In this blog post, we’ll cover the latest WordCamps we’ve attended and those we’re going to, as well as a new site launch, a podcast featuring our CEO, and articles highlighting our work. Keep reading because there’s a lot of thrilling news to share.

JewelStaite.net Launch

We are very proud to announce the launch of the WordPress website for actor and foodie Jewel Staite! JewelStaite.net was built with the WordPress Block Editor, using Block Patterns and our very own block theme—WDS BT.

Jewel announced the launch on her social media and released a sizzle reel to highlight her new branding, website redesign, and all of the lovely elements that make her website unique, bespoke, warm, and inviting. Watch the reel below, and go to JewelStaite.net to see the website for yourself.

Full Site Editing in the Real World

Is no one truly using Full Site Editing and block themes? Fränk Klein, engineer and the person behind WP Development Courses, answered this question by presenting seven websites built using block themes. One of the examples included was Felicia.day, which WebDevStudios (WDS) built for the actor, activist, and streamer.

See all seven websites Fränk presented in his article and better understand the importance of learning block theme development. Read “Full-Site Editing in The Real World: 7 Websites Built Using Block Themes” now.

The Inside Track

Another podcast episode of “Scaling Enterprise, WordPress and Open Source Software” has dropped. Hosted by WDS CEO Brad Williams and Human Made CEO Tom Willmot, this latest installment is part of “The Inside Track,” which explores the world of enterprise WordPress and how the platform scales to meet the needs of large organizations.

In this episode, Brad and Tom teamed up to interview Mario Peshev, CEO of DevriX. The group shared their extensive experiences running their own agencies and the importance of contributing to open-source technology. Listen to the entire podcast episode at Do the Woo.

WP Weekly Inclusion

Thanks to WP Weekly for highlighting one of our recent blog posts, “Making the Switch from Webflow to WordPress,” in its weekly newsletter. A project by Davinder Singh Kainth, a creative professional who loves creating online spaces powered by WordPress, the WP Weekly brings the best bits from the WordPress ecosystem in a short and concise newsletter that should not take more than 10 minutes of reading time. Learn more about WP Weekly at thewpweekly.com.

WordCamps

The WordCamp fun continues! We recently attended one in Minnesota and have another coming up this weekend in the Philippines. Plus, we can’t forget about WordCamp US happening next month. Keep reading for all the details.

WordCamp Minneapolis / St. Paul

WordCamp Minneapolis / St. Paul (WCMSP) was a blast! Two WDS teammates—Engineering Manager John Heimkes and Marketing Manager Laura Coronado—got to meet for the first time ever while also connecting with former staff members, including WCMSP speaker Gary Kovar, who presented a talk on how NASA’s website was built on WordPress.

WordCamp Cebu

WordCamp Cebu, happening this weekend (August 24th) in Cebu City, Philippines, offers opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. Engineering Manager JC Palmes is speaking at this WordPress event.

JC’s talk is titled “Embrace the Blocks: Why Block Themes Are a Developer’s Friend.” It will cover the world of Block Themes, explore the tools and concepts, and demonstrate why Block Themes are not just user-friendly but a powerful new addition to a developer’s toolkit.

Next Month: WordCamp US

WordCamp US is the premiere WordCamp event in North America. It will take place in Portland, Oregon, from September 17-20. The event features a Contributor Day and a Showcase Day.

Five members of the WDS team will be in attendance: CEO Brad Williams, Director of Accounts Jen Miller, Account Manager Laura Byrne, Senior Frontend Engineer Marty O’Connor, and Senior Frontend Engineer Alfredo Navas.

Interested in meeting with our team in person at WordCamp US to discuss your next big WordPress project? Use this link to book an appointment. Our team would love to chat about your website needs.

The post Company News – August appeared first on WebDevStudios.

In this edition of our company news blog post, we’re focusing on the freshest updates from WordPress. Discover how two of our team members contributed to the latest major release.

We’ll also preview upcoming WordCamps, where you can catch up with us and learn more about our initiatives. Plus, we have news of tutorials featuring our own plugins. So, grab an ice-cold drink, soak in the summer vibes, and let’s explore all the latest news from WebDevStudios and beyond.

WordPress 6.6 Released

On July 16, 2024, the WordPress community celebrated the release of WordPress 6.6, affectionately named “Dorsey” in honor of the legendary big band leader Tommy Dorsey. This release brings a host of new features and improvements designed to enhance the user experience and expand the creative possibilities for site builders. Among the standout features are:

• Expanded design options for block themes, allowing for greater customization and creativity
• A streamlined Site Editor workflow, making it easier and faster to design and manage your site
• Plugin auto-updates, complete with a safety net that includes rollbacks to ensure stability if any issues arise
• Synced patterns for consistent styling across multiple instances
• A whopping 58 accessibility fixes and enhancements to make WordPress more inclusive and user-friendly
• And so much more!

Contributor Credits

The release of WordPress 6.6 exemplifies the power of open-source collaboration. A remarkable 630 contributors from at least 51 countries united to make this update possible. We are especially proud of our own team members, Frontend Engineer Aslam Doctor and Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello, whose efforts were instrumental in this release.

Sal discovered a bug that prevented global JavaScript code from loading on the login page using the `wp_localize_script` method. He promptly submitted a ticket to address the issue. Aslam took the lead in developing a fix, pushing the patch to the WordPress repository for review.

After rigorous testing and updates, the patch was approved. Sal and Aslam also created PHP test cases to ensure the fix’s robustness. Their collaboration exemplifies the spirit of teamwork and innovation that drives WordPress forward. Congratulations to Aslam, Sal, and all the contributors to WordPress 6.6!

Reap the Rewards of WordPress 6.6

WordPress 6.6 truly delivers on the promise of a better web, offering style, finesse, and a suite of creative possibilities for your site-building experience. This version empowers users to do more with ease, providing enhanced tools and unprecedented power behind the scenes.

Additionally, “Dorsey” continues to deliver the performance and accessibility improvements that users have come to expect from every WordPress release. These enhancements make it easier than ever to create beautiful, functional, and accessible websites.

Following the major release, WordPress 6.6.1, a maintenance release, has also been made available. This update includes important bug fixes and improvements, ensuring that your WordPress site remains in top shape. Be sure to update your WordPress to the latest version today and take full advantage of all the new features and enhancements!

Explore what WordPress 6.6 offers and elevate your site-building experience with this powerful new release. Happy updating!

WordCamps

“I hate WordCamps,” said no one ever! With 23 WordCamp events planned around the world for the remainder of the year, WordPress users, developers, and community members will have the opportunity to network, learn, expand their skills, and make memories. Here are the upcoming WordCamps, where you’ll find team members from WebDevStudios (WDS).

WordCamp Minneapolis / St. Paul (WCMSP)

Taking place at the world-famous Mall of America on August 16th, WordCamp MSP is a one-day event of learning and connecting. This conference unites WordPress enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds to discuss, share, and explore the endless possibilities of the beloved content management system.

WCMSP’s schedule features multiple talks on accessibility and AI, but one talk our team is particularly excited about is titled “WordPress at a Galactic Scale.” Former WDS team member Gary Kovar, a Principal Software Engineer who has worked on projects for NASA and Disney, is the presenter. Additionally, WordCamp organizer and agency owner E Daniel Swain will deliver the keynote speech, discussing the importance of community.

WDS Co-Founder and COO Lisa Sabin-Wilson, Engineering Manager John Heimkes, and Marketing Manager Laura Coronado will attend WCMSP.

WordCamp US (WCUS)

While WCUS is still a couple of months out, we want to let people know well in advance that WebDevStudios will be there. WordCamp US is probably the most popular WordCamp in the United States, but people from all over the world attend. In fact, Senior Frontend Engineer Alfredo Navas is flying in from Costa Rica to attend WCUS.

Other WDS teammates attending WCUS are Co-Founder and CEO Brad Williams, Director of Accounts Jen Miller, Accounts Manager Laura Byrne, and Senior Frontend Engineer Marty O’Connor. At every WordCamp they attend, Brad, Jen, and Laura always make themselves available to meet with and talk to company representatives in need of WordPress design and development. If you want to connect with WebDevStudios while at WCUS, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Plugins News

It all started with creating our most popular WordPress plugin, Custom Post Type UI, launched in February 2010. Since then, the WebDevStudios team has developed a diverse array of plugins that have been downloaded and utilized by millions of WordPress users. Explore them all at our plugin shop, Pluginize. Here’s the latest news about our plugins.

Best Practices for WP Search with Algolia Index Management

More and more people are replacing WordPress native search with the power of Algolia search by installing our WP Search with Algolia plugin. Backend Engineer Michael Beckwith published a blog post that walks users through WP Search with Algolia index management and site launch. Read it on the Pluginize blog.

Learn How to Import Your YouTube Channel as Posts

Get ready to have your mind blown when you watch this video tutorial from The Cre8tive Diva. Using our plugin, Automatic Featured Images from Videos, and WP All Import, The Cre8tive Diva shows viewers how to import a YouTube channel to WordPress as blog posts. Watch her video below or on YouTube.

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WordPress 6.5.3 Core Contributors

WordPress 6.5.3 was released to the public on May 7, 2024. WDS Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello and Frontend Engineer Aslam Doctor are credited as contributors.

This is a short-cycle maintenance release with 12 bug fixes in Core and nine bug fixes for the Block Editor. The next major release of WordPress is Version 6.6, which will be available sometime in July.

Become a WordPress Core Contributor

Ready to get involved with WordPress Core development like Sal and Aslam? It’s easy to get started.

Hop over to Trac, choose a ticket that catches your eye, and jump into the conversation in the WordPress.Slack.com #core and #6-6-release-leads channels. If you need a helping hand, the Core Contributor Handbook has you covered.

Back-to-Back Talks

This month, WDS Senior Frontend Engineer Alfredo Navas gave back-to-back virtual talks. First, Alfredo presented “Patterns for the Win” at WordPress Meetup Roma on May 10, 2024. Soon after, on May 15th, he presented “Block Editor 101” for Green Geeks. You can watch a recording of that webinar below.

Vancouver WordPress Talks

A few days after publishing this company news blog post, WDS Frontend Engineer Jennifer Farhat is presenting her talk “Introduction to theme.json” at Vancouver WordPress Talks. In this presentation, Jennifer will explore the JSON format and the structure of theme.json. By the end of her talk, the audience will clearly understand the hierarchy used for loading a website’s settings and style configurations.

Upcoming WordCamps

With the warmer weather upon us, it’s the perfect time to hit the road and attend some WordCamps. We’ve got a slew of them coming up, and you’ll find our WDS team members attending and speaking at various events. If you spot someone from WebDevStudios at a WordCamp, don’t be shy—come say hi! We’d love to chat about your upcoming WordPress project and share some insights. Below is a list of the WordCamps where you’ll find WebDevStudios.

• WordCamp Montclair, June 1: WDS Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello is presenting a talk titled “Introduction to Unit Tests.” WDS Account Manager Laura Byrne will also present her talk “The Art of the Pitch: Selling Your WordPress Solutions.”
• WordCamp Europe, June 13-15: WDS CEO Brad Williams, Director of Operations April Williams, and Account Manager Laura Byrne will all be in attendance.
• WordCamp Canada, July 11-13: Principal Engineer Amor Kumar and Senior Project Manager Xavi Aguilar will be in attendance.
• WordCamp Minneapolis/St. Paul, August 16: WDS COO Lisa Sabin-Wilson, Engineering Manager John Heimkes, and Marketing Manager Laura Coronado will be in attendance.

Content Collaboration with Scale Consortium

Traffic surges are akin to digital tsunamis. They can make or break your website. On Scale Consortium’s Insights blog, Brad published an article that covers how WordPress scales for sudden website traffic surges. Wondering how WordPress handles website traffic spikes? Go read Brad’s article now.

Best WordPress Plugins

Best-of lists are tricky because they’re normally riddled with sneaky affiliate links. However, SiteCare broke the mold with its list of “The Best WordPress Plugins to Supercharge Your Website.” WebDevStudios-developed plugin WP Search with Algolia made the list because it bridges the gap between WordPress content and the powerful Algolia search service. Looking to level up your WordPress site? Keep SiteCare’s list handy.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Stay connected with WebDevStudios! Every month, we send out an email newsletter filled with timely advice on WordPress, digital marketing, and website strategy from our team of WordPress experts. Subscribe now to receive this month’s issue. Read last month’s edition to see what Brad says about boosting your website’s search experience.

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These relationships foster trust, loyalty, and a sense of community that forms the bedrock of a thriving WordPress ecosystem. Staying connected ensures that these bonds remain strong. This is why every month, WebDevStudios (WDS) shares our company news.

It’s About Connection

By sharing company news regularly, we can maintain important connections. Keeping you informed about the latest achievements not only showcases the company’s progress but also invites you to be part of the journey. WDS believes in demonstrating transparency and commitment. We do this by keeping everyone involved in the company’s endeavors. Doing so creates a sense of belonging and importance within the WordPress world.

Through this monthly blog post which details our WordPress agency’s accomplishments and events, we aim to not just inform but to engage and involve our network. It’s a platform to celebrate achievements, whether they are milestones reached, awards received, or significant partnerships forged. Additionally, WebDevStudios company news serves as a preview of what’s to come, inviting our clients, partners, peers, and fans to participate in our future initiatives, fostering excitement and anticipation.

WebDevStudios Company News Acts as a Bridge

This blog post acts as a virtual bridge, connecting us with our audience and allowing them to be a part of our journey. It’s a testament to our commitment to partnership, community, and inclusivity, inviting everyone to share in our successes.

By staying connected through regular updates, we foster a sense of collaboration that transcends mere business relationships, creating a network of mutual support and growth. You can catch up with our latest happenings on our blog and by signing up for our monthly newsletter, where we share exclusive information from WDS CEO Brad Williams and COO Lisa Sabin-Wilson.

Here’s the latest WebDevStudios company news. Thank you for reading and joining our journey.

Felicia Day Launch

WebDevStudios is proud to announce the launch of Felicia Day’s new website, Felicia.day, built with love by our WordPress team. Felicia Day is a multifaceted creator, actress, writer, and producer known for her diverse contributions to geek culture. She gained widespread recognition for her web series “The Guild,” showcasing her talents as both a writer and actress.

Felicia’s work extends across various media, including television, gaming, and literature, and she’s recognized as an influential figure in the realm of online entertainment and gaming communities. It all began when Felicia notified her 2.5 million followers on X (formerly Twitter) that she was on the hunt for someone to redesign her website. Without missing a beat, we reached out.

“It’s so easy! This is not what WordPress used to be,” Felicia declares as WDS Director of Engineering, Mitch Canter, demonstrates her new website live on Felicia’s Twitch stream. Watch now, and learn more about why you need a website even when you’re a famous celebrity and just how easy it is to manage it using the WordPress Site Editor.

Special shoutout to our team, who made this project happen!

WordCamps

We never tire of saying how important WordCamps are. Attending them is pivotal for fostering a vibrant community centered around the open-source platform. WordCamps serve as hubs for networking, enabling collaboration among enthusiasts, developers, and users while nurturing a sense of camaraderie that fuels innovation. These are the WordCamp events our team members attended in November.

WordCamp San José

WDS Senior Frontend Engineer Alfredo Navas spoke at WordCamp San José (Costa Rica), which took place November 4-5. Alfredo’s talk was named “Impactando WordPress desde Adentro: Contribuyendo con el Core,” and it covered how to contribute to the WordPress core. Additionally, Alfredo worked the Core desk at WordCamp San José.

WordCamp Manila

WDS Engineering Manager JC Palmes spoke at WordCamp Manila on November 11. Her talk was titled “Exploring the Impact of Block Themes in WordPress” and covered the significance of Block Themes in the WordPress ecosystem.

Plugin Updates

Every single Pluginize plugin is a WordPress plugin developed by WebDevStudios. Our product team has been hard at work. If you’re using one of our plugins, here are the updates you need to know about.

WP Search with Algolia Pro

WP Search with Algolia Pro released two updates in November. First, there was Version 1.3.1, which included fixes for mismatched details for Rank Math and SEOPress. Then, our team launched Version 1.3.2, which included improved logic for “noindex” detection with both Yoast SEO and SEOPress. But it was Version 1.3.0, released in October, that really blew everyone’s mind. Read this blog post for more information

Custom Post Type UI (CPTUI)

New updated versions of CPTUI were also released in November: Versions 1.5.0 and 1.15.1. These updates include:

• WordPress 6.3 or higher required
• Compatible with WordPress 6.4.1
• Override the slug change prevention setting for competing slugs
• “item_trashed” label support

Custom Post Type UI Extended

CPTUI Extended has now been updated to Version 1.11.3. This includes confirmed WordPress 6.4.1 compatibility and some PHP 8 deprecation fixes

Taxonomy Switcher

Taxonomy Switcher is updated to Version 1.0.6. This update includes PHP 8 compatibility and cache clearing after migration.

Upcoming Event: Algolia DevBit

Catch Brad at Algolia DevBit on December 13th, where he will present how to power a WordPress website with Algolia search by using our own WP Search with Algolia plugin. Registration is free!

The post Company News – November appeared first on WebDevStudios.

That’s why every month, we’re excited to share our company news. Our monthly activities and accomplishments prove that remote work can work. From team meetings to brainstorming sessions, Five for the Future to WordCamps, we all do our part to stay connected, build relationships, and support the growth of WordPress.

Now that we have you convinced that any organization can implement an impressive company culture in a remote work environment, we’ll step off our soapbox and get to this month’s company news. Take a look at all the cool things we did in July.

WordCamps

If you’re looking for a way to give back to WordPress, connect with other WordPressers in person, expand your knowledge, and travel, then WordCamps are the perfect opportunities for you. They happen all over the world. Some are big; some are small. But all of them help shape the future of WordPress.

WordCamp Iloilo

On July 8, 2023, WordCamp Iloilo took place in Iloilo City, which is situated on Panay Island’s southeastern coast. WebDevStudios was a proud Paraw Regatta Sponsor.

Engineering Manager JC Palmes and UX Designer Spencer Ravago were not only Lead Organizers of this WordCamp, but they also led and organized WordCamp Iloilo’s Kids Camp. Kids Camp is an opportunity for parents to introduce their offspring to the wonderful world of WordPress under the advisement of experienced WordPress experts, such as JC and Spencer.

At WordCamp Iloilo KidsCamp, the students were taught very basic HTML and CSS. “I had them write it out on paper and then draw what they think it will look like when we code it in on the back,” JC explains. The first one who finished coding on paper won a Word Camp Asia Wapuu.

Coming Soon: WordCamp US

It’s really happening! WordCamp US takes place August 24-26, 2023, in National Harbor, Maryland. We have many team members attending. See their friendly faces below.

WordCamp US is the flagship WordPress event in the Western Hemisphere. Having many of our teammates together there at once is exciting. We’ll report more on the event and share photos from WordCamp US in next month’s WebDevStudios company news blog post.

Fun with the WordPress Rest API

Last month, WordCamp Montclair took place. Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello presented his talk titled “Fun with the WordPress Rest API.” It is now published on YouTube. You can watch it below.

WDS Featured on the Web

We’re grateful when our online presence extends beyond our own website, whether we’re being mentioned by someone else or creating that opportunity for ourselves. Here are some of the places where WebDevStudios was found in July.

The WP World Directory

WordPress is a global community. Created by Marcus Burnette, The WP World directory aims to show just how simultaneously big and small the WordPress community is. WebDevStudios is grateful to be included in this resource.

WordPress Friday

On the last Friday of the month, CEO Brad Williams teams up with An Abstract Agency Founder Victor Ramirez to cohost WordPress Friday. It’s casual, informal, and it’s a total hangout.

Anyone and everyone is invited to join the live show via chat, audio, or video. Watch last month’s episode below. This month’s WordPress Friday takes place this Friday, July 28th, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Don’t miss it.

Whoa, Baby!

For fun and giggles, WebDevStudios hosted a guess-that-baby contest. Teammates volunteered to submit baby photos, and everyone competed to guess which kid cutie was which WDS staff member.

Frontend Engineer Inna Gutnik was our winner, guessing 13 babies correctly. That’s impressive, considering that most WDS employees only guessed 6-8 right. Inna received 50 reward tacos as her prize. (For context, WDS uses a reward system called HeyTaco! Tacos are redeemed for gift cards and other rewards.) Can you guess who is who?

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WordPress Turns 20

On May 27, 2023, WordPress officially turned 20. Created in 2003 by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little as a blogging platform, WordPress has since evolved into a powerful and flexible content management system (CMS) that can be used to create any website.

Today, WordPress powers over 400 million websites worldwide, making it the most popular CMS on the planet. WordPress is used by many businesses and organizations, from small businesses to large enterprise corporations. It grows more robust, more advanced, and more popular every day.

Across the globe, in-person parties took place to honor the occasion. At WebDevStudios, we celebrated by participating in Five for the Future on May 26th and releasing a special congratulatory video to mark WordPress’ 20th anniversary. Watch it below.

WDS Continues to Celebrate Turning 15

Our official 15th anniversary was last month, but we plan to celebrate all year. In May, a blog post was published by WDS CEO Brad Williams and WDS COO Lisa Sabin-Wilson to commemorate our special occasion. We hope you’ll take a moment to read it.

Lisa Featured in The Repository

The Repository is a free weekly digest of news from across the WordPress ecosystem. Lisa was featured in the #WPCommunityFeels column, where she shared her favorite podcast and a recent article she read that had an impact and suggested a habit worth forming.

Not a The Repository email subscriber? No problem. You can read Lisa’s feature online.

Post Status Member Spotlight

WDS Marketing Manager Laura Coronado was included in Post Status’ Member Spotlight column. She discusses what she enjoys most about WordPress and offers advice for other WordPress professionals. You can read her interview at PostStatus.com.

WordCamps

WordCamps are important because they provide a forum for WordPress users and developers to come together and share knowledge and learn from each other. They’re also beneficial because they help to promote WordPress and its community. Because of those facts, you’ll always find someone from WebDevStudios at different WordCamp events around the world.

WordCamp Buffalo

WDS Backend Engineer Topher DeRosia is a hero of WordPress. As the founder of HeroPress, Topher has created a platform for others to share their WordPress stories. He talked about that at WordCamp Buffalo on May 6, 2023.

WordCamp Montclair

It was just announced that WDS Principal Engineer Sal Ferrarello will be a speaker at WordCamp Montclair on June 24, 2023. His talk is titled “Fun with the WordPress Rest API.” WDS Account Manager Laura Byrne is a lead organizer of the event. Tickets are still available.

Product Updates

From plugins to starter themes, WebDevStudios creates more than websites. Here are our latest product updates.

WP Search with Algolia Pro

WP Search with Algolia Pro 1.2.0 was released in early May. This update includes the following:

• Supporting “noindex” with the Rank Math SEO plugin
• Average Rating is now indexed alongside Total Ratings in the search results
• Autocomplete and Instantsearch settings can be limited to Product Post Type only

wd_s Transition Release

wd_s is a starter theme created by our team and used by many developers. Just recently, Version 3.5 was released to the public, which includes the following:

• PHP 8 compatible
• Node 16 compatible
• Support for the new theme.json file

You can learn more about the enhancements and fixes for wd_s on GitHub.

Hang Out on WordPress Friday

Brad continues to host his live stream show WordPress Friday with cohost Victor Ramirez. They love talking about WordPress and other tech-related topics.

The show has changed a bit, happening only on the last Friday of every month. Anyone is welcome to join and hang out live via video, audio, or chat. That means you can join, too! The next WordPress Friday show is June 30, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Comment on this blog post if you want to be considered. Watch past shows on YouTube.

Work at WebDevStudios

Move your career to WebDevStudios. We’re hiring for the following positions:

• Engineering Manager
• Lead Engineer
• Backend Engineer
• Frontend Engineer

Interested? Apply online. Good luck!

The post Company News – May appeared first on WebDevStudios.

One of the great things about WordPress is that you don’t need to be an experienced web developer capable of coding in five different languages to run a successful site. With no previous experience, you can easily manage your own website, so long as you keep your WordPress updated, maintained, and blog regularly (consistently blogging will help drive traffic to your website). Additionally, you also need to keep your knowledge of WordPress updated, too. That’s because, like all technology, WordPress, plugins, online tools, and methods for effective digital marketing are always changing. Luckily, there a plethora ways to do just that.

We all learn differently and have our own methods for absorbing information. From books to blogs, to podcasts to in-person meetups, here are some ways to learn more about WordPress.

Directly from WordPress

Hey, there’s no better place to acquire accurate information than straight from the horse’s mouth! At WordPress.org, you will find a helpful Support Forum where you can access the expertise of a friendly WordPress Community. Take note of the WordPress blog, which is the first to inform WordPress owners and users of important updates. We especially enjoy WordPress.tv—a place to find tutorials, presentations, and talks. Update (December 18, 2020): Check out the new Learn WordPress platform, a free resource of educational workshops and discussions.

WordPress Blogs and Websites

Did you know that there are websites and blogs set up to do nothing but talk about WordPress? Here are the ones we recommend:

• WebDevStudios – It should come as no surprise that we recommend our own blog. Developers, designers, and project managers love it because our experts share their knowledge on some really complex topics, such as Headless WordPress and the importance of project management. But we also cover some basic subjects such as social media and content. We try to maintain a blog that speaks to both WordPress website creators and business owners.
• ManageWP – At ManageWP, companies and websites from all over submit articles on WordPress topics. Think of this website as a curator of WordPress information.
• WPBeginner – The tutorials and step-by-step guides at WPBeginner are so good and easy to follow that you’ll feel super WordPress savvy after reading just one article.
• The Blogs from the WordPress Products You Use – Whether you’re using WP Engine, Liquid Web, Kinsta, Pagely, or any other web host, their blogs are sure to be chock-full of information. Also, if you’re using products like Yoast SEO, Easy Digital Downloads, or any other WordPress plugin or tool, check out their respective blogs for more quality education.
• Other WordPress Blogs – There really are a lot out there. Take a look at this article that lists 40+ of the top WordPress blogs to follow.

Books

If you’re a bibliophile who enjoys keeping an educational book around for reference, one, you’re not alone. Two, did you know that our COO and CEO have literally written the books on WordPress? Just peruse our WordPress library for titles designed to make you smarter.

Podcasts

Today’s podcasts are not only entertaining, they can act as knowledge boosters. WordPress podcasts are becoming more and more popular every day. If learning by listening is your preferred method for beefing up your brain, read this article on the WordPress podcasts you should be listening to now.

WordPress Leaders

Sometime, you just need a guru to follow and emulate—someone who shares their WordPress tips, tricks, and hacks. While it’s great to learn about WordPress from WordPress directly, learning from people who have been using it to build amazing websites for years and years is equally as relevant. Here are 100+ WordPress leaders you can follow on social media.

In-Person Opportunities

Some people appreciate learning hands-on and face-to-face. WordCamps and WordPress Meetups allow just that. You can learn from and interact with impressive WordPress developers, designers, and business owners who enjoy sharing their expertise and experience in person.

WordCamps happen annually all over the world, giving you a great excuse to travel. However, you will also find them conveniently taking place in your city and/or state. To find a WordCamp near you or in one of your bucket list destinations, go to Central.WordCamp.org.

Like WordCamps, WordPress Meetups also provide hands-on education and in-person interaction, but unlike WordCamps, these meetings occur monthly. Usually led by your local WordPress expert, WordPress Meetups also provide the opportunity to mix and mingle with other WordPress website owners and administrators—people just like yourself! Go to Meetup.com to find WordPress Meetups in your area.

But If You Still Need Help…

Even after you have attended a couple of Meetups and watched a few WordPress.tv talks, you may still find yourself in need of assistance. That is completely normal. You may not have the time to perform your own updates regularly, or you may need to rely on the prowess of a designer to execute a much-need redesign. Learning more about WordPress will help to keep you self-sufficient and wise, but when it comes time to tackle complicated WordPress customizations and functions, contact us. Together, we can build something great!

The post Ways to Learn More About WordPress appeared first on WebDevStudios.

Although I find it hard to believe that any of our regular readers are unfamiliar with WordCamp (come on, now!), for those of you that are completely green: WordCamps are events held all over the world where WordPress nerds unite to share their skills, insights, and learn a whole lot from a bunch of other smarties.

Below, we’ve picked out a few presentations that caught our eye, and we hope we’ll see you there!

Check it:

Saturday, September 10th

9:45 AM – Contributing to WordPress Core – Garth Mortensen

Learn how to contribute to WordPress Core in an easy to follow presentation. This presentation will cover setting up a test environment, creating patches, submitting patches, and how to get your patches reviewed.

11:45 AM – Building a Cloud Service into your Plugin – Mark Tilly

Akismet, Jetpack, Disqus, all of these big companies are utilizing the cloud to deliver services through a plugin. Can a small WordPress development shop even attempt this? Yes, you can, and it’s not that hard to do. Heavy volume processing, shared data across clients, AI and big data are just some of the services you can more easily deliver through the cloud. In this talk I will cover some of the key concepts that you need to know to get started including:

• Identifying processing best delivered through cloud services
• Architecting a cloud service plugin
• Building a cloud service on Amazon with PHP/Apache
• Communication between your plugin and the Cloud Service
• Tips, volume metrics and other lessons learned in 4 years of supporting Artificial Intelligence and volume processing through a cloud service plugin

Keynote – Carrie Dils

2:30 PM – Getting Serious About Mobile-First Design – Jessica Huff

Mobile-first design is so much more than media queries… It’s an adapt-or-die philosophy requiring you to turn the way you think about building websites on its head. Learn exactly what “mobile-first” means; how it leads to a better design and user experience across all devices; and how to modify your workflow to embrace a mobile-first point of view.

4:30 PM – Building WordPress for Enterprise Clients (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Deal With My Imposter Syndrome) – Chris Reynolds

WordPress is growing at an accelerating pace. With this growth, the ubiquity of WordPress is gaining the attention of enterprise-level companies who want an easy and maintainable way to manage their content. That’s great for developers and agencies, right? But what does that mean when you’re actually working for a client named Microsoft or Uber or the United States Government(!)?

How do the rules change and how can you shift your brain from “I build WordPress sites for small businesses and non-profits and myself” to “I build enterprise-level WordPress-powered sites for Fortune 500 companies”? This talk will cover specific tools and best practices used by the development teams at WebDevStudios that have been applied to projects for clients like Microsoft, the National Park Service, Campbell’s Soup, the Discovery Channel and more, as well as some tips for dealing with the inevitable imposter syndrome associated with working for brands you use in your home or with team members you know from books you’ve read or podcasts you listen to.

Session descriptions pulled from the WordCamp Salt Lake City site, with a few edits for clarity.

Will we see you in SLC? If you can’t attend but want to live vicariously through the power of the internet, you can follow @wcslc or keep an eye on the hashtag #wcslc through tomorrow.

Have a great weekend, folks!

The post Hello WordCamp Salt Lake City! appeared first on WebDevStudios.

Although I find it hard to believe that any of our regular readers are unfamiliar with WordCamp (come on, now!), for those of you that are completely green: WordCamps are events held all over the world where WordPress nerds unite to share their skills, insights, and learn a whole lot from a bunch of other smarties.

Our cool kids Brianna and Ryan will be there, as will Scott Bolinger from AppPresser, so make sure you say hi.

If you’re gonna be at WordCamp LA, here’s what you won’t want to miss:

Saturday, September 26th

2:50 PM – Selling WordPress Products – Scott Bolinger

Scott has been selling WordPress products for 5 years, starting with premium WordPress themes.

He now has a plugin business (AppPresser) and a SaaS product. Learn what has and hasn’t worked for him, and where the WordPress product economy is today. If you are interested in selling products, this talk is for you.

Sunday, September 27th

9:50 AM – Bursting at the Themes – Sé Reed

Themes shape the entire WordPress experience, and there are seemingly endless options to choose from. But with all these options, how do you know which theme is the best for you? This talk will explore the vast spectrum of WordPress’ themedom, from the simplest default themes to the most involved custom creation, including theme option panels, theme repositories and marketplaces, and which types of themes are best for which purposes. Sé will also cover the must-haves (and the red flags) to look for when choosing your next theme, when you should (or shouldn’t) build a custom theme, and how to structure your site so you can go from theme to theme without losing your content (or your mind).

2:00 PM – Rich Pins, Twitter Cards and Facebook: How to Super-Charge Your Social Media Strategy with WordPress – Brianna Privett

Social media is now the primary engine of traffic on the web, and if you aren’t creating posts that can be easily shared, it’s likely they aren’t being seen. This session will cover how to use Open Graph tags to shape how your content is viewed on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook and take advantage of new features like Pinterest’s Buy Pins for products and apps. If you make something beautiful, people will share it. Learn how to easily craft flexible posts that look good everywhere.

4:30 PM – Sustainable WordPress – Glenn Zucman

WordPress is one of the largest and most successful projects in Open Source history. An incredible collection of developers, perhaps including you, have built, maintained, and expanded a robust and powerful platform that should be with us for a long time to come. WordPress as a platform seems like a real sustainability success story.

In this talk, Glenn will discuss:

• Look at long-term sustainability issues for a WordPress blog
• List best practices for sustainable WordPress websites
• Describe solutions for individuals
• Describe solutions and business opportunities for hosting providers
• Survey how other Web2.0 platforms are approaching these issues, eg: Google’s “”Inactive Account Manager”” or Facebook’s “”Memorialization Request””

WordPress and other Web2.0 platforms have been spectacular at opening up new communication possibilities. As relatively new tools, less thought has been given to the sustainability of individual websites. Now is a great time to start addressing these issues. While we still have time.

Session descriptions pulled from the WCLA website (with some slight edits for length)

You can check out the rest of the schedule here. Make sure to grab one of our folks and say hello! If you can’t attend, but like to follow along, be sure to follow @WordCampLAX for updates, and of course, you can always peruse the hashtag #WCLAX.

The post WordCamp Los Angeles is Nearly HERE! appeared first on WebDevStudios.