Last week WordPress released ‘Thelonius’ or WordPress 3.0, the latest version of their popular CMS.

There are a number of new features and upgrades in this version of WordPress that make this blogging platform even more powerful and usable that previous versions.

Here are the highlights:

• WordPress and WordPress MU have merged, allowing the management of multiple sites (called Multisite) from one WordPress installation.
• New default theme “Twenty Ten” takes full advantage of the current features of WordPress.
• New custom menu management feature, allows creation of custom menus combining posts, pages, categories, tags, and links for use in theme menus or widgets.
• Custom header and background APIs.
• Contextual help text accessed under the Help tab of every screen in the WordPress administration.
• Ability to set the admin username and password during installation.
• Bulk updating of themes with an automatic maintenance mode during the process.
• Support for shortlinks.
• Improved Custom post types and custom taxonomies including hierarchical (category-style) support. (Try the Custom Post Type UI or GD Custom Posts And Taxonomies Tools plugins to see the possibilities.)
• A lighter admin color scheme to increase accessibility and put the focus more squarely on your content.

Here’s a short video discussing some of these highlights and an intro to the latest version.

If you have logged into your WordPress admin recently you will notice that at the top of the dashboard the following message “WordPress 3.0 is available! Please update now.”

Remember to completely backup your database and website files before performing an upgrade.

We’ve been quietly experimenting on some really amazing new sites including our own. Our work over the last six months is more focused on creating great custom designs using WordPress blog technology to allow our customers access to their content. It’s not just for blogs. That’s right, we’re teaching our clients how to make updates and we proudly admit it.

The money you save by learning how to update your site yourself or through an employee means you can use those funds for help with direct email marketing, print ads, social media areas, or adding new useful features to your site. It’s about looking at the big picture, not just your website.  We’ve put together a few questions put forth to us by some of our customers. We hope you find it useful.

1. 

   Screenshot of the admin used to create this article.

   What is WordPress?
   While initially created as blogging software, WordPress makes a great light version of a CMS (Content Management System). The software is free, and is supported by most good web hosting companies. It is also fairly straightforward in terms of installation and administration. WordPress has a large, active user community that provides forums for tips and support. When the code running your site is up to date it helps prevent security risks. Because the software that runs WordPress is open source, any amount of customization is possible and in fact, encouraged. If you really get into it, you can even blog by downloading an app for your iPhone.

2. Can I still have some bells & whistles?
   Absolutely.  Plugins can be installed directly in the WordPress admin and there are thousands to choose from. Some examples are site stats, e-commerce, image galleries and site security. By making use of plugins, users can customize the performance of a blog or site according to need. Some famous plugins are All in one SEO, Akismet, Robots meta, and the SEO friendly images plugin.
3. How does search engine optimization work in WordPress?
   Out of the box, WordPress is a pretty well optimized system, and does a far better job at allowing every single page to be indexed than some other CMS systems out there. It also allows you to put in keywords for pictures or blog entries so people can find you. At Rhizome we have seen a dramatic increase in site traffic for clients who move from a traditional website to a customized WordPress site.
4. Can I interact with my customers? What about social media?
   WordPress allows you to directly interact with your clients. By allowing comments, visitors have a voice on your site. By making an RSS feed available clients can easily see when the site has been updated. Social media applications like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn also tend to dovetail nicely with WordPress sites, for example, your blog postings can be set to automatically update your Twitter account.
5. How do I update my site to a WordPress site?
   Just ask us how. It doesn’t take us very long to take an existing site we may have done for you in the past and upgrade it. Chances are we can get it done within a week or two depending on the complexity of the site, as long as there are no other major design modifications. We set everything up and then arrange a time to tutor our customers on how to use it.
6. But what if I mess up my site?
   Trust us, you won’t mess up your site. We’ve already put this through the “Emily-Corey-fear-of-html” test. Emily is a writer who wanted to be able to put in articles and posts for clients.  After we talked her through how to do it, she is zipping right along, fear-free. What we call the “shell” of the site is hard-coded and will not be affected by any of the content text you wish to publish.

Below are some examples of our latest sites employing great custom design with WordPress technology. Feel free to peruse them and get some ideas for yourself.

Bill Nye the Science Guy
A site worth experimenting on, I challenge you to take the POP Quiz. It’s really tough! Find your favorite episode guides and see what’s brewing inside Nye Labs. This customized WordPress theme allows for video, a database, custom PHP scripts, and flash elements. In the first month this site received over 15,000 visitors. The stats have steadily climbed to over 72,000 a month.

Valley Cultural Center
VCC provides one of the largest outdoor Summer concerts and movies in the park in Southern California with over 50,000 visitors in a season. Being a non-profit does not always mean no profit, and better online functionality proved to be a prudent decision. New event features, and an online marketplace directory for those businesses in the San Fernando Valley that support the arts through VCC were included. This provided an alternative revenue flow for VCC, making it possible to bring their site to the next level and fundraise with firepower.

NBIS
James recently updated the entire Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability website in two weeks. We had originally created the site in standard HTML, but because NBIS needed multiple admins for different events, and pages, we needed to make it easy. In the course of upgrading the site, we now have featured company profiles automatically available on home page, as well as feeds for Ecozome Journal articles. We kept our news feed powered by Google AJAX and databases for the Resources and Members pages.

The Gear Works
One of the largest industrial gear manufacturers in North America, we helped TGW reinvent their brand through a new logo and matching communication materials. As part of the scope of this project, we were asked to work closely with an employee there who would be managing updates and content for the site. Their new site brought back to life old newsletters through an online WordPress blog area. A Flash showcase allows the users to take a tour of their facility complete with captions and thumbnails.

Robert Loe and Associates
As Robert Loe, our CPA likes to say, “accounting is boring, but important.” But there’s nothing boring about this website. In fact, the look is quite fun. We used nostalgic ledger-style art with new-fangled technology to create a contrast between old-fashioned common sense and a modern way to communicate to clients. BTW, there’s lots of love in this site, because Robert has been my accountant since I moved to Seattle 16 years ago.

Kenyon Homecare Consulting
We just launched this very elegant site about two weeks ago. This Homecare Consulting agency needs to add content frequently to its news section, and WordPress allows them the flexibility of having staff add content directly into the site.

Interested in finding out more? Call Jen at 206.937-9911

Technical Support
While we are always supportive of our clients, Rhizome does not officially provide tech support. We are happy, when time and expertise permits, to talk clients through problems, but for large, time-intensive issues, we recommend hiring professional help or researching issues via the Internet.

* Proof thoroughly
* Ask yourself if you are missing any part numbers, dates, credits, or copyright notices
* Check all phone numbers and addresses each time you receive a new proof!
* Have someone who knows nothing about the project proof for you-a pair of fresh eyes always finds something
* Double check to see if names are spelled correctly

The difference between Web maintenance and a complex update relates to the amount of time the programmer has to spend working on the site. Site maintenance generally takes between 1 and 3 hours. A change that involves database programming, administration tools, form, etc., is considered a complex update. In all cases, the client is informed if it turns out that a “maintenance” request is actually an “update,” an estimate is provided.

Flowcharts are charts that organize content into various categories and subcategories and the structure of a project is “mapped” out. This is extremely useful for the creation of Web sites when clients are not exactly sure how many pages or where certain types of content should go. Once a flowchart is approved, the designer can then use this input to inform the design he or she is creating. Generally these take the form of design comps.

Comps are generally design concepts that imply potential direction for projects. It’s a sampling of flavors, so to speak, where a client may choose ideas that appeal and resonate with their own vision. Once certain specifics become more apparent, the design is finessed over several rounds until final approval.

1. Start with a company acronym and an underscore. For Rhizome Design we use “RD”
2. Name the project with a short title. For example: brochure
3. Add a “V” for version and number. For example: V1
4. Add the .dot extension to the end of the file name. Example; .doc

The file should then read: rd_brochureV1.doc

Version Control
If the above process is followed. Version control becomes a snap.

Make changes to your doc and send it back to the originator named exactly the same thing with the exception of the version number. Just make it the next number up.

rd_brochureV2.doc

If multiple people are looking at the same doc and all want to make changes, just have them add their initials to the end of the doc. Like so:

The file would then read: rd_brochureV2_ec.doc

Once all the changes are in on “V2” – a new “V3” can be created.

Draft Copy & Final Copy
At Rhizome, we rarely, if ever use the word “final” with a piece of copy. We refer to text using version numbers (see above) and when copy is approved for print, we use the most recent version of the text. In a normal project, we show a client a first draft and make requested changes. As with design, three rounds of text changes is considered “normal” and within the realm of the project fee. Additional changes, unless deemed minor, will be charged an additional fee after three rounds.

Rhizome is a design agency, but we are also a vendor. This means we work under specific, vendor-like parameters that, when met, allows work to flow more smoothly and effectively. For example, if a client wants to place an ad in a newspaper, its not enough to tell us you want a half or quarter page ad because all publications are different.
Clients need to find out the following:

Ad specs:

* Exact ad dimensions
* Is it full-color? 2-color? Grayscale? Pure black and white?
* What is the deadline? ESSENTIAL!
* Can the publisher accept digital files?
* What is the resolution needed?
* What file format will the printer or publisher accept?
* Do they need laser proofs?
* What is their contact information, including phone and email address.
* Do they have a specifications sheet we can look at?

Tradeshows:

* What are the specific file formats for delivery?
* What are the dimensions involved?
* What type of substrate and finishing specifications (grommets, Velcro or other adhesives)?
* The delivery date (remember to allow for shipping long distances and specify whether you want materials delivered to your office or directly to the tradeshow location. If it is the tradeshow location, please include address, contact person and a phone number).

Rhizome is dedicated to clarity in communication and making projects work. The following is a quick overview of some of the steps we take to make your project successful.

Understand the process: At the onset of any project, Rhizome develops a workflow process and identifies milestones along the way. Checking in with the progress of the workflow allows agency and client alike to know exactly where we are with the schedule and deliverables.

Hunting and gathering: Projects, regardless of how large or small, involve massive amounts of detail. Hunting down the essential copy points, logos and gathering input and approvals from everyone involved can be daunting. To make a project flow more smoothly and cost-effectively we encourage our clients to gather information and send it to Rhizome as a single “bulk” email so that all pertinent information can be accessed at the same time.

Find examples: We encourage clients to show us examples of styles or functionality that they like and we’re happy to review any URLs or magazine clippings you wish to show us. This will ensure we are all on the same page from day one of the project.

Talk cost: Money can be difficult and we encourage our clients to talk to us openly and honestly about their budgets. We might not be able to accommodate all your needs for the budget you have, but we’re wiling to work with you and come up with creative ideas that work for all.