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What You Can Do With WordPress

In this lesson plan, you will learn about the many ways WordPress can be used to create blogs, websites, systems, apps, and much more!

Objectives

After completing this lesson, participants will be able to:

  • Identify multiple ways WordPress can be utilized.

Prerequisite Skills

Participants will get the most from this lesson if they have familiarity with:

  • Basic knowledge of WordPress

Readiness Questions

  • Are you familiar with blogs?
  • Are you familiar with websites?

Materials Needed

Notes for the Presenter

  • There are no other notes; just links that are highlighted in the text.

Lesson Outline

  • Introduce the types of websites that can be built using WordPress
  • Learn to track website visitors using WordPress
  • Explore how to generate web traffic and revenue

Exercises

Create a Blog Create a blog by selecting the proper tools and using Lorem Ipsum to add content.

  • Create a post.
  • Give the post a title.
  • Fill the post with content using Lorem Ipsum.
  • Make several more posts to see how the posts are displayed on the blog page.

Create a website Create a website by selecting the proper tools and using Lorem Ipsum to add content.

  • Create a page to set as a homepage.
  • Give the page a title.
  • Fill the page with content using Lorem Ipsum.
  • Publish the page.
  • Set the homepage to static by going to Dashboard > Settings > Reading.

**Bonus – add another page to use as a blog page on a website then go to Dashboard > Settings > Reading and set that page as a blog page on a website.

Assessment

Is it possible to use WordPress to make an app?

  1. No
  2. Yes, it’s great for making games.
  3. Yes, it can take a website and turn that site into an app.

Correct Answer: 3. Yes, it can take a website and turn that site into an app.

Can my blog become a website?

  1. Yes.
  2. No, you have to choose to have a blog or a website. You can’t do both.

Correct Answer: 1. Yes

Example Lesson

Create a Blog

There are many things we can do with WordPress. For many people, the first thought would be a blog and this is a valid thought. WordPress can be used to create and present dynamic post-based information. Blog posts highlight information about an author, and they are arranged by their date of publication – displaying in reverse chronological order, but that can be changed as well. A blog is sorted by categories and tags so people can create special pages for their categories and readers can find posts based on tags they are following. Readers can also comment on posts so authors and administrators can establish a two-way dialogue with readers.

Create a Website

Another use for WordPress is to create a website. Unlike the dynamic flow of the blog, a website offers a static page-based presentation of information. Readers view one page at a time (rather than a list of posts), and they access different pages using a navigation menu. Website pages generally do not offer information on an author, a date of publication, or allow comments. People tend to use websites to generate real-world traffic, making sales and connections in person.

Create an e-Commerce Website

WordPress can also be used to make sales. It allows for the purchasing of products online. Users can safely and securely process credit cards, PayPal, and other payments through Payment Gateways. Site administrators can manage order fulfilment and use tools provided on WordPress to generate sales reports.

Create a Website with a Blog

It is possible to combine the concepts of blog and website. This is done by making a front page (home page) static then linking to another page, which is set as a blog page. Combining the static page-based information and post-based information combines the best of both approaches.

Create a Network of Websites

What about having multiple sites, all maintained and monitored by administrators, but set up so users can use their own logins? This is a great WordPress option for educators and businesses, and it can be done using multisite options. Outside education and business, the multisite can be used for situations such as a pool league, in which each team gets their own site.

Create a Social Network Website

With self-hosted WordPress sites, it’s possible to create a social network site. One can do this using a plugin such as BuddyPress or bbPress.

Create Apps

Turning a self-hosted WordPress site into an app is now possible using the REST API plugin. This is handy for events and stores. It allows readers easy access to a site from their portable devices.

Monitor Who’s Visiting Your Website

WordPress makes it simple to keep track of what is going on with your website. You can find out how many people are visiting your site, where they are coming from and what they are doing on your site. There are a number of analytics plugins that you can add to your site that will help you identify this information.

Generate More Web Traffic and Advertising Revenue

People often ask how to make money with their websites. There are various ways to do this with a WordPress site. One way is to use links with advertising networks on a self-hosted site. These options allow a person to place ads on a site and receive compensation for views and clicks. Another income source is affiliate links. For this, someone signs up with an affiliate program, gets referral links, places them on a site then receives compensation when readers click the link and purchase a product.

Lesson Wrap Up

💡 Follow with the Exercises and Assessment outlined above.