1. How to Maintain Your ARS Websites
WordPress Basics
How to Maintain Your
ARS Websites
Presented by the CALS IT Office

2. What We’ll Cover Today Introduction “Just Enough” Info
Brochure Websites
Login/Logout
The WordPress Admin Dashboard
Editing the Homepage
Adding a New Slide to the Homepage
Editing a Page
Adding an Image
Linking to a PDF
ARS Websites 2.0 – Changes Coming in 2018
Questions

3. 1. Introduction A Little About Me...
20 years of Web Design
10 years of WordPress
Began my UW career in 1986 as a Typist.
Still do some clerical work at night, and work at CALS part time.
Mention the WordPress book, the documentation site, and teaching.

4. 2. “Just Enough Info” Most people don’t edit their websites every day.
When you don’t do a task frequently, it can be a pain to remember how.
Today’s goal is to give you “just enough” info to do simple edits, but tell you where the more detailed instructions reside.
We’re here to help – you can us at

5. 3. Brochure Websites
Designed to supplement or replace print brochures.
Give contact information, location, and services.
To keep maintenance manageable:
use “evergreen” content where possible
post less content
Can include “FAQs” – the questions people ask over and over that you get tired of answering.

6. 4. How to Login/Logout Demo Launch your VPN software.
Open your web browser. Do NOT use Internet Explorer; Chrome, Firefox or Safari (on the Mac) should all work.
Go to the site.
Add /wp-admin/ to the end of the URL.
Login.
Logout.

7. 5. The WordPress Admin Dashboard
Demo
The cluttered screen after you login is the Admin Dashboard.
This interface is called the “back end” vs. the “front end” the visitors see.
Entries at the left are a mix of content objects (pages, posts, header slides, events) and settings to customize the appearance of the website.
Posts – blog entries.
Media – all the files you’ve uploaded to the website, including photos, PDFs, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.
Forms – usually contact forms, but may include newsletter signups or event registrations.
Pages – the pages of your website.
Header Slides – the photos that appear in the slideshow at the top of your homepage.

8. 5. The WordPress Admin Dashboard
continued...
Demo
Content objects have a summary screen that lists the content objects, and a detail screen where you edit an object.
Post and Page edit screens look a lot alike.
Media and Header edit screens are quite different.
To see the site as the visitors view it, but still be able to edit it, click the site name at the top in the upper left corner.

9. 6. Editing the Homepage Demo
Go to the front end by clicking the site name in the upper left of the Admin Dashboard.
Click Edit on the black toolbar at the top.
Although the blocks appear horizontally on the front end in the finished homepage, in the Editor they appear vertically:
Row 1:
Column block 1
Column block 2
Column block 3
Row 2: (etc.)
Click Preview at the right to preview the edits.
Click the blue Update button at the right to save the changes.
Click View Page to see the page on the front end.

10. 7. Adding a New Slide to the Homepage
Demo
Choose your photo carefully, since it will be displayed prominently on the homepage.
From the Admin Dashboard Menu, click Header Slides and choose Add New.
Enter a slide title; click Set Featured Image and either choose an existing photo from the Media Library or choose Upload Files and upload a new one. Click Set Featured Image, then click Publish.
The slide order is most recent to oldest. To change the order, edit the slide and change the publish date/time, then click Update.

11. 8. Editing a Page
Demo
Back End Method:
From the Admin Dashboard Menu, click Pages to see the page summary screen.
In the pages summary screen, you can resort the page names alphabetically by clicking the Title link at the top.
On the list of pages, click the page title.
Front End Method:
Click edit on the black toolbar at the top. (you must be logged into WordPress)
Make the changes in the Editor.
You can copy and paste text from Word, but not images. You must use the Add Media button to insert images or link to PDF or other files.
Click Update to save changes.

12. Demo: Adding a Photo to an Existing Page
8. Editing a Page
continued...
Demo: Adding a Photo to an Existing Page

13. 8. Editing a Page
continued...
Demo: Linking to a PDF

14. 8. ARS Websites 2.0 – Changes Coming in 2018
Move to new webserver
No more separate logins or loading the VPN software – you can login with your NetID and Password
Possible update to new theme to match the look and feel of the new CALS homepage
8. ARS Websites 2.0 – Changes Coming in 2018

15. Questions...

16. Email for help: websupport@cals.wisc.edu
WordPress Documentation website:
Contact Info