We’re a WordPress shop, and definitely big fans of WordPress. We find that, for our clients who like to have a hands-on relationship with their websites, Word Press is much easier and friendlier than other content management systems.
We also find that it’s faster for us — and therefore less expensive for clients — to make updates and changes for a well-built WordPress sites than it is to update a website in Joomla or a traditional HTML website.
Yet the common idea that WordPress can be used by everyone easily with no training just isn’t true. It can be very frustrating for people to download WordPress thinking they’ll have a new website in a matter of minutes, only to find that they can’t actually make that new website do anything they want it to do.
WordPress Websites Step-by-Step – The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Website or Blog With WordPress by Caimin Jones offers highly readable instruction in how to use WordPress from installing the software to getting visitors to come to your website.
This book includes a lot of things that tend to be skipped in WP instruction, like how to log in so you can reach your admin panel, how to make good web addresses for your posts and pages, and how to update to a new version of WordPress.
All the information is current and sensible. Each chapter gives step by step instructions with screen shots.All the text is well written and accessible for people with limited tech background. It’s an interesting read and easy to look things up in when you want to find answers to a specific question.
Does this book cover everything you would ever want to know about WordPress? Of course not. This is not a book for WP designers or power users. The section on “Search Engine Optimization Made Easy” offers a few small tips and there’s nothing about design or content. There is nothing in the book that requires you to know any HTML or CSS, let alone PHP. Conversion optimization is not even mentioned.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Caimin’s book is intended for complete beginners. The book is ideal for private bloggers, for people who want to be able to use a theme out of the box and set up their website on their own, and for website owners who already have a great WordPress website and just want to be able to find their way around in it.
The book is extremely economical — $1.99 on Kindle — so even more advanced users may want to pick it up. There may be things you’ve never fully understood or never thought about, and there are sure to be some plugins discussed that you haven’t tried yet. There are also lots of good online resources listed.
For beginners, no question, go get this book. Take it with you to WordCamp to clarify things and help cement your knowledge, keep it by your computer, and explore the resources it suggests. You’ll find it helpful.
I received an advance copy of this book for review. I was not paid for this review, and I always tell you the truth.
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