Why Your School Needs a Wordpress Site
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This document outlines a presentation on why schools should use WordPress for their websites. It discusses the benefits of WordPress, including ease of use, customization, and large community support. Three main use cases are presented: using WordPress for a full CMS website, for user-generated content like blogging, and to encourage involvement through sites for parents, alumni, etc. Examples are provided for each use case and several useful WordPress plugins are described. Resources for WordPress training and support are also included.
Why Your School Needs a Wordpress Site
- 1. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 1 Why your school needs a WordPress site PRESENTED BY: EMILIE THOMSON, KELLEY JARRETT, ANDREW FORT, STEVE BRUSH
- 2. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 2 • Why WordPress? • Use Case #1 – - Using WordPress as a full website • Use Case #2 – - Using WordPress for user-generated content • Use Case #3 – - Using WordPress to encourage involvement • Plugin examples • Resources • Panel discussion AGENDA
- 3. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 3 WHAT IS WORDPRESS? WordPress is the best open source solution to meet the needs of our Independent Schools. • Ease of use for our customers • Active community of users • Freely available resources • Open source • Extended functionality through plugins • Customizable • Flexible
- 4. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 4 “55% OF THE 1 MILLION MOST VISITED SITES THAT ARE RUN ON A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ARE RUN ON WORDPRESS” – W3TECHS, 2012
- 5. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 5 COMMON USES • Full CMS • User Generated Content/Blogging • Site functionality supplement • Microsite
- 6. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 6 USE CASE #1 WORDPRESS FOR A FULL SITE
- 7. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 7 LYCEUM KENNEDY
- 8. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 8 • Challenge: needed a cost-effective, open-source CMS • Solution: Dual-language WordPress School Best Practice Theme Subscription with Online Application • Multisite: 2 websites for Lyceum Kennedy; French- American & Japanese. Implementing Blackbaud’s best practice, mobile responsive theme design, and ongoing services to help evolve the site over time. LYCEUM KENNEDY DETAILS
- 10. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 10 LYCEUM KENNEDY A F T E R
- 11. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 11 • Main need - Increase prospective families’ awareness of school. - American families are not familiar with the bilingual/bicultural experience. - improve brand recognition. - Create a user friendly website - Manage/update the content easily. - Improve social media presence. • How did we solve the problem? - WordPress site - Lyceum Kennedy controls all content and can easily make those simple updates themselves. - Make it easy to read and navigate. - Add additional color to differentiate from French / American School to Japanese School. LYCEUM KENNEDY – MORE DESIGN STORY
- 12. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 12 DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL
- 13. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 13 • Challenge: Needed website up quickly. Integration to existing EE and RE databases wasn’t a driving factor. Redesign was needed, but wanted the responsive, best practice themes • Solution: WordPress Theme Subscription. De La Salle was pleased that the site was live within their timeframe. They said they would consider expanding to Online Campus Community in the future, but have a site that meets their needs today. DE LA SALLE DETAILS
- 14. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 14 DE LA SALLE DETAILS B E F O R E
- 15. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 15 DE LA SALLE COLLEGIATE HIGH SCHOOL
- 16. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 16 • Fully-featured CMS • Huge amount of available resources • Wide variety of Plugins available • Can be custom design • Quick implementation FULL SITE BENEFITS
- 17. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 17 USE CASE #2 WORDPRESS FOR USER-GENERATED CONTENT
- 18. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 18 • Blogs provide an avenue to credibility through storytelling • Easy to implement, integrate and use • Delegate and Approve • Give teachers, parents and students a voice! • Feed stories anywhere “…You need to remember that the Internet is a dynamic place, and make sure your site is constantly changing as well.” “Good Non Profit Website Design Principles #5 of 5,” blog.pathmakermarketing.com May 21, 2009 USER-GENERATED CONTENT
- 19. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 19 SACRED HEART ACADEMY
- 20. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 20 FEEDING TEACHER OR CHILD-GENERATED CONTENT
- 21. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 21 CLASS PAGES AND GOOGLE CALENDARS
- 22. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 22 CROWD FUNDING
- 23. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 23 FEED IT EVERYWHERE FOR CURRENT INFO Blog Posts Calendar Event
- 24. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 24 USE CASE #3 WORDPRESS FOR ENCOURAGING INVOLVEMENT
- 25. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 25 • Many uses for auxiliary site: - Parent Volunteer site - Athletic Booster site - Alumni Reunion site • Can be a design replicated from your main site or separate design • Typically a separate set of users with less training ENCOURAGING INVOLVEMENT
- 26. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 26 PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION
- 27. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 27 Parent Volunteer site: • Sign up for class parties • Blog about upcoming parent meetings • Sign up field trip chaperones • PTA committee calendar ENCOURAGING INVOLVEMENT
- 28. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 28 ATHLETIC BOOSTERS
- 29. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 29 Athletic Boosters site • Sign up for snacks • Post news about practices • Photos from parents of games ENCOURAGING INVOLVEMENT
- 30. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 30 ALUMNI REUNIONS
- 31. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 31 - Alumni Reunion site • Separate from main alumni site • Reunion details • Blog about planning committee progress • Photo albums of event ENCOURAGING INVOLVEMENT
- 32. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 32 • Let parents and volunteers post frequently with less impact on your brand • Reduce the random signup tools, email chains • Increases visibility to other volunteer needs “ INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY
- 33. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 33 EXTENDING THE INTERACTIVITY OF YOUR WEBSITE THROUGH WORDPRESS PLUGINS
- 34. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 34 BuddyPress http://buddypress.org/about/ "BuddyPress is a powerful plugin that takes your WordPress.org powered site beyond the blog with social-network features like user profiles, activity streams, user groups, and more. Some fantastic uses might be: A campus wide social network for your university, school or college." WORDPRESS PLUGIN EXAMPLES
- 35. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 35 mTouch Quiz http://wordpress.org/plugins/mtouch-quiz/ Mobile friendly quiz generator WORDPRESS PLUGIN EXAMPLES
- 36. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 37 Editorial Calendar http://stresslimitdesign.com/editorial-calendar-plugin Shows publishing schedules for all articles to ensure that content is being delivered consistently throughout the month. WORDPRESS PLUGIN EXAMPLES
- 37. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 38 League Manager http://wordpress.org/plugins/leaguemanager/ This Plugin is designed to manage sports leagues and display them on your blog. WORDPRESS PLUGIN EXAMPLES
- 38. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 39 Sign-up Sheets Lite http://www.dlssoftwarestudios.com/sign-up-sheets-wordpress-plugin/ Sign-up Sheets allows you to have people sign up for different events tasks that you set up. For additional features, check out the Pro version. WORDPRESS PLUGIN EXAMPLES
- 39. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 40 Booking Calendar Booking Calendar plugin will enable online booking services for your site. It's highly supported, oldest (since 2009) booking wordpress plugin with intuitive interface and flexible functionality, for a wide range of businesses. WORDPRESS PLUGIN EXAMPLES
- 40. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 41 Basic Text Alert Signup (fees may apply) Send text messages (SMS) to a group of subscribers to your alerts. Forms with Payment (PayPal) Quickly and easily build forms with a simple drag-and-drop interface and in-place editing Event Registration: Description: The event registration extends WordPress functionality by enabling schools to manage event attendee registration and payment within WordPress. Event Registration can also be used for open house or campus tour appointments and volunteer signups. eCommerce Description: Websites set up with eCommerce provide a way for users to purchase goods or services through a shopping cart method. eCommerce functionality provides an online catalog of merchandise, shipping options, account management WORDPRESS PLUGIN EXAMPLES
- 42. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 43 GUIDE CREATIVE HELP (HELP.GUIDECREATIVE.COM) • A Nonprofit WordPress forum, learning and resource center exclusively for GUIDE Creative WordPress clients
- 43. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 44 • http://help.guidecreative.com/ • http://codex.wordpress.org/First_Steps_With_WordPress • http://en.wordpress.com/classrooms/ • http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/classrooms/ • http://wdmtech.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/wordpress-teacher-sites/ • http://www.cunniman.net/?p=899 Training • http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Lessons Instant WordPress free download for local test installation RESOURCES
- 44. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 45 PANEL DISCUSSION
- 46. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 47 WORDPRESS INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS *school-specific plug-ins
- 47. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 48 WORDPRESS INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS WordPress Content Management System Site Navigation Responsive Design (Mobile Optimization) Articles & Blog Commenting RSS feeds YouTube/Vimeo Embedding Search Calendar Forms & Surveys Polls Homepage UI Feature Contact Page eMail Template Design Google Analytics Social Sharing & Feeds Document Library* Photo Gallery* Basic Text Alert Signup (fees may apply)* Forms with Payment (PayPal Only)* *school-specific plug-ins
- 48. 10/7/2013 #bbcon 49 WORDPRESS FOR INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ADD-ON PACKAGES WordPress for Independent Schools Media Gallery Event Registration eCommerce Discussion Board Athletics OLA Spark