…a hands-on group-coaching program for Regular People
Your first lesson is free! Sign up for my free audio recording, and learn why I recommend WordPress.
Registration is closed for the January 2012 WordPress Swimming Lessons.
Want to be the first to know when a new session is coming? Sign up for my Invitation List.
Picture this: You want to start your website.
Or maybe you’ve already started it but you’re stuck.
You’ve heard that WordPress is awesome and user-friendly and the greatest thing since sliced bread, but to you it is intimidating, scary, and full of incomprehensible jargon (what the heck is a plugin, anyway? And isn’t a theme when you write about what you did over summer vacation?).
It just looks too hard and time-consuming to do it yourself. Yet you’re worried about hiring someone to do it for you…and paying way too much and still not being able to understand how your own website (your electronic pride and joy! Your online home!) works.
Is there something wrong with you?
My goodness, of course there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re a Regular Person who doesn’t happen to be a WordPress wizard, that’s all. And you’re not alone, not by a long shot.
You feel like you’ve been thrown to the sharks, and you’re drowning…or you’re afraid to dip your toe in the water in the first place. And who could blame you? With all the advice and jargon out there, it’s no wonder you feel stuck and trapped.
Let me show you what’s possible if you get just a little bit unstuck.
- What if logging into your own website felt like coming home?
- What if your website was a place where you loved to hang out?
- What if you could log in and make changes and updates without waiting for a webmaster, tech-savvy friend, or your brother-who’s-a-web-designer to help you?
- What if you had a friendly instructor to give you WordPress Swimming Lessons, staying right beside you in the pool so you felt safe as you learned?
- What if you really could do it yourself?
This is what I do. I explain, gently and patiently, exactly what you need to do to get started. I firmly believe that Regular People like you and me can master basic WordPress tasks, feel comfortable and confident maintaining our own websites, and get back to doing the parts of our work that we love.
This is what I help you do.
“The WordPress interface is a powerful, user-friendly tool, but I would probably never have learned to use it without Wendy Cholbi to help me over the initial hurdles. She took me from ignoramus to competent user in less than an hour.
Before I knew it, I could edit my own website, create new pages, make and break links, and even upload media. Now, when I have a new idea for my website, I can try it out right away.
Wendy understands what beginners need to know, and has the ability to explain it clearly. She was able to answer all my questions and deal with difficulties as they arose, and she pointed out a couple of features of WordPress that I never would have found on my own. Thanks, Wendy!”
—David McKay, translator
OpenBookTranslation.com
No rushing, no forcing, no question too small or too dumb.
Before swimming lessons = Stuck. Forced to wait for tired, sunburned grown-ups (or, in the web world, surly and expensive web geeks) to help you. Frustrated with your powerlessness over your own website. Feeling helpless and alone.
After swimming lessons = Yay! Play! Warm friendly water (a website you’re comfortable stepping into). And not having to wait for anyone. Look ma, I can swim (and update my website, and create blog posts, and even sell my stuff) all by myself!
What’s going to be covered in this class?
Because this is group coaching, the classes will be tailored to meet the needs of the participants. If we’ve got a group of beginners, we’ll talk basics. If we’ve got a group of folks who are already using WordPress but need a little help with more advanced topics, we’ll tackle those.
If you’re worried that everyone else will be at a different level, I want to reassure you that everyone will get time to ask questions. That’s why I’m limiting each class to seven participants.
Here’s an overview of what we’ve covered in past classes, to give you an idea:
Session 1
- Keeping your stuff safe: Logging in with a secure username and password.
- Adding words to your site: Creating posts and pages in WordPress. Want a sales page? We’ll talk about custom page templates.
- Categories and tags: What are they good for? How should you use them?
- Adding pictures (and sounds, and movies) to your posts and pages: The WordPress Media Library
- Blog vs. website (and why it’s easy to have both, or switch from one to the other without hiring tech support)
Extra Practice Session 1
This is an hourlong teleconference in which I’ll answer questions about the material covered in the first webinar, and helped troubleshoot problems. Some of the things we’ve covered in past Practice Sessions:
- The 7 plugins I recommend, and why I recommend them
- Search Engine Optimization for blogs, and whether your theme has built-in SEO tools
- More about themes (some of them are just window dressing, others have powerful features)
- Managing email and RSS subscriptions through Feedburner
Session 2
- Customizing your sidebar: Adding widgets, text, and images
- What’s in a theme, and how to choose a good one
- How plugins can make your WordPress experience easier
- Upgrading and backing up WordPress…for mere mortals
- Making your site findable (by people and search engines) and shareable (social media goodness!)
Extra Practice Session 2
This is your final chance to get live, personalized help with your own WordPress website. Bring your questions and problems to practice (and bring your triumphs too — I love to cheer you on!), and we’ll address them together, step by step. The Extra Practice Sessions will also be recorded and delivered to class participants.
Your $177 Swimming Lesson fee gets you:
- Two one-hour live webinar sessions, where I’ll show you step-by-step how to do specific WordPress tasks
- Two one-hour extra practice sessions, where I’ll troubleshoot with you, and answer participant questions.
- Audio recordings of all four class sessions
- Video recordings of the two webinar sessions
- A private page where you can ask questions and get support
Ready to take your first gentle step into the shallow end?
Find out when the next WordPress Swimming Lessons will be held by signing up for my Invitation List:
Got WordPress?
I can also install and configure WordPress for you, so you’ll be ready to jump in when it’s time for your Swimming Lessons. Check out my WordPress Packages and choose the level of customization you need.