In theory transferring a WordPress website should be a straightforward process that involves few well-defined steps like: export your database from the old host, import it on the new one, move your files, reconfigure WordPress and change the DNS records. In reality though the migration process has some challenges that, if not addressed properly, may cause serious downtime and data loss. Needless to say how this could affect your business – revenue stream loss and bad reputation being just some of the implications.
I plan to walk the audience of the presentation through the different steps in the migration process with examples how each step can be optimized so that the risks are minimized. The following will be covered in details:
1. How to plan the migration
2. How to perform each step of the real website move, dry run migration
3. How to handle the domain propagation issues once the migration is over
4. What to do if you noticed missing data after the process
Ever handed over a site to a client, only to return a month later and find it barely recognizable? Tired of calls asking you to add a link or replace a logo? Stop those calls—and protect your design—by using core WordPress features (and a few select plugins) to create a modular theme anyone can edit. You’ll also learn how to document these features within WordPress, so help is always at hand for forgetful clients.
Shortcodes and Widgets are each powerful in their own right. They give the developer control over the content and presentation while allowing the user to control their location (and possibly specify which content as well). We will talk about the pros and cons of creating shortcodes vs widgets and walk through a simple version of each. If you know PHP and understand WordPress, then creating these great tools is easier than you think.
WordPress is amazing, flexible software, but it doesn’t do everything. Facebook, PayPal, MailChimp, Basecamp, slideshare, and Google Maps are just a few examples of places that are already doing something well, and you can integrate your WordPress site with them through their APIs. However, there are right and wrong ways to do this, especially if you want to distribute your solution to others. I start from the beginning, introducing people to the WordPress HTTP library helper functions, then bring lots of code examples from my plugins show start to finish how to integrate the right way.