🇺🇸 WordCamp Birmingham 2023

There’s no doubt that we are in a global economy. Now, more than ever before, people from around the world can connect with you real-time, to read your blog, buy your goods or use your services.

But ….how does one begin to actually connect with the world?

In this talk, we will explore diverse ways you can bring your blog, talents, and products to an international audience…. Starting with WordPress, of course!

Congratulations, you created a WordPress blog! You have taken the first step in contributing to the online world. But in today’s internet environment, just writing a post and clicking publish is not enough.

This presentation will show you great ways to promote and increase traffic to your WordPress blog. From podcasts, social media, and more, you have the power to become popular on the internet.

SEO has important nuances when you are working with a local business and need to focus on their specific geographic area.

Your Local SEO efforts are more effective when you have an optimized website and Google Business Profile (GBP) for your business. They work together and when done right can amplify your results. We’ll go over what this means for Local Search.

This workshop is for businesses and agencies that want to get more out of their Local SEO efforts.

Key Takeaways

• Primary factors for Local Search Results
• Creating & Verifying Your Google Business Profile (GBP)
• The “New” GBP dashboard experience
• Pitfalls to avoid to reduce your risk of GBP account suspension.
• Tips for Google Reviews that improve your ranking
• Why your GBP is not a Set It and Forget It Profile
• Top items to optimize on your website for Local Search

When it comes to marketing, there are a million things you can do, and a million more things everyone tells you “you MUST” do. When it comes to REAL LIFE and what actually works with clients today, there is a much simpler approach. This talk with explore a scaled back version of marketing that actually works. If your client can survive in business for 10+ years and you have a hand in that, you have a built a relationship that will last through good times and bad, no matter what the economy is doing.

In this talk, Elizabeth will share how she approaches Branding, Websites, Social Media, Blogging/Podcasting, Email Marketing etc, in an “minimalist” way so you can grow your client base in a way that will make your company (and your client’s companies) stand the test of time.

Learn to take your AWESOME design or development to the final stage, USABILITY. This hands on workshop will teach you how to conduct a usability test and what to do when the test fails (Because they always do). This simple yet profound session will change the way you build, design and view websites forever!

Learn how to conduct a usability test, how to fix issues that arise from that test, and how to create a better website from this test.

Key Takeaways

Learn how to conduct a usability test, how to fix issues that arise from that test, and how to create a better website from this test.

Have you ever wondered if your website is useable for people with disabilities or those using assistive technology? Would you like to make your plugins or themes more accessible? 

Learn how to test websites for accessibility problems using automated testing tools, keyboard testing, and screen readers so you can make your website better for people with disabilities. No dev skills are required! We’ll show ways that anyone can quickly find accessibility problems, many of which can be fixed directly in the content area.

Attendee Requirements

This will be an interactive workshop. Please bring a computer and headphones so you can participate fully in the workshop. We recommend having Chrome or Firefox installed on your computer for testing. Windows users, please install the current version of the NVDA screen reader on your computer before attending so you can maximize your testing time during the workshop.

Key Takeaways

At the end of this workshop, people will understand different ways to test their website(s) for accessibility and will leave with an idea of things they can start fixing on their website right away. Top takeaways include:

• Required standards for meeting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA conformance.
• Recommended tools to use when performing accessibility audits, including WordPress plugins and browser extensions.
• How to keyboard test a website.
• How to test a website with a screen reader, including basic usage and common keyboard shortcuts for the screen reader relevant to their computer (VoiceOver on Mac or NVDA on Windows).

We all want the free traffic that SEO can bring to our sites. However, SEO advice always seems to be changing. What’s the best thing you can do to get more traffic (and, better, business) from your SEO efforts in 2023? More specifically, what do WordPress users need to pay attention to in order to get the most love out of Google? David will share what he’s doing with his clients- so you can apply this advice to your website, as well.

Key Takeaways

1. What you should measure to ensure marketing success.
2. WordPress specific technical SEO issues to watch out for- and what you can do about them even without a developer.
3. How to write SEO-friendly content for your website.
4. What you need to know about building links to your website.

Consent management platforms (CMP) are used by companies to legally document and manage a user’s consent choices prior to collecting, sharing, or selling user data from online sources such as websites and apps that use cookies, embedded videos, and other tracking technologies.

This of course applies to WordPress websites. Privacy laws are becoming more and more dominant in our digital laws, and thus, we must know what information is being stored by both our theme and of course, plugins that we install. But how do weknow which CMP to choose? How does it handle the deletion of cookies? Any free choices? How much can they cover when it comes to my own plugins? Or third party plugins/themes?

In this talk we will go over the basics, as to what our options are, how can we categorize cookies and local storage data, and all the technical details we need to know in order to choose a CMP wisely with our WordPress website.

Key Takeaways

To know what a CMP is, how can we use one with WordPress and what scenarios you might encounter when it comes to handling cookies and local storage.

What is “agile”? What is scrum? Are they the same thing? How do I know if I’m being “agile”?

These questions and more will be answered in this discussion on what it means to bring agility to your business. This talk is not just a technical discussion and in some ways will touch all aspects of your business.

Learn why embracing change is important, why more frequent customer interaction “counterintuitively” saves you time and money, and learn some traits of the most successful teams in the software industry.

Key Takeaways

Attendees will leave understanding the underlying ideas that help to define something as “agile”, why those ideas are important, the consequences of deviating from them, and how to differentiate “agility” from specific frameworks like Scrum, SAFe, and others

In this talk Steve Jones, CTO of Equalize Digital will cover how to implement an accessibility-first approach to WordPress development projects. This ensures a truly accessible digital experience for all users, specifically those with disabilities. WordPress developers have a unique responsibility to take a proactive approach to develop blocks, plugins, and themes that are fully accessible at launch. These products are generally content producing or duplicated on multiple websites throughout the web. With WordPress’ large market share of websites, remedying accessibility issues retroactively can be a daunting and expensive task. Prioritizing the accessibility-first methodology takes accessibility from being a baseline standard to a core project requirement. Moreover, accessibility-first equals people first.

Key Takeaways

A basic understanding of web accessibility, why it’s important, and who it affects. Also, you will learn an in-depth understanding of how the accessibility-first approach can be implemented in the development process. You will be equipped with tools and tips to proactively identify accessibility issues. Lastly, insights on fostering an accessibility-first methodology in your organization will be gained.

The art of debugging code requires a good understanding of the codebase and logical deduction skills. A good debugging tool is like a code mentor that can walk you through the code and help you better understand what is going on, but deductive reasoning is still up to you. In this session, you will learn how to use Xdebug, a PHP debugging tool, as well as tips and tricks on how to think about and approach debugging.

Key Takeaways

An understanding of the benefits of interactive debugging and the basic setup steps for VS Code and PHPStorm.

You’re working with some data and find yourself needing to find a specific piece of information, but your searches keep matching things that you don’t want. While basic searches are fine for some things, every once in a while you need something more powerful.
Enter regular expressions (also referred to as “regex”). BUT WAIT! Before you scroll to the next session description: did you know that this powerful searching capability is available in things like Word and Excel, as well as Google Search Console and Google Analytics? And not only can you use it to search for information, you can also use it to transform information!

In this session, we’ll jump into a brief history of regex, discuss pattern matching, and dive into the fundamentals of how we can use regex to surface the data we’ve been searching for in powerful ways. We’ll play some regex-based games to help hone our skills, all while demystifying the idea that regular expressions are dark magic, beyond the capabilities of mere mortals.

Key Takeaways

• The purpose of delimiters
• The 12 special characters, how to use them, and how they alter what the Regular Expression engine matches
• What character classes are, and how they can be recreated using the special characters we learned earlier
• What positive and negative lookaheads are, and how they can be used

The Block Editor is Gutenberg, but Gutenberg is not the Block Editor. As developers we can create interfaces that are powered by the Gutenberg framework in new and innovative ways. Here’s what that means and why plugin owners should pay attention.

Key Takeaways

The audience will leave with a better understanding of the differences between Gutenberg and the Block Editor, as well as a high-level understanding of how to use Gutenberg in new an innovate ways.

Technical and On-Page SEO for WooCommerce websites.

SEO rules are changing frequently. Mobile-First Indexing changed the website production process. Technical SEO has a big role in SEO, today. How to make a good website structure for WooCommerce website?

What is the Silo Structure and how to make one? How to adopt a single product page design to the mobile view?

On-Page SEO and Technical SEO are the most important steps. The most important part of these steps is page content. How to write a good content for WooCommerce pages? How to organize content on single product page Is single product page a Landing Page?

Key Takeaways

Advices and real world experience on making a good website structure and improving On-page and Technical SEO on WooCommerce websites.

I’ll talk about the best practices of doing lead tracking in WordPress. I’ve developed a plugin 8 years ago https://wordpress.org/plugins/handl-utm-grabber/ and will share about my experiences and feedback from WordPress community.

Key Takeaways

The best practices of lead tracking and how to implement for ANY lead forms in WordPress and sync the data to ANY CRM.

I watched a few YouTube videos on security in WordPress and if you think all you need to do is install a WordPress plugin (as these videos suggested) I highly recommend coming to this talk.

There is a lot more than just installing a plugin to secure a site, there are tools like using CloudFlare, using an actual firewall, etc.

I’ll walk you through a lot of things I do for the couple hundred sites that I host.

Websites with a contact form, order forms or e-commerce solutions, it is important that the customer receives a response. It has become more difficult to make this happen every time.

Key Takeaways

I’ll walk you through setting up DNS correctly dealing with SPF, DKIM, DMARC and the like. I’ll also touch on 3rd party mail services.

In this session, William Jackson will demonstrate how to set up virtual spaces in the metaverse to promote your business. Lots of live demo. Don’t miss it!

As the Internet changes and is combined with the Metaverse and Web 3.0/Web 4.0, this will change the designing, building, creating, and hosting of websites. Web designers will not only build web sites, but design metaverse spaces and places for increased engagement. How will web developers, and graphic designers build for the Metaverse in spaces like Spatial and Altspace VR? This presentation will show you how to connect web development with Metaverse platforms to increase accessibility, scalability, and engagement.

Two Oculus will be used to show Metaverse sites and how they are blended with WordPress.

Key Takeaways

The audience will learn how the Metaverse is influencing web development now, not in the future. The creation of digital content from text, to graphics, to avatars to cross developmental interactive designs.

During the pandemic churches have had to totally transform their way of thinking, working, and holding services. The value of a professional web person to meet the ever-changing needs has never been higher. Let’s go over some tips and tools (plugins) that will make your church web clients happy.

Key Takeaways

We will go over calendars, different streaming methods, sermon systems, groups (virtual and in-person), sermon notes, email marketing, etc. That will take the next church site you build to the next level and position you as a valuable resource.

While you use the internet and web every day, you may not have ever stopped to consider how all of it works. When managing your website, there are lots of components and systems working together to keep your site working. Understanding how all these work together allows you to make changes to improve your site as well as better communicate with the developers that you may get support from.

Key Takeaways

• What exactly is the internet?
• How do servers and hosting work?
• How do domains work?
• How do browsers work?
• How does the page cycle work?
• What do all the acronyms you encounter (such as FTP, SMTP, SSH, JS, and more) mean?
• How does all this make your WordPress site work?

This program aims to give users the tools they need to save time (and sanity) when creating content. By focusing on strategies that allow you to recycle and repurpose content you already have, you can save time and effort while providing quality information to your readers.

Topics covered include:

• Identifying Your Most Valuable Content – What content is your audience most likely to engage with, and how can you leverage it for maximum impact?
• Repurposing Existing Content – How can you take existing content and make it fresh and new for a different audience or purpose?
• Turning One Piece of Content Into Multiple Pieces – Sometimes, breaking a piece of content down into smaller parts can make it more engaging and effective.

By the end of this presentation, you will know how to use existing content in new ways effectively. By knowing how to do this, you’ll be able to save time and get more out of your content.

Key Takeaways

By the end of this presentation, the audience will know how to use existing content in new ways effectively. By knowing how to do this, they’ll be able to save time and get more out of your content.

Getting your show off the ground is not rocket science – even if it’s about rocket science. Video and audio are simple tools to help get your message in front of an expanded audience. The only thing standing in your way is you – and it’s time for you to get it done.

Key Takeaways

Attendees will see simple ways to get a show started, tips for equipment and software, and see how working together can make the shows stronger.

I used my blog to jumpstart the manuscript for my recently published book “Find Your Way Back: Write Your Way Through Anything.” Learn how to turn your WordPress blog into an award-winning book.

Attendees will learn how to use their WordPress blog to write their first or next book, why they should, and how doing so can help them build a community of readers eager to buy their work.

Key Takeaways

I want any blogger who is intimidated by the thought of writing a book to see that, thanks to their blog, they already have a manuscript in the making. We’ll also discuss how to use your blog to vet your book idea and to build an audience for your book so you’ll have a group of people eager to buy your book once it’s ready.

Understanding equity, diversity and inclusion is the key to untangling the complexity of social issues. In this talk, leaders will begin to draw distinction between diversity, inclusion and equity. They will walk away with strategies to help create brave spaces within the places they serve.

Key Takeaways

Strategies for being diverse equitable and inclusive. Able to define and discuss DEI.

Your customer experience probably sucks right now. But you can fix it.

Today, more than ever, customers want to find themselves in your brand story, in your content, and throughout your website. They expect their needs and desires to be met instantly and consistently, anywhere, anytime. Companies who can innately understand the world of their customer, adapt to their needs, and design specifically for their benefit can gain a competitive advantage that wins hearts and business.

During this session, Chris Belli, VP of Studio Science, a leading brand experience agency, will walk you through key customer experience pillars to discover more profitable opportunities, design more desirable products, and convert more loyal customers.

Key Takeaways

• Understand your buyers and customers
• Design for People
• Align internal teams to deliver better experiences

Anyone can build a website in todays day and age, but acquiring users, providing value, monetizing your website and growing and scaling are all tricky tasks that often need more coaching and guidance. In this talk I’ll cover how you can structure your website to scale and grow by focusing on the minimum viable product, collecting user feedback, experimentation and iterating for growth. I’ve built and grown multiple websites from small ideas to billion dollar brands. You can do it too.

Key Takeaways

The audience can expect to understand basic to intermediate growth strategies like experimentation, minimum viable product and feature launches, iteration and improvements over time. The audience will be able to take these strategies and start acquiring users and growing their businesses.

ADHD and WordPress can be a world-changing combination…or lead to severe burnout. Learn ways to harness your neurodivergent superpower or learn to support those in your world who need it.

Key Takeaways

Ways to get the most out of the ADHD brain and how to avoid/come out of burnout.

Most of us realize how incredibly valuable and stress relieving having recurring revenue can be not only for our business but for our state of mind. We tend to price it in our normal fashion though. There are other considerations that are often overlooked and this ends up with our recurring revenue being less profitable than we expected. Understanding how to apply two simple concepts can ensure that our recurring revenue leads to higher profits with less stress.

Tech moves fast but what moves faster is the speed of business when the fundamentals change. The WP businesses that will be around after the financial tornado will be the ones that adapt to the new environment.

We may no longer be in Kansas anymore but that doesn’t mean you can’t thrive in Oz. I am going to show tactics that you can use to throw a bucket of water on the recession witch and make your financial worries melt away.

The Wizard of Oz told Dorothy, “You have plenty of courage, I am sure. All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid” This is true during an economic downturn too. I’m going to show you how to have the confidence to not only survive in a time of inflation and recessions but to thrive in it.

Key Takeaways

• What to do about pricing
• Strategies to win at recessions
• The key numbers to watch to remain profitable

Oftentimes, website providers think they are “adding value” by giving away some of their work or time. Typically this means 1) not getting paid for discovery activities and/or 2) not getting paid for scope changes.

Regardless, giving away work ALWAYS sets the incorrect expectation with the client, and ends up eating away at the project profit margin. The answer?

Use a paid discovery process that delays finalizing the estimate until AFTER a deep dive discovery is complete.

Establish and implement a “set-in-stone” change procedure that uses a change budget.

In this session we will cover:

1. How to use a 2-step proposal process to ensure you get paid for ALL discovery activities without fear of the client going elsewhere.
2. How to establish and implement a solid change control process that helps set proper client expectations, minimizes frivolous change requests, and allows you to always (yes, ALWAYS) come in on time and under budget. (It works like magic!)

Key Takeaways

• How implementing processes and sticking to them can help retain the project profit margin.
• Handout/download – Elements of a Good Change Control Procedure

Successful WordPress agencies have one thing in common: they have a system in place for their business that acts as a template for growth.

In this talk, we will cover the basics of the Entrepreneurial Operating System, as outlined by Gino Wickman in his book Traction. We will take a deep dive into what it means to build a working business plan, how to create a vision for your business, and how to create annual and quarterly goals to set you up for predictable business growth.

We’ll also talk about the driving force behind every agency: finding the right employees. You will leave with a template for a two-page business plan that you can implement tomorrow, and use as a tool to grow your business and align your team.

Key Takeaways

• Working business plan template
• Advice on finding the right employees
• Template for tracking data (a scorecard)
• Hearing past experiences – what worked, and what didn’t, from someone who’s been there

Never waste a bad move. Success as a business owner is built on the lessons we’ve learned from our biggest mistakes. In this talk, Nathan draws on almost 30 years of experience in the web business to share the most important lessons he had to learn the hard way. Each lesson is summarized in a succinct statement and then unpacked with examples that will make you laugh, cringe and think.

Key Takeaways

• Where to focus to make your business profitable
• How to avoid the critical mistakes I made
• What really matters when you’re building a business
• How to avoid the The Mistakes I made and how to avoid them
• Tips on where to focus to make your business profitable
• What really matters when you’re building a business