Nightstand 7 flickr Images - Chris Arndt

A group of 18 gathered at Headstand Media on Thursday, July 31st for a Nightstand event focused on the open source WordPress blog engine and content management system.

After enjoying some conversation and networking time along with some great Chinese-Thai Asian food from Big Bowl, Randal Birkey of Headstand Media asked everyone to share their name and who they worked for. With these general introductions completed, Randy launched into the presentation topic for the evening.

A WordPress Overview

Headstand Media has been using WordPress as a blog engine and content management system from our beginning. As we have used it, and witnessed the WordPress upgrades over time, we have become increasingly impressed with the tool as a content management system. We find that it meets most of the CMS needs for most of our customers.

There is a very healthy and growing user and developer community around this tool, with new plugins, themes and features being added on a daily basis.

Here is the outline of content presented by the Headstand Media team of Randy Birkey, Benjamin Nelson and Kyle Williams:

Preparing Your Hosting Account

• Minimum Requirements: a standard UNIX/LINUX server account, with mySQL database access SEE: Hosting WordPress
• Hosting Providers: WordPress Suggestions. Headstand has worked with a number of ISP’s that are WordPress friendly. Here are a few ofr our suggestions:
  • Nexcess
  • BlueHost
  • HostMySite
  • 1and1
• FTP Connection: With settings provided by your ISP, establish a connection between your local PC and the web server your WP site will reside on. Examples: Filezilla, Transmit, Cyberduck, Dreamweaver, GoLive, CuteFTP, and many more.
• Permissions: In some cases, you may need to use tools provided by the ISP to set the permissions correctly for the wp-contents folder. See:

Installing WordPress files on a web server

• Configuring FTP Client: You generally need three settings. The Host (could be an IP address or a URL), The username (provided by your ISP) and the password (provided by your ISP). In some cases you may also need a directory path such as: /public_html See also: Working with FTP Clients
• Uploading: Using your fully configured FTP client software, you upload the core WordPress files to the web server root directory.
• Overview of the WP file and folder structure: The core files/folder structure of WordPress 2.6 is:
  • index.php
  • license.txt
  • readme.html
  • wp-admin (folder)
  • wp-app.php
  • w-atom.php
  • wp-blog-header.php
  • wp-comments-post.php
  • wp-commentsrss2.php
  • wp-config-sample.php
  • wp-content (folder)
  • wp-cron.php
  • wp-feed.php
  • wp-includes (folder)
  • wp-links-opml.php
  • wp-load.php
  • wp-login.php
  • wp-mail.php
  • wp-pass.php
  • wp-rdf.php
  • wp-register.php
  • wp-rss.php
  • wp-rss2.php
  • wp-settings.php
  • wp-trackback.php
  • xmlrpc.php

A good online resource is located here: Getting Started with WordPress

Configuring the WordPress database connection

• mySQL set up: In order to perform the next step, you will first need to set up the mySQL database for your site. Using the “control panel” supplied by your ISP, add a “wordpress” database to your account. In the settings for accessing that new database, create a user account and a password for it.
• wp-config.php file: This file is the most important one to getting your site set up. It must be opened and a number of settings entered into it such as: your wordpress database name, your database user and database password, and several security phases. This file then needs to be renamed wp-config.php and uploaded to the server in the root directory.

The Initial WordPress Admin access and site configuration

• /wp-admin: Most all WordPress sites have the administrative area located in the /wp-admin/ location after the root site URL.
• Settings, Plugins, Users: Once logged in, we recommend that you change the admin password in the “Users” control area, to something secure and one that you can remember. Keep a record of it in a safe place! You also need to make sure the general site settings are configured to your liking.
• Dashboard: Write, Manage, Design, Comments: These are the main tabs you will use for managing your site. Each one is very self-explanatory.
• Here is a good overview of the WordPress Admin Features: http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_Features

WordPress Plugins

• How they work: Managing Plugins
• Accessing the WP Plugin Directory - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/
• More Info on Plugins

WordPress Themes

• How they work: Templates
• Accessing the WP Theme Library - http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/
• Custom Themes – How To Create Custom Themes
• Examples of Custom Themes: Southport Grocery & Cafe, Livingstone Corporation

SEO Strengths of WordPress

• Taxonomy: WordPress “forces” you to use logical page organization which also affects your site SEO favorably.
• URL’s: When you select the Day-Name, or Month-Name options in the Permalink settings, your WordPress site will create web-friendly URL’s which will not impeded search engines for indexing the content on your site.
• Title Tags: WordPress also encourages you to enter page title tags that describe the content of each page. This is very helpful for better search engine performance.
• Content Headings: When creating page content, the built-in WP page editing tools allow you to use “heading tags” <h1>, <h2>, etc. for formatting the main content areas of your page. Using these tags are also very important for better search engine performance.
• Tagging: For each post on your site, you can add main topic keywords or “tags” to your site. These become very helpful to people searching your site, and are helpful for better search engine performance.

Other Resources mentioned in the presentation:

• Where to get the WordPress files: www.wordpress.org
• Where to get your feet wet with WordPress for free: www.wordpress.com
• Authorize.net - a payment gateway provider
• Chris Pearson WordPress Themes: www.pearsonified.com
• CubeCart - PHP, mySQL shopping cart system
• osCommerce: another open source shopping cart system

Not Mentioned in the Presentation:

• How do I update or upgrade WordPress when these newer versions come out? Here’s a good resource on How to Upgrade WordPress. It’s really very easy, especially if you make a backup of your existing site first!

Several people mentioned to us afterward that another good followup topic could be how to integrate a shopping cart engine into the WordPress environmant - like we did with Southport Grocery & Cafe.

A WordPress Overview

Since Headstand Media began in October of 2007, we have been exploring and using the WordPress blog engine as a Content Management System (CMS). Our own website is built using WordPress, as are many of our customer sites.

Randal Birkey, Benjamin Nelson and Kyle Williams of Headstand Media will demonstrate how to set up and configure a WordPress site in a step-by-step live demonstration process.

Covered in the presentation will be:

• Downloading the core WordPress files
• Installing WordPress files on a web server
• Configuring the mySQL database
• The initial WordPress Administrative area setup
• WordPress Plugins and how they work
• WordPress Themes and how they work
• The SEO strengths of WordPress

We encourage you to invite friends and associates who may be interested in this topic. We only ask that you RSVP by using the commenting feature below. We’d love to see you there!

Confirmed Attendees:

Randal Birkey - Headstand Media
Benjamin Nelson - Headstand Media
Kyle Williams - Headstand Media
Kent Thompson
Scott Ruth - Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Justin Verburg and 2 friends (Nick and Brian) - STA Group
Patrick Flanagan - ShopLocal
Chris Arndt - Moody
Steve Tanner - Kidology
Peg Corwin - Twain Associates
Lauren Dillon - Sunshine Gospel Ministries
Erik Vorhes - Tanagram Partners
Tim Schwaar
Lauren Schwaar
Joshua Ginter
Fyne Nsofor

Invite a Friend!

We have decided to not host a Nightstand event this month due to our busy schedules and work loads. We just haven’t had the time to put one together for you. We’ll plan on putting one together for July 31, 2008.

Randy, Benjamin and Kyle

Steve Robinson, Regional Development Director for Constant Contact, was our presenter for Nightstand 6. Constant Contact is an effective, affordable and easy to use online email marketing tool designed to enhance a businesses image and its communication with customers and prospects. View the summary of his presentation below, as well as the full PDF version of the presentation ready for download.

Summary: Steve discussed the 3 Keys to E-mail Marketing. We first talked about what E-Mail Marketing actually is, then moved on to what it can do for your business. We compared Email services (such as Constant Contact) with Outlook as well.

3 Keys to E-mail Marketing

• Build Your E-Mail List with Permission
• Set Your Objectives, then Determine Format & Content
• Segment Your E-Email List
• Bonus Point: Track Your Results

3 Keys to E-mail Marketing (PDF 1.1 MB)

Thanks again to all who attended. Please leave comments, questions and suggestions off of this post. Feel free to pass our Headstand blog and Nightstand information to anyone else in your network who you feel would enjoy and profit from coming to a future Nightstand event. You can view photos from Nightstand 6 by clicking on the Flickr icon to the right.

Subscribe to the Nightstand RSS feed:

Email Marketing with Constant Contact

This month our guest presenter will be Steve Robinson, Regional Development Director for Constant Contact. Constant Contact is an effective, affordable and easy to use online email marketing tool designed to enhance a businesses image and its communication with customers and prospects.

Steve relies on his 18 years of experience in business development, sales, and fund-raising to help businesses, nonprofits, and associations learn how to build lasting relationships through permission-based email marketing.

We will learn more about how email marketing with Constant Contact can help a business to grow. Steve will address how to create professional looking emails with Constant Contact’s permission-based email marketing program.

Topics covered during this overview of email marketing include:

• What is permission-based email marketing?
• List building and segmenting lists
• Setting objectives and determining formats
• Tips on tracking results are included as well!!

There will be time for Q & A and interaction with Steve following his presentation. We typically end by 8:30 PM, but attendees are free to come and go as needed.

We look forward to seeing you at Nightstand 6!

Please RSVP!

Confirmed Attenders:
Steve Tanner - Kidology
Diane Chewning - Scholle Packaging
Paul Berg - Paul Berg Photography
Branden Stuck - Kidology/Sony
Kerry Cleary
Scott Ruth - Scotty Man Media
Derek Taylor - Taylor Design Studios
Donna Kae Nelson - Illustration
Dwight Nelson - HBN Design
Chris Arndt - Moody Bible Institute
Erik Vorhes - Tanagram
Kent Thompson
Patrick Flanagan - ShopLocal
James Bardwell - CTL Group
Lauren Dillon - Sunshine Gospel Ministries

Each attendee was given time to introduce themselves, and to describe their particular job and organization. Their website was projected and showcased for everyone to view, and some organic discussion ensued around each site. Many great questions were asked with everyone participating by contributing their perspectives or suggestions.

We also spent a fair amount of time discussing and brainstorming other topics to be covered in future Nightstand events. These topics include:

• Web 2.0 Features
• Web 2.0 - What Is It?
• How to Market with Web 2.0
• Content Management System Options - WordPress Demo
• Pimp Your CMS - How to customize and personalize a CMS website
• Web Databases: What are they and how do they work?
• API’s: What are they and how do they work?
• Social Networking platforms compared and contrasted
• Flash Basics

Randy talked about a few special guest Nightstand events he is working on. We will have a guest from Constant Contact in May to talk about their email platform and services. He is working on getting a guest speaker from McDonald’s, and a group from an agency in Holland, Michigan.

A few other topic ideas included:

• Web Graphics Basics: formats, tools, how to
• Alternative revenue strategies for non-profits
• How to make $ with websites: affiliate marketing and other revenue models
• How to market and promote yourself on the web
• The web and the “long tail”

Even after the event was “over” several more discussions in smaller groups evolved around specific challenges that attendees were facing in their organizations. These included Web 2.0 feature integration and related database integration and migration.

Click on the Flickr badge to the right to view more pictures from Nightstand 5. If you have other topics you would like to discuss at an upcoming Nightstand event, please leave suggestions as comments.

Build Your Own Nightstand

Sometimes it is just good to sit and talk with friends about ideas, trends, developments and experiences related to our lives with: emerging technology, Web 2.0, online communities and social networking, new media and communication in our changing world.

Headstand Media will guide us in an open-ended discussion and conversation on new things we’ve seen, questions that have come up, experiences we’d like to share, developments on the horizon - encouraging all of our guests to participate and contribute.

So, we invite you to bring along your ideas, thoughts, experiences, issues, questions or news to contribute. We’ve got plenty of white-board space, and a laptop and projector to view websites or resources online that will help our discussion.

We have a speaker and topic lined up for May, but we’ll also spend some time brainstorming on future topics and presentation resources that you’d like to see covered in the months ahead.

We encourage you to invite friends and associates who may be interested in this topic. We only ask that you RSVP!

We’d love to see you there!

Confirmed Attendees:
Randal Birkey - Headstand Media
Benjamin Nelson - Headstand Media
Kyle Williams - Headstand Media
Steve Tanner - Kidology
Scott Ruth - Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Chris Arndt - Moody Bible Institute
Richard Ellison - Cultivest
Branden Stuck - Kidology, Sony
Kent Thompson
Tim Schwaar

Invite a Friend!

Have a great Easter holiday and spring break, and we’ll see you in April!

Randy, Benjamin and Kyle.

Steve Tanner, Director of Web Operations for Kidology.org, was the guest presenter for Nightstand 4. Steve’s presentation was entitled: The Changing Face of Online Communities. View the summary of his presentation below, as well as the full PPT version of the presentation ready for download.

Summary: Our conversation explored the shift from place-centric communities (message boards, chat rooms) to people-centric communities (blogs, social networks, buddy lists, mobile phone), and what that means for today’s online projects, from commercial to non-profit. We looked at the underlying principles that apply to all online communities, independent of type, technology, and purpose.

Talking points on Online Community

• What is an online community?
• Why do people participate in online communities?
• Trends: Place-centric vs. People-centric
• So what? Why should I care about online community?
• 10 Guidelines to ponder before jumping into online community

The Changing Face of Online Communities (PPT 3 MB)

Thanks again to all who attended. Please leave comments, questions and suggestions off of this post. Feel free to pass our Headstand blog and Nightstand information to anyone else in your network who you feel would enjoy and profit from coming to a future Nightstand event.

Subscribe to the Nightstand RSS feed:

The Changing Face of Online Communities

Our conversation will explore the shift from place-centric communities (message boards, chat rooms) to people-centric communities (blogs, social networks, buddy lists, mobile phone), and what that means for today’s online projects, from commercial to non-profit. We’ll also take a look at the underlying principles that apply to all online communities, independent of type, technology, and purpose.

Steve Tanner has been professionally managing online communities since 1998, working with Fortune 500 companies as well as non-profit organizations. With a background in mass communications, including journalism and broadcasting, along with technical computer science proficiency, he’s nurtured a diverse group of community-building situations to bring relationships and technology together.

For the past 4 years, Steve has served as the Director of Web Operations for Kidology.org, a non-profit, community-driven resource for those who work in children’s ministry. Prior to that, he worked professionally in the fields of online community management, marketing, and copywriting. On the side, he’s an avid blogger and beverage enthusiast.

We encourage you to invite friends and associates who may be interested in this topic. We only require that you RSVP!

We’d love to see you there!

Confirmed Attendees:
Randal Birkey - Headstand Media
Benjamin Nelson - Headstand Media
Kyle Williams - Headstand Media
Steve Tanner - Kidology
Branden Stuck - Kidology/Sony
Derek Taylor - Taylor Design Studio
Kent Thompson
Dan Cummings - ShopLocal
Eric Vorhes - Textivism
Donny Williams - TLN
Becky Williams - DePaul University
Bunmi Onibokun
Scott Ruth - Breakthrough Urban Ministries
Cindy Kurzma

Invite a Friend!