As a refresher, please see disclaimers.
Alrighty then….here we are. We got our domain name using Hover.com, our site hosting using BlueHost.com, and our WordPress platform, and we talked about getting ahead by writing a lot before you launch. Email and social media are set up, and we’ve been engaging them daily or almost daily with teasers of what’s to come. Now what the heck do we do? The real work…we do the real work, folks! Buckle up, buttercup. Here we go!
Welcome to WordPress, Themes and Losing Your Mind…seriously. First of all, you need to know that WordPress is NOT easy to learn. I don’t care what anyone says…Let me say that again…WordPress is NOT easy to learn. You really need to know that or you will want to throw up and throw in the towel at the same time. Please re-read Disclaimers #3 & #4…I’ll wait right here for you.
Genesis: Not Just a Book in the Bible
If you’ve done any googling on blogging, you may have seen or read about Genesis Framework. Genesis isn’t a theme but a framework for your theme. It’s essentially the foundation on which to build your blog house. By using Genesis Framework, you’ll get a whole host of functionality for your blog, and more importantly (in my non-techie opinion), you will preserve all your customizations even through site upgrades. WordPress does do frequent updates to ensure the platform is functioning at peak performance. Genesis keeps you “whole” through the updates.
Once you have Genesis Framework, you then layer on your “child” theme. Your “child” is your customized design, whether you develop it from scratch, use a free WordPress theme, or you purchase a theme from one of the many designers in the market.
Side Note: If you’re purchasing a theme, first and foremost, make sure you’re purchasing from someone reputable. This business of blogging seems like it attracts people who want to make a quick buck (no offense intended) but who don’t back up their work with any guarantees. You’ll also want to make sure the theme you’re purchasing is based on Genesis Framework, and the developer offers support and guarantees of some sort.
Who Am I? What’s My Look? Choosing a Theme
I was so excited to get started, I jumped into WordPress and started scrolling my way through the free, included themes. Yup, WordPress comes with free as well as paid themes you can choose from. And, there are a ton of them. I spent an entire afternoon clicking on, then rejecting, themes. Don’t do this. You see….I missed two key steps.
First, I didn’t stop to think about what I wanted my blog to look like, or how I wanted it to flow and navigate. I’m generally a somewhat conservative person, but what I’d hoped to do on my blog – let my hair down, wouldn’t fit conservative. Did I want a lot of color? How did I want it to layout? Did I want casual navigation or something more formal? As a former marketer, I knew that the layout and look I chose would be an important part to getting, and keeping, visitors. If it was too boring, people wouldn’t stay, regardless of my content. If it was too complicated, people wouldn’t be able to find their way around…translated, they wouldn’t stay.
Second…I didn’t even know what to do once I chose a theme! Do I just start typing in it? How do I change the words? How do I add posts? How do I change pictures? I don’t look like that…not even close. I want different colors. I don’t like this box here. How do I move it? I was so frustrated, I couldn’t see straight. I’d click on something….and it did nothing. What the hell…was it locked? Did I need a secret code to access it? Where’s my damn beer…..This is where not having instructions of some sort put me into a tailspin, heading toward crash and burn at 150mph. I hit my first “I quit; I can’t do this” moment. So, like any good Baby Boomer who grew up without the internet, I headed to my local bookstore to see what they had on the shelf. J Maybe that would help unstuck me.
The Bookworm
I paged through several books, and decided on a nice big fat one I figured would cover everything I need to know about my WordPress site all in one handy, dandy reference – WordPress All-In-One for Dummies by Lisa Sabin-Wilson. When I got home, I dove in only to find there was terminology I didn’t know and couldn’t understand, and screenshots I couldn’t even find on my WordPress. CODE? What the hell do you mean by CODE? Sweet Jesus…save me! (Please see Disclaimer #4…yet again!). I hit my second “I quit; I can’t do this” moment. And by the way, where do I file a complaint to Merriam-Webster for changing the definition of “dummies” when I wasn’t looking?
Now, I will say that since I’ve been working in my site for a bit now, when I return to this book it DOES (kind of) make sense and it is a GREAT, all-encompassing book. I expect someday I’ll understand most of it…if I live that long.
Desperation is an ugly…desperate…thing. I even went so far as to go back and get a second book, IN COLOR, Teach Yourself Visually – WordPress: The Fast and Eesy Way to Learn by George Plumley You see…I have a master’s degree in adult learning and development…I know I’m a visual learner so clearly, having the same information in COLOR would be much better. (insert a snobby snort) Well…..I still wasn’t singing in the streets!
Pull Up Your Big Girl Panties & Ask for Help
Instead of quit, I made the decision to go back to a website I’d found during my research phase and purchase a theme that was beautiful, clean and simple. Enter Restored 316. I spent a lot of time on the Restored 316 website before I made my buy. I think I visited every single page, and I know I watched nearly all their videos. I really liked what I saw. They do beautiful work, and their tutorials were great….I could understand them! What clinched the deal was that they could provide installation/setup services…..BAZINGA!
On a sunny winter Saturday, I received a lovely, detailed email from Lani saying “you’re all set up and ready to go!” Oh the angels sang, believe me. I let out a WHOOP, WHOOP! When I opened WordPress I immediately saw my beautiful website with MY NAME ON IT! It was glorious. Just one small problem….I still didn’t know what the heck I was doing. The real beauty is Restored 316 has a fabulous, private Facebook group where you can ask anything….and I mean anything. Through my “I’m still stuck” tears, I posted, “I don’t know what I’m doing; I don’t even know where to start. Help!” So here’s how to….
Avoid Headaches & Heartburn – Learn Your Platform FIRST
You know, there’s a saying that goes, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” My teacher, appeared at a crucial moment when I thought I was going to quit, thanks to folks in the Restored 316 group. Grayson is the founder and genius behind iMarkInteractive.com and the FREE WordPress video course. He was the lifesaver I needed. Go on over to his site for a minute, then come on back…I’ll wait…..Did you see all the great resources about blogging? Viewing his FREE video series is so worth your time before you do anything else. In fact, I pulled up the video series on my iPad and I clicked through along with him on my MacBook. Oh man….I was so happy I began to chant, “I think I can! I think I can!”
Within a weekend, I went from flailing like a kite stuck in a tree….in a hurricane…to finding my way through my blog with some confidence, making my customizations, and getting my site ready for content. Oh happy day!
Before we go much further, we need to talk about Widgets…they’re not the little doodads you learned about in economics class…they’re these magical little applications that make your blogging life simpl-er and creative.
Here are quick links to other Blogging 101 posts you may have missed! Stay tuned….much more to come!
So You Want To Blog!
Hosts and Platforms – And I’m Not Talking Martha Stewart in Great Shoes!
Becoming a Social Blogger Butterfly
