We do a lot of customized WordPress installations at Camp Creative Group. Most of the time, if a website needs a Content Management System (CMS), WordPress is sufficient enough. There are so many great things built in to it, and it is so extendible by plugins that are available through the community, that we can do almost anything with it without pulling our hair out. It is very simple to use, as well.

It is so easy to use, that we never really had to explain how to use it beyond a quick overview. Most of our clients would just log in and figure it out. However, the day came when we were working as a third party and had to provide a tutorial for our client’s client. We thought it might be a good idea to have on hand, anyway, to take the guesswork out of getting started.

Now, for your downloading pleasure, I present “Getting Started With WordPress.” It is written as if WordPress is installed as a CMS, not as a blog (although it does cover blogging briefly). I intend on writing a tutorial for blogging as well, but for now this is what you get. Oh, and it’s a PDF.

Getting Started With WordPress

I have just recently fallen in love with the “In Plain English” Paperworks videos by Common Craft.  They mostly make videos having to do with current technology, and explaining what it is in simple terms that regular people can understand.  It is a wonderful resource for people in my position, who need to quickly explain something to a client so they understand what you are talking about (this is tough to do for us techie types without using a whole bunch of confusing lingo).

Here is an example, a great video about blogs:

For halloween last year, they released this useful video about Zombies.  Enjoy!

Okay, so I just want to set the record straight because I will mention a lot on this blog (and already have) the evils of Flash.  But I want to make sure that everyone first understands that I don’t have anything against Flash (really!).  I only hold things against those who abuse it and use it for things it was not meant to be used for.

Flash is a very powerful tool and when used appropriately can be beneficial to everyone involved.

But please, people, none of this building entire web sites out of Flash crap.  That’s just not right.  There is a special place in Hell reserved for people like you.

If you are starting a new company, and you want it to be successful, there is one thing you can do that will make all the difference.

Hire a professional designer to design your identity and any important collateral.

If you hire an amateur or someone who doesn’t entirely understand the concepts of design, it will show. Your potential customers will subconsciously know the difference. It will reflect poorly upon your company and damage your credibility.

Ultimately, what you do in a decision to save money will end up costing you a lot more money than you “saved”. You will, first of all, be out the money that you did pay the “amateur”, and then the money you will inevitably have to pay a professional designer to fix your design. You will also have lost all of those potential customers (income) who turned away because they didn’t take your company seriously (because let’s face it, neither did you). And the clients you will possibly lose in the change of your company’s identity – some may associate it with instability.

Do things right the first time. Take your company’s design seriously. Hire a professional designer.

Okay, so web sites don’t really have “lives” – well, I suppose they do, metaphorically speaking.  A web site is born, and it can easily die.  A web site can be designed so it is immortal (nearly), or it could be designed so your visitors will want to “put it down” (see “shoot it”) as soon as possible.

The following is a short list I’ve compiled of things (in no particular order) that shouldn’t be done on a web site (*in most cases).

Small Font:

Okay, small fonts look good… but their advantages end there.  Don’t get me wrong, there are places where small font is okay, like for “blurbs” of a longer article (after which follows a “read more…”).  The problem is when it is used for the content in general.  Wake up, culprits!  When your font is small, and there is a lot of text, people are not going to read it.  They will go to the page, glance over the content, and then move on to the next page – Or leave the site altogether (gasp! - unless that’s what you’re trying to accomplish).

Rule of Thumb:

Use larger fonts to draw people in and get them interested in what you are talking about.  Use small fonts for things that may not be as important.

Splash Pages:

Raise your hands – who here clicks that “Skip Intro” button as soon as they see it?  Web users don’t care about a fancy show (unless that is what your web site is meant to be) – they want the information they came for and they want it NOW.  A Splash Page isn’t foreplay anymore – its a moment killer.

In fact, when you have a Splash Page, you are actually aiding in decreasing the amount of visitors who will actually make it to the content on your web site, as some people will only get frustrated and leave. This is especially so in cases where a “Skip” button is not offered or difficult to find – or actually part of the Flash (some of your users may not have Flash and will therefore never make it to your actual site).

Rule of Thumb:

The only time a splash page is really okay is when you need to have a language selection page, or an age confirmation page (normally used for pornographic sites and alcohol / cigarette related sites).  Otherwise, don’t bother.

“I try to tell clients that Web design should reflect the real world, and you don’t see real-world equivalents of a splash page. Think about Wal-Mart. Are you forced to wait at the front door and watch a thirty-second movie before you’re allowed to enter? No. Then why would you make your visitors wait to get inside your Web site?” (Flanders 2002)

Flash:

Flash is dead.  Just kidding!  Flash is very much alive.  It’s just not being used anymore for regular web sites and most things that are not media-related.  It is actually only acceptable to use Flash for what it was originally intended to be used as – a supplement to content.

Rule of Thumb:

Use Flash for media intensive sites: Audio, Video, Interactive Maps and Games.  Unless you own a Media or Design Firm (and even then the issue is touchy), don’t use Flash for the barebones of your web site.  One of the most important things in creating a web site is accessibility.  What is the point of having a web site if there is the chance that your audience will not be able to get to your content?  Flash also takes away from SEO, and having a site that is created with XHTML and CSS (separation of content from the design) is much more advantageous.

Occasionally use Flash for elements on your site, but don’t forget that you can use Javascript to accomplish many of the same things and Javascript can be scripted to degrade very nicely.

Movement:

Some still have that crazy idea in their head that movement is the only thing that will catch people’s attention and keep them on a site.  Think about it, though.  You don’t want to distract them from the content they are coming there to get.  Most people online today are not impressed by movement.  In fact, studies have shown that most web users have grown so accustomed to seeing movement that they now ignore it completely.  Why?  Because there are so many ads that move.  So when they see movement, they subconsciously register it as an ad.

Rule of Thumb:

Use movement cautiously in designs.  Make it very subtle and gentle.

Instead of keeping people’s attention with movement, choose better pictures and design your (professionally written) content more interestingly.

In any of these situations, seek guidance from an expert.  A web professional who is on top of the game should be able to give good insight as to what would benefit or hinder your web endeavors.