“Here’s the thing about cheap, template-driven websites: They look like every other cheap website out there. And that cheapens your brand. It makes you look like you don’t take your marketing and messaging seriously.

Custom designs are always going to cost more but the result is something you’ll never get from a generic template: a site that’s been designed to drive real business for you. That requires a team of people including an information architect, a designer, a front-end coder, a back-end developer, a quality assurance expert, and a project manager to coordinate all of the work.” (full article)

Of course, we couldn’t agree more.

TrendMedia designs and develops custom WordPress based websites for leading companies and organizations in the Bay Area and around the world. Learn more about our web development services – contact TrendMedia today to discuss your custom website project.

Source: Inc.: “Your Homemade Website Isn’t Cutting It Anymore”

Welcome to the seventeenth and final video in our WordPress how-to series. In this video, you’ll learn how to:

• Manage WordPress General Settings
• Update user registration settings
• Set your default timezone
• Customize the post editing window
• Post to your WordPress site via email
• Setup WordPress to work with the WordPress mobile app
• Manage RSS feed settings
• Configure Discussion settings including the use of avatars
• Update the Media library configuration including default image and video settings
• Manage the Permalink URL (friendly URL) structure of your site (be careful here!)

Whew! That’s the end of our series. At this point you should now understand the basics of WordPress and be ready to start publishing your own posts and pages. If you need a refresher, view all posts in the WordPress video training series here.

Need WordPress support? TrendMedia designs and develops custom WordPress based websites for leading companies and organizations in the Bay Area and around the world. Learn more about our web development services — contact TrendMedia today to discuss your custom WordPress website project.

Source: WordPress How-To Videos: Part 17 – Settings & Configuration

Welcome to the sixteenth video in our WordPress how-to series. In this video, you’ll learn how to:

• Use the “Press This” bookmarklet for quick blog publishing
• Convert WordPress categories to tags
• Import content from other CMS and blog platforms
• Use the Export tool to export WordPress site content

View all WordPress training videos in the series.

Source: WordPress How-To Videos: Part 16 – Useful Tools

Welcome to the fifteenth video in our WordPress how-to series. In this video, you’ll learn how to:

• Control site access through WordPress User roles and permissions
• Add new site users
• Use the Contributor and Editor roles to establish publishing workflows
• Manage WordPress admin area settings for each site user

View all WordPress training videos in the series.

Source: WordPress How-To Videos: Part 15 – Adding New Users

Simple ways to get involved

• Visit AmericanCensorship.org and join the online petition
• Sign the Google petition
• Share this post and spread the word

Members of Congress currently in favor of censoring the Internet

SOPA/PIPA supporters as of January 19, 2012 (source: ProPublica.com)

Source: TED: Defend our freedom to share (or why SOPA is a bad idea)

Here’s a nice, simple “Stop SOPA!” plugin for WordPress by Ivan Churakov. It’s easy to install. The plugin adds a small tab to the righthand side of your WordPress based site that expands when clicked and includes text that in-turn links to the Stop American Censorship website. If you think SOPA is a bad idea, consider installing this plugin on your WordPress site today.

If new to installing plugins, see our WordPress How-To Video: Installing Plugins.

Source: Nice “Stop SOPA” WordPress Plugin

Welcome to the fourteenth video in our WordPress how-to series. In this video, you’ll learn how to:

• Add new site features and functions via plugins
• View plugins currently installed on your WordPress site
• Setup and activate the Akismet spam protection plugin
• Search for new plugins via the WordPress Plugin Directory
• Add a sample Twitter plugin

View all WordPress training videos in the series.

Source: WordPress How-To Videos: Part 14 – Installing Plugins

In the thirteenth video in our WordPress how-to series you’ll learn how to:

• Create a custom WordPress menu (supported on some themes)
• Order, reorder menu items
• Update menu title text
• Create submenus
• Use the Custom Menu widget

View all WordPress training videos in the series.

Source: WordPress How-To Videos: Part 13 – Building Custom Menus

Yay, widgets! In the twelfth video in our WordPress how-to series, you’ll learn how to:

• Add, edit, and delete widgets in the WordPress sidebar and footer
• Change widget display order
• Save copies of widgets for future use

View all WordPress training videos in the series.

Source: WordPress How-To Videos: Part 12 – Adding Widgets

Welcome to the eleventh video in our WordPress how-to series. In this video, you’ll learn how to install a new WordPress theme and manage theme options (available on some custom themes).

TrendMedia designs and develops custom WordPress based websites for leading companies and organizations in the Bay Area and around the world. Learn more about our web development services — contact TrendMedia today to discuss your custom WordPress website project.

View all WordPress training videos in the series.

Source: WordPress How-To Videos: Part 11 – Changing the Theme