last weekend i attended wordcamp kc and promised you guys a little roundup of the event. i am a big fan of wordpress, mostly because i have used a variety of different cms’s and wordpress seems to be the most user-friendly and easiest for clients to learn how to use. the back end is pretty and organized, which for me, as a designer, is everything.

we talked css, custom theme creation, and design and marketing among other topics. i know many of you may not necessarily use wordpress or know a whole lot about website creation in general so i will give you a basic short list of pointers i took away from the event that can apply to anyone with a website, whether it be a blog, a shop etc.

1. differentiate yourself with a customized theme, great images, and great content. content is king.
2. verify your site with webmaster tools. measure the effectiveness of your site with google analytics. set up goals!
3. look in to making your site responsive. mobile compatibilty is quite important nowadays.
4. the aesthetics of your site are just as important as your content. if you do not have the knowledge, time, experience, or the eye to make your site visually appealing, find someone who does! (wink, wink)
5. i am kicking myself in the behind for not attending this session, but everything about the presentation knocks my socks off. “design for where you are going. but remember: when you get there, you’re not really there.” i love that.

do you guys want to learn more about wordpress on ftlod? i have a list of really great resources, tips and quite a bit of knowledge on the subject. let me know if this is something you are interested in. could become a new column…possibly?

anywho, wordcamp is a fun time. there’s probably one close to you. you should go!

happy friday, loves!