Lessons Learned from Training Clients to use WordPress

Lessons Learned
From Client Training
How to communicate with your web
vendor to get the most out of your
WordPress websites
phasecreative.com.au/wordcamp-sydney-2014 @phasecreative #wcsyd

INTRO
Types of training available
āā Training courses - levels of wordpress knowledge OR
it’s a build-a-site-in-a-day kinda thing
āāOne-on-One training
āāOnline video training
āā In-dashboard training
āā Community Forums
āā Support desk for themes and plugins
āā Blogs and tutorials

LESSON #1
Every WordPress site
is different

LESSON #1
Every WordPress site
is different
User tips:
āā Be clear with your web developer which bits you
expect to be able to update, and ask for instructions as
part of the handover
āā If you’re buying a theme, check that it comes with at
least a basic level of support

LESSON #2
Assume nothing

LESSON #2
Assume nothing
User tips:
āā Be upfront with your developer on how much you
know about the internet, WordPress, and websites in
general
āā If you’re buying a theme, ask as many pre-sale
questions as you can

LESSON #3
Guide decisions instead of
giving options

LESSON #3
Guide decisions instead of
giving options
User tips:
āāWhen it comes to design and options panels, allow
your web vendor to help you make good decisions
āāDespite there being 3000 different homepage options,
YOUR website probably only needs 1
āā It’s ok to ask for a mockup of the homepage before
any development work is done

LESSON #4
Shortcode has the word code
in it and therefore it is scary

LESSON #4
Shortcode has the word code
in it and therefore it is scary
User tips:
āā If you’re not comfortable with the idea of the
shortcodes, flag it. In a custom design you shouldn’t
encounter too many
āā Some themes use shortcodes to build layouts, so
consider this if you are choosing a theme to DIY -
it can become difficult when switching themes

LESSON #5
Simplify the interface

LESSON #5
Simplify the interface
User tips:
āāWhen you see your WordPress dashboard and menus
for the first time, make certain you know what things
are. If you don’t, politely ask for a run through
āā Look for the ‘screen options’ tab in the top right hand
corner of your WordPress dashboard

LESSON #6
Be patient

LESSON #6
Be patient
User tips:
āā Ask as many questions as you need. If you’ve only
ever used Squarespace or Wix, expect a small learning
curve
āā If you’re buying a theme to DIY, check that it comes
with at least a basic level of support

LESSON #7
Don’t ignore the
conversation about SEO

LESSON #7
Don’t ignore the
conversation about SEO
User tips:
āāWeb developers and SEO’ers have different skill sets
and rarely are experts at both
āā SEO services will be offered to you with seperate price
tags and timelines
āā You may be referred to an additional vendor such as
and SEO copywriter for a more tailored SEO services

LESSON #8
Take your developer hat off
and speak like a human

LESSON #8
Take your developer hat off
and speak like a human
User tips:
āā Let your developer know when you don’t understand
something. This will remind them that they need to
communicate with you better
āā The language a web vendor uses should not become
a barrier to you understanding what is going on with
your site - ask them to explain it in human terms

LESSON #9
Be prepared

LESSON #9
Be prepared and have
an agenda
User tips:
āāUnless pre-arranged, don’t expect to be taught how to
add new functionality or design elements during your
first website training session.
āā If you’re getting 1-1 training, list your priorities
āā Prepare the material for a demo (text, images etc)

LESSON #10
Empower, encourage and
inspire confidence

LESSON #10
Empower, encourage and
inspire confidence
User tips:
āā Check online to see if there is a free WordPress
meetup if there is one in your area
āā If using a theme framework, pay attention to the
community using it
āāNever stop learning

BONUS...
Bring Snacks!!

TOOL KIT
Some of my favourites...
I’ll pop all the links on my website

Web: phasecreative.com.au
Twitter: @phasecreative
Email: hello@phasecreative.com.au
Phone: 0402 040 049
Location: Sydney
Cath Beaton is a Sydney based WordPress
consultant, trainer and web designer
with a passion for helping small business
professionals maximise their online impact.
Thank you :-)

Lessons Learned from Training Clients to use WordPress

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Lessons Learned from Training Clients to use WordPress