changes to the site: http://talkpress.de/blip/wet-maintenance-wordpress-plugin
• Mailchimp subsribe form http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/mailchimp/
  • Then sign up for Mailchimp for a free account at http://www.mailchimp.com

Sources for WordPress Themes

1. http://www.studiopress.com/
2. http://www.bestwpthemes.com/#premium_business
3. http://www.rockettheme.com/wordpress
4. http://www.templatesold.com/
5. http://ithemes.com/
6. http://mashable.com/2009/01/07/wordpress-2-7-themes/

Top 25 Do’s and Don’ts for your website (not in order)

1. Do use software to reduce the size of any images you host on your site
2. Design your text to be easy to scan by using header tags and writing in shorter chunks of information
3. Put your contact information in the footer so it appears on every page.
4. Use a web form, rather than an email address to let people contact you.
5. Update your content frequently
6. Don’t use flashing or blinking text or page counters
7. Don’t use a Flash intro
8. Don’t use coming soon or under construction. If it’s not ready, don’t publish it.
9. Don’t use background music, especially if it auto-starts
10. Don’t use an auto-start video
11. Keep your site structure consistent, don’t swith elements around
12. Don’t use a funky navigation. It will probably only annoy your visitors
13. Do create a site map page. People still use them
14. Do create an FAQ page, these can be very popular
15. Don’t use ALL CAPS in your text
16. Avoid italics, it’s hard to read online
17. Don’t use anything beyond <H5>
18. Use consistent hyperlinks. Don’t make anything look like a hyperlink if it isn’t a hyperlink
19. Do use H1 for your post titles, H2 and H3 for everything else.
20. Do use categories and tags for your posts
21. Do include images in your posts so their not boring
22. Do add your facebook and twitter accounts to your site
23. Do regularly backup your site either manually http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups or automatically http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Backups#Automatic_Backups
24. Do keep backups of your theme, especially before you attempt a theme modification. http://wordpress.jdwebdev.com/blog/backup-theme/
25. Do set up feedburner for your blob
    1. http://www.google.com/support/feedburner/bin/topic.py?topic=13252
    2. http://feedburner.google.com

Top 10 Todo’s for SEO

General tips:

• Focus on creating great content
• Don’t try to trick Google

Specific tips:

1. If you’re a local business set up your Google.com/places webpage
2. Use kewords in your blog titles
3. Write frequently, the more content you have the more likely you’ll be found
4. Use permalinks and follow these instructions: http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Permalinks
5. Set up your Google Webmaster Tools account and register your site
6. For every image, make sure to provide a Title and Alt tag: http://siteground.com/tutorials/wordpress/wordpress_seo.htm#headings
7. Follow the tips on this website http://www.siteground.com/tutorials/wordpress/wordpress_seo.htm
8. Watch this 30 minute video for free on Google about how to use Google Webmaster http://services.google.com/breeze/webmasters/googleforwebmasters/
9. Enter a meta description for each of your pages
10. Check out this awesome resource from WordPress: http://codex.wordpress.org/Search_Engine_Optimization_for_WordPress