20 Expert Wordpress Tips for Pro-Developers
20 Expert Wordpress Tips for Pro-Developers
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Wordpress has been growing sensationally as the tool to use for Blogging. We’ve compiled a list of things that are good practice and you must do if you are a pro wordpress blogger or developer.
Writing/Blogging Workflow
- Keep it updated. Publish it later. Keeping it updated can be a laborious, arduous task. In order to do something like this I highly recommend writing 2-3 articles at a time and publishing them later at another date.
- Use Shortcodes. Shortcodes can save you a lot of time and provide you with text and bbedit type shortcuts. Using text like: [shortcode]. It replaces the need with formatting text and easily allows you to insert a template or snippet.
- Editing offline? Use Google Gears to kick your writing abilities offline. While using Google Gears Turbo can write, edit things locally then sync them later.
- Write posts via email: This is something people tend to forget about only because its such an unutilized feature. But with the ubiquity of smartphones it makes sense to write posts via email. (Thanks to @dmassad for the tip.)
Mobile Design
- Do you have an iPhone? Wordpress.org is creating an iPhone application just for the iPhone to keep your blog updated
- Update Wordpress by Text Message using Twitter Updater
- iPhone themes for Wordpress: WP Touch , iWPTouch
Backing Up Data
- Importing and Export Feature – Keep your posts backed up on your server as well as multiple different places.
- Use the Backup Plugin to automatically
Wordpress with CMS Superpowers
Because of Wordpress’ very attractive backend. Using Wordpress seems like a very promising move. The following will make it happen:
- Devlounge explores the pros and cons and possibilities of using Wordpress as a CMS. What to consider if you’re using Wordpress as a CM
- Rewriting Wordpress Functions: WeFunction Explores the idea of using wordpress’ add_meta_box as a means of creating seperate custom fields. I warn you it doesn’t look very easy. The tutorial is very well documented though.
- Flutter is very promising plugin that allows awesome features such as editing in place as well as allowing many different post types. Also covered and reviewed here.
- Darren Hoyt discusses the client-web developer/designer problems with making Wordpress a CMS
- How to “plan and think of Wordpress as a CMS”
- CMS Plugins: Looking for plugins to make Wordpress a cms? Make sure you check out My Page Order , pageMash , Page Management Dropdown , PageRestrict, etc. (Source: Mashable)
Twitter Implementation
- 10 Best Twitter tools for Wordpress.
- Find out who tweeted or retweeted your post using the Tweetback Plugin
Wordpress Custom Theme Development
- Use a Parent-Child Theme to rapidly jump-start theme development
- Import Sample Content to help develop and refine your themes typography
- Why reinvent the wheel when you can use a blank theme: found here , here , and a whole list of them here
Similar Posts
- E-mail invoices to clients
- Save client data
- Payment processing options such as Authorize.net, Paypal, etc…
- Archived invoices
- Secure connection for viewing invoices
- Associate an image with each contact.
- Assign each contact to a company… or don’t.
- Create a note history for each contact.
- Clickable email and website links.
- Google map contacts address.
- Dial a phone number (works on cell phones with internet browsers).
- Fully hcard / vcard compatible.
- Track clients
- Track projects by client
- Track tasks by project
- Track time per task with dynamic timer like Harvest
How to Fix WordPress Feedburner Plugins After Converting to Google Feedburner
I ran into (yet another) Feed Count + Feedburner problem recently, shortly after writing my last article on accounting for Feedburner’s subscriber count mistakes. And since I heard from a few people who are also using the Feed Count plugin, I thought I should share this info.
The Backstory
As I’m sure all you Feedburner users out there are well aware, Google purchased Feedburner quite some time ago. But until recently, that didn’t mean much: the same people were working on the code, your information was stored in the same place and was represented the same way, and so on.
But recently Google has begun bringing Feedburner more fully into the fold. As a result, all Feedburner users are being required to convert their Feedburner accounts into Google accounts. That created quite a few headaches for lots of people (including myself) right off the bat, as it took a good week for Google to nail down my subscriber numbers with any accuracy – one day I would have thousands of subscribers, the next I might have zero, and the day following only a few hundred.
A New Problem
However, even once Google started reporting my Feedburner numbers correctly, I still had a problem: my Feed Count plugin no longer grabbed my subscription statistics. Now, this wasn’t as huge a problem as it could have been, because I had my jQuery Feeburner fix in place… but I still wanted my real subscriber stats back at some point.
After a bit of digging, I found the problem: as part of their conversion from Feedburner to “Google” Feedburner, Google changed the location of their API. Thus, any plugins that used the old Feedburner API ceased functioning once that user’s account was successfully ported to Google.
The Solution
Long-term, the best solution would be for the plugin developers to update and release new versions of their plugins. But as of now, the Feed Count plugin has not been updated – and since it hasn’t seen an update since last July, I’m not going to hold my breath on a new version. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and edit my copy of the Feed Count plugin.
Note: this solution is specific to the Feed Count plugin, but any brave souls out there could probably modify and use this information to update other plugins as well.
I opened up my copy of the Feed Count plugin file (feedcount.php) and found this function:
function mapelli_fc_get_defaults() {
return array(
'map_fc_feedurl' => '',
'map_fc_queryurl' =>'http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=',
'map_fc_lastcount' => 'N/A',
'map_fc_lastupdate' => 0,
'map_fc_updateinterval' => 60, // 1 h
'map_fc_error_updateinterval' => 5, // 5 min
);
}
This function mostly sets all the plugin defaults, but it also sets the “queryurl” – the website that the plugin hits to find your subscriber count information. This URL is not customizable anywhere inside Wordpress, and since this URL has now changed, we’re forced to edit the plugin itself.
All I had to do was change the “map_fc_queryurl” line to read this instead:
'map_fc_queryurl' =>'https://feedburner.google.com/api/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=',
Then I saved the plugin, uploaded it to my server, and my stats started showing up again! However, it’d still recommend putting something like this JavaScript fix in place for those random times when Feedburner drops the ball (and your subscriber count).
Note: Your stats probably won’t start showing up again instantly. You’ll have to wait for the duration of your “update interval,” which can be configured in WordPress under Settings -> Feed Count:
If you’re using a different plugin and have run into this same problem, please give this solution a try and let people know in the comments if it worked. Thanks!
Flutter, the “ultimate wordpress CMS” updated
You use Wordpress as a CMS right? And you probably love it, after all what is not to love? It is simple, easy to install, has a huge community base, thousands of plugins and themes… and 2.7’s interface is simply… stunning.
Wordpress is not perfect as a CMS however, and can you blame it? It was designed to be a blogging platform. They must have done something right if Wordpress started as a blogging platform that simply works so well as a CMS.
This could all be part of the past now that Flutter has arrived. Wordpress could easily be a fully extendable CMS with one of the best blogging platforms integrated into it. So many of the minor pitfalls wordpress previously had as a CMS are now gone.
Flutter is not a new plug in by any means. Released around wordpress 2.5, it has had time to pick up a little bit of steam. It seams it never really caught on because despite it’s useful benefits it was confusing and difficult to install and maintain. To wordpresses recent credit, it didn’t solve some of the more confusing “blog focused interface” that 2.5 and 2.6 still had.
However now coupled with 2.7 and a new release of flutter you can now create an amazing full fledged CMS capable of almost anything you can think of.
More About Flutter
Flutter was designed to combat two major issues that Wordpress has when being used to administer and power web sites rather than blogs. Dealing with content that was more than just self formated text and photos, and an easy way to edit complex pages.
Custom Content Types
A typical example could be pages for the biographies of individuals. These pages likely have a specific format that all of them should adhere to. Name, Title, Skills, etc… Previously with Wordpress you would create a blank page for each and have to try your best not to accidentally mess up the format. Of course you could try using the custom fields, but try explaining those to a client with out having their eyes glass over.
Now days you had better count on the fact that websites are going to be complicated enough where the simple homepage / innerpage templates are not going to be substantial. Websites will have different content types, a home listing, biography, portfolio page, etc… Flutter allows you to create custom write panels for different types of content. The write panels can have text fields, radio buttons, pictures, drop downs, etc… allowing the user to create a page exactly how they want it with out hassel or vast technical knowledge.
Edit in Place
The other example might be managing and editing pages that have both unique sidebar content and primary content. Before you would have to create a page for the sidebar, use a custom template to include that post into the sidebar before finally trying to teach a client how it all works. Very complicated right? Well it doesn’t have to be.
Flutter also lets you specifcy editable regions of a page, like the main content, title, or sidebar. Using a bit of AJAX magic useres who are logged in can navigate to the page they wish to edit through the front end, click an edit button, and begin to edit that section with out even leaving the page.
This makes the CMS almost transparent. Your typical client is more familiar with the web from a users perspective, and this allows them to edit and manage pages the way they are most comfortable.
Slightly Complicated
While the usage and learning curve of flutter has improved, you should still expect to spend an ample amount of time your first attempt at using this plugin. The documentation while available, is sparce at best (not that you can really blame the developers, who are giving the plugin for free.)
The learning curve is well worth it. You can easily expect to save more time than you spend in reduced phone calls and e-mails regarding how to perform specific functions, tasks, or edits in Wordpress.
CSS Menu Maker: Add Stunning CSS Menus to your blog
Menus are an important part of the web site or blog design. … Izzymenu: CSS/DHTML Menu Builder. iPhone Theme Maker: Make Your Own iPhone Theme …Wordpress 2.7 Released, Initial Impressions
For those who haven’t noticed, wordpress 2.7 has officially been released. While I have played around with the release candidates I am always eager to see the full release of new software, so I have already installed the update onto this site to get some initial impressions.
Obviously this is a big interface change from previous versions, and while many have hailed wordpress for having a simple and easy to use interface I never have fully agreed. Sure it is easier than some of the other CMS and blogging platforms out there, but it always had a lot to be desired in my opinion.
The Dashboard
The reorganization of the dashboard improves it’s functionality ten fold. With a quick post bar, easily to scan stats about your blog, and the news no longer takes up 75% of the page. Where previously I would instantly skip over the information on the dashboard as it was not easy to gain value or I had to hunt for what I was looking for— I now find myself glancing at the little bits before making my next action.
The New Menu
Despite some nice aesthetic improvements, the primary change that has improved the user experience is the navigation. Some of their initial menu and design decisions make sense considering the platform was originally built to be a blogging platform, and has evolved into what it is today (more of a framework). The new version really is an evolution of the platform itself to better fit the flexibility that it has adopted.
Better Labeling
While the previous versions of wordpress had fairly good labeling, the labeling of navigational elements has improved significantly. What was “Design” is now “Appearance,” and “Manage” has been forgone for a simple “Edit.”
Much Better Organization
The organization of the navigational structure has been improved leaps and bounds. Now that wordpress is used as a CMS more often pages and posts have been separated, which should make clients lives a lot easier. Both categories have logical sub categories of edit, add new, categories, etc. Media has been separated into it’s own section, no longer do you have to hunt for it in the ambiguous “manage” tab.
The administration navigation has been vastly improved, now in an area you can actually spot it seems much easier to use. A nice touch is the addition of the “tools” section, which will serve as an excellent spot for plug in settings and controls. Previously it seemed authors stuck plug in controls in any section, where this will be a bit more convenient and logical.
The New Editing Interface
The editing interface of both posts and pages has been vastly improved. Again this looks as if the changes were made to improve the capability of Wordpress as a CMS. Previous versions of wordpress had what I called “option soup.” Where boxes of all sorts of options simply appeared… well… everywhere. Sure with plug ins you could turn off a lot of the options that didn’t seem to matter, but it was a hassle and certainly didn’t make wordpress easier on clients that were not tech savy.
The layout and labeling of the editor interface is much more intuitive. The more complicated items such as custom fields are located below the fold where most users can safely ignore them, and logical workflow boxes are placed where they should. For example excerpt is under the post, where tags and categories are to the right.
On the pages editor you have a handy “Page Attribute” section that allows you to select the page parent, template, and order.
Additionally in both editors you have easy options to turn on / off any section that seems unnecessary.
The Bad
The only area I have had significant trouble with is the image uploading interface. When I used the flash loader I seemed to be able to select files but not upload them, weird? Inserting the image into the post was a bit hidden, having to “show the image” and see the details in order to find the insert image is a bit clunky. Let’s face it, being able to put pictures into a site/blog is extremely important to most clients. This being as difficult as it was is not insignificant.
Overall…
Overall the upgrade is a huge improvement, especially looking from a clients perspective. The main areas I would love to see improvement is some ability to create custom write panels with out doing hacking, and easier linking interface (if you want to link to another page on your site you have to copy and paste it? come on now!) and better navigation control capabilities.
I am sure that in future releases these will be improved and wordpress will continue to excel as a framework.
Free CSS templates - Download Free CSS Templates
Download free standards compliant CSS templates & Wordpress Themes, Valid XHTML/CSS. … The Free CSS Templates site is updated quite frequently, and hence all are …CSS for code: Wrap long lines | Weblog Tools Collection
If you post code on your Wordpress blog, you could use a code beautifier plugin such as syntax highlighter or you could include your code in <pre> tags.WordPress " Wordpress CSS Drop-down Menu " WordPress Plugins
I have created a THREE-level drop-down menu for Wordpress. … exclude, Browser, down, drop, page, plugin, wordpress, menu, dropdown, CSS …Plugins That Make Wordpress Into A Company Intranet
Wordpress has become a great platform for a wide range of website needs. Originally designed for blogging it is now a common package for full fledged content management systems and even complete web based applications.
Now we even have great opportunities to use Wordpress as an internal communication and back office tool. With these assortments of plug-ins we can use our favorite open source software to improve our businesses, efficiency and offer more solutions to our clients.
Billing
If you are a freelancer or a small company you know how much time can be sucked up by managing your billing. This is a bit of a shame because the billing part of the job should be the most fun, it’s how you get paid! There are a lot of available paid solutions for billing, but they are all hosted on different websites and applications and are not as nice and neatly integrated as doing it through Wordpress. Luckily we have WP-Invoice, a full invoice creation and tracking system that integrates with Wordpress directly.
It features:
Download WP-Invoice
Contact Relationship Management
As your business grows the amount of clients, leads and strategic partners you have will also grow. It is time to throw out the Rolodex, get rid of your piles of business cards, there are better ways to manage your contacts. The newest solution would be using a Contact Relationship Management system or CRM. There are a wide range of different CRM solutions available (salesforce.com, highrise, etc…) however Wordpress can function as one with the simple installation of a plug-in!
WP-CRM features:
Download WP-CRM
Project Management
Still using a pen and paper to manage your projects? You might as well be using a sundial to check the time! Using software to manage and track your projects is a lot easier and more sophisticated. While there are plenty of good commercial solutions available, why not integrate it into Wordpress? That way it is easy to use, customizable and open source. With the simple installation of a plug-in you can:
Download WP-Project
Office Communication
Sometimes proper and adequate communication is the most important and most difficult aspects of running a larger company. There are all sorts of tools that attempt to correct and fix this problem, some of them more effective than others. The Wordpress team themselves encountered this issue and sought to find a solution that integrated into their beautiful piece of software. Hence Prologue was born - a twitter like tool that can run off of your web server.
Download Prologue
Newsletter & Notifications
Need to send news and updates to your employees? Maybe you want to do some e-mail marketing for your company? Rather than pay monthly or per e-mail using an overpriced and underachieving e-mail marketing solution just integrate it with Wordpress. There is a simple, effective and easy to use newsletter tool that will do everything you need and more.
Download the Newsletter Plugin
Calendar
Keep track of all the events and important milestones going on with your business by using a simple and easy to use calendar system. There are a handful of Wordpress plug-ins that let you create and manage calendars, I have had the best luck with WP-Calendar. If you want to get very fancy you could also have a members only calendar so that only employees and those with a login can see it.