Author: Heather Cygan

Stephen DeLorme will discuss “DNS: Understanding How It Works and How It Affects Your Website.”

As a digital media director at Delineator, DeLorme focuses on video production and web development for manufacturers, scientists and tech companies.

In his free time, he directs independent films, raises chickens, tinkers with crypto currencies and volunteers for WordPressTV and the Atlanta WordPress community.

Q: Why is it important for us to learn more about DNS today?

A: Improperly maintained DNS records can cause slow performance, security issues, email deliverability issues and WordPress outages.

Q: What is the most important takeaway from your talk?

A: Know where your DNS records are.

Mike Coleman will talk about “Deploying Highly Available WordPress: It’s Easier Than You Think.”

As a developer advocate at Amazon Web Service (AWS), Coleman focuses on getting people started in the cloud as quickly and as easily as possible. In this role, he focuses on creating and delivering technical content at all levels.

In his spare time he enjoys riding motorcycles, playing guitar and watching soccer (Go Timbers!)

Q: Why is it important for us to learn more about this topic today?

A: As your (or your client’s) site traffic grows, it’s important to be able to scale your site to securely handle that increase. Additionally, you want to be able to deploy sites that can withstand system failures without compromising up time.

Q: What is the most important takeaway of your topic?

A: Building highly available, self-hosted WordPress sites is probably easier than you think.

Q: Which resources should we follow to stay up to date on your topic?

A: Coleman suggests the following resources:

• Follow him on Twitter: You can follow Coleman at @mikegcoleman.
• AWS Compute Blog: Coleman frequently posts content to the AWS Compute blog.

Micah Wood will teach the session “Caching Demystified: A Guide for the Non-Techie.”

As a professional WordPress developer for more than a decade, Wood works at Bluehost and enjoys spending his time contributing back to WordPress. Other interesting facts about his experience include:

• Working on sites for Fortune 100 companies
• Releasing more than a dozen WordPress plugins
• Speaking frequently at WordCamps
• Volunteering as a WordCamp Atlanta organizer
• Co-hosting the WP Square One podcast
• Blogging on WordPress development topics

Q: Why is it important for us to learn more about caching today?

A: Caching is a great way to speed up your website, but a lack of understanding can cause caching to backfire on you if not used properly.

In some cases, you can even break forms or expose personal data!

Q: What is the most important takeaway of your talk?

A: Never use more than one of the same type of caching! Most commonly, this happens when people use multiple caching plugins.

Q: Which resources should we follow to stay current on caching?

A: Wood recommends the following two sites to stay on top of current caching trends:

• WordPress Support: This tool will help you learn how to optimize caching from plug-ins to browsers to servers.
• WordPress Caching Forum: This is a forum where you can ask your caching questions and read answers to common questions.

Our WordCamp Greenville event wouldn’t be possible without the generous funding of our annual sponsors. Our Paris Mountaineer sponsors — Jetpack, Bluehost, GoDaddy Pro and WooCommerce — each gave $1,000 to help us bring this annual conference to your local community.

These sponsors help us attract quality speakers and sessions to teach you to take your WordPress knowledge to the next level. Please check out their products to see how they might fit into your WordPress workflow and strategy.

Jetpack 

Jetpack is a powerful collection of security and performance tools made for WordPress sites by the WordPress experts.

• Proven security tools keep your site backed up, online and hack-free.
• Fast-loading pages mean happier visitors.
• Everything in a single package — so you can focus on your business.

Learn how Jetpack helps you secure and speed up your site at Jetpack.com.

Bluehost

Bluehost has been a WordPress partner since 2005, and powers more than 2 million websites across the world with reliable hosting and personalized guidance.

By leveraging the power of WordPress, Bluehost provides the fast website creation methods coupled with intuitive management tools. From secure automated WordPress installations to advanced marketing tools and services, and access to specialized WordPress experts, Bluehost is the best place to build, grow and scale an online presence.

GoDaddy Pro

GoDaddy Pro offers a robust suite of free tools to web developers and designers to help them save time managing all their clients and sites. With GoDaddy Pro, you can easily shop for your client, monitor their sites, and manage all their WordPress websites from one place.

Exclusive time-saving tools let you update WordPress core, plugins and themes with one click, as well as automate WordPress backups, cloning and migrations. Get real-time performance, security and uptime monitoring across all your websites.

Additionally, your free membership includes advanced 24/7 technical support. When you pair GoDaddy Pro with GoDaddy hosting products, the benefits are even greater. Check out the Free Tools.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce is the most customizable eCommerce platform to build exactly the store you want. From physical products to digital downloads, services, and subscriptions, sell worldwide with the freedom of WordPress.

WooCommerce is developed and supported by a distributed team at Automattic, creators of Jetpack and WordPress.com. For more go to WooCommerce.com.

• 5+ million active installations
• 84+ million downloads
• Options for new, growing and enterprise-level stores
• 450+ official extensions to add features and functionality

To celebrate our third annual WordCamp Greenville, we have special swag planned to help you enjoy the day while also keeping our event top of mind year-round.

From wearables to edibles, we’ve got you covered. All meals will have vegetarian and gluten-free options for those with dietary restrictions.

Here’s the full list of swag you are guaranteed to receive if you buy your ticket soon!

• Breakfast from Port City Java featuring coffee, juice, muffins, bagels and fruit.
• T-shirt guaranteed for the first 100 people who register.
• Official stickers to decorate your computer and office.
• Lunch from Tropical Grille, which includes items such as chicken, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheddar, salsa, rice and sauces.
• Discounts and free trials from our sponsors and local vendors.
• Free tech and WordPress advice from our Happiness Bar experts.
• Business cards from people you met while networking to connect with on LinkedIn.
• Access to our private Greenville South Carolina WordPress Group on Facebook.
• Reference notes you took during each session to improve your WordPress sites and blogs.

Kori Ashton will walk you through her SEO checklist for your website and blog.

Ashton is co-founder of WebTegrity, a WordPress agency in San Antonio, Texas. She also is a YouTube Influencer and a brand ambassador for Liquid Web.

Her talk is titled, “SEO for Bloggers — Improving Rank and Growing Your Audience.”

Q: Why is it important for us to learn more about SEO today?

A: You can increase your scopes and revenue during each website build by adding SEO techniques that actually work.

Q: What is the most important takeaway of your talk?

A: There are simple changes you can make to your website or blog today to increase your organic rank.

Q: Which resources should we follow to learn more about SEO?

A: Ashton recommends you follow her YouTube channel. Every week she publishes a video on WordPress plugins, themes, fixes, breaks, add-ons and amazing all-around cool stuff in the WordPress world. Subscribe to have a new video sent to you each WordPress Wednesday.

David Zimmerman will discuss “What WordPress Users Need to Know About SEO in 2020”

Zimmerman has worked in search engine optimization (SEO) for more than 12 years — five on his own as Reliable Acorn.

During that time, he’s been developing and recording the SEO processes that help his clients gain more business through search engine traffic. He recently decided to make those processes available to anyone through his website, The SEO Game Plan.

Q: Why do we need to know more about SEO today?

A: It’s hard to keep up with SEO — things are always changing and you need to ensure you’re playing the game with an up-to-date playbook.

Zimmerman will share what you need to know about SEO to compete in the search results for 2020.

Q: What is the most important takeaway of your talk?

A: Don’t be distracted by the latest SEO rumors or tricks! Stick with the basics and you’ll do fine.

SEO basics include:

• Ensuring Google can read your site
• Creating content that speaks your customers’ language
• Getting other websites to cite you as an authority

Q: Which SEO resources should we follow?

A: Zimmerman recommends you follow these resources:

• Follow credible blogs like Moz or Search Engine Land
• Subscribe to the Google Webmasters YouTube channel
• Follow Zimmerman on Twitter: @TheSEOGamePlan

Clifton Canady will teach you how to use Unlimited Elements for Elementor.

Canady is a front-end web developer, designer and owner of CT Web Design Shop. During his talk, “Creating Custom Widgets/Modules for Elementor,” he will show you how easy it is to build custom modules for Elementor.

Q: Why should we learn more about building custom modules in Elementor?

A: More people want to build their own websites today and Elementor makes that opportunity possible.

Unlimited Elements allows you to build your own modules. Canady will demonstrate how you can combine the two.

Q: What is the most important takeaway of your talk?

A: The most important thing you will learn in my session is how to build your own modules. This will give you the freedom to contribute to and design your own website.

Q: Which resources should we follow to learn more about Elementor?

A: I recommend you follow the following websites for additional information.

• WPCliffs Notes: Canady’s website provides regular WordPress help and tutorials. Follow him to get regular updates.
• WPCliffs Notes YouTube Channel: This channel provides weekly WordPress help and tutorials to help you get the most out of your WordPress website. He teaches tips and tricks for making your web design workflow better by using WordPress as a Content Management System.
• Unlimited Elements for Elementor: A library of unique Elementor Widgets that add more functionality and flexibility to your favorite page builder.
• Unlimited Elements YouTube Channel: Check out this channel for how-to demonstrations on Unlimited Elements.

More about Clifton Canady

Canady has 15 years of experience in creating interactive, modern and eye-catching websites as well as more than 10 years of experience in customer service. He is ready to provide solutions to all your web development and design challenges by creating a professional website suited to your unique business needs.

He also has a Youtube Channel called WPCliffsNotes on which he creates weekly WordPress help and tutorials. Subscribe to his channel to access tips and tricks to make your web design workflow better by using WordPress as a Content Management System.

Keynote Speaker Thomas Griffin is the co-founder and president of OptinMonster and a partner at Awesome Motive.

At WordCamp Greenville he will dive into “WordPress and You: Standing Out in a World of Noise.”

We sat down with Griffin to get some insight about his topic.

Q: Why should we learn more about standing out in a world of noise?

A: Distractions are everywhere. Options seem limitless. Choices abound.

As the experts, people are looking to you for answers to their digital needs. WordPress gives you an unfair advantage to meet their needs in a way no other software can.

You have the potential to stand out from the crowd and make WordPress, along with yourself, stand out from the crowd.

Q: What is the most important takeaway of your talk?

A: When your mission and purpose are clear, you gain an unfair advantage in a world filled with distractions.

Q: Which resources should we follow to help us stand out?

A: I recommend you follow these three websites:

1. ThomasGriffin.com — My website teaches you how to inspire and motivate others.

2. Post Status — This is the website and newsletter to follow to see how other people in the WordPress industry are making an impact.

3. WordPress Make Blogs — A website that helps you understand how all aspects of WordPress are being moved forward every day.

More about Thomas Griffin’s companies

OptinMonster is a conversion optimization toolkit used across the world and Awesome Motive is a global technology company known for popular WordPress plugins, such as WPForms and MonsterInsights.

Those platforms combined power success for more than 10 million WordPress websites across the globe.

Treat yourself, a friend or colleague this holiday season. Purchase a $25 ticket to WordCamp Greenville 2020.

Securing your ticket to our March 7 event ensures you’ll start the new year learning new tips and tricks to keep your WordPress site(s) humming along smoothly – and your clients happy.

When you purchase a ticket to this weekend event, you will get:

• Full day of speakers and sessions
• Access to our Greenville South Carolina WordPress Group
• One-on-one advice at our Happiness Bar
• Networking opportunities
• Lunch and coffee
• Sweet swag bag

We organize this annual event to keep our local WordPress community informed, educated and connected. Our third conference will be at the Clemson One Building at 1 N. Main St. in beautiful downtown Greenville, SC.

Stay in touch with us!

Don’t forget to like our Facebook page to interact with our community today.

And ensure you’re on our email list to receive the latest news about WordPress Greenville 2020 and our monthly meetups.

Photo credit by rupixen.com on Unsplash