DC Web Revolution

WP: Basic Blog Entry Tips

It is easy to upload content to a short Page or Post in WordPress (WP). Basic articles often contain a Photo, Text and a Subtitle… by using Image, Paragraph and Heading “blocks”, which are WP modules by which you can build out your Page or Post.

Example of a Basic WP Entry using Header, Paragraph and Image Blocks

Here are some tips on how to build a basic Page or Post in WordPress.Com:

Login to your Dashboard and click on “New Post” or “New Page”
Title your Page or Post article
Select an image to use within the article, uploading it from your PC or the Pexels free library within WP.COM
Size the image by collapsing the circle “handles” around the Image Block.
Select a Heading Block by searching for blocks via the upper left “+” or on “+” below the image
Type in your Heading text, adjusting the block “H” settings for desired size text, and then moving it with the up arrow (“^”) to just below the Title and above the Image.
Select your next Paragraph Block (just hitting return within the article normally offers it up by default), and type your text – using the tiny block editor to Bold, Italics any text.
Adjust the display of your Image by clicking “Align Left” in the tiny editor.

VOILA!…your text now wraps around the Image, and you have your first article – click Save Draft, and Publish (now, or schedule later) to your site or blog!

Tech Help Event for Non-Profits – 3/23

Head Icon with bulb re Event category for Blog posts.

Virtual Website Solutions Night, hosted by Baltimore Techies for Good Meetup will take place on March 23, 2023, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM ET, 2023. Non-profits, developers and designers must register via Event Brite to attend this event, via https://websitesolutions.eventbrite.com.

Here is the organizer’s description of this event:

Need help with your website, nonprofits? Want to help a nonprofit with their website, Devs? Whether it’s getting feedback on what could be better, learning how to do certain things, figuring out how to add a page/section or plug-in, join this event to get the help you need or provide help! After introductions, we’re getting RIGHT TO WORK and will be partnering 1-2 Website Developers with each Nonprofit to help knock out your questions/fixes/enhancements!

I have presented or participated in Baltimore Techies events in the past, and it is a great group! To get an idea of what they do and who attends their events, see their Meetup blog or check out my report on participating at their Nonprofit Marketing Table Topics last October, or my presentation at their meeting in June 2021 on my Tutorials Page.

Site “Quick Start” Special

Punxatawney Phil celebrating Groundhog Day — Photo by patrice schoefolt on Pexels.com

In celebration of Groundhog Day dcwebrevolution is offering all February a 20% discount on our Quick Start consulting packages for setting up a new website.

Don’t wait to try and see your shadow, but spring into spring with one of our two options to get started on launching a new website, based on simple, sustainable WordPress.com software. And click here to check that Quick Start is the right choice for you.

Quick Start Options:

One and Done ($300) – featuring 1 video session to set up and train you on a new starter site, preceded by 1 week’s prep and planning and then followed by site support over 2 weeks. Check this link for One and Done details, deliverables and payment terms.

In Depth Start ($700) – featuring 2 video sessions to set up and then refine design for a new starter site, preceded by 2 week’s prep and planning and followed by site support over 4 weeks. Check this link for In Depth Start details, deliverables and payment terms.

Let dcwebrevolution get you off to a good start on your website journey, whether for a small non-profit, small business, or professional blogger in career transition.

Act now to request one of these Quick Start consultancies while supplies last! Send in today this Request Appointment form, email gary@dcwebrevolution.com, or call him at 703-899-9940. During your free phone appointment Gary looks forward to discussing your website goals, content readiness, and next steps in generating and training on your WordPress.com starter site.

Encore “Online Branding” Presentation Jan 30

“BOOST YOUR ONLINE BRANDING WITH A WORDPRESS BLOG”

Mark your calendars for this Online Branding webinar presentation by dcwebrevolution’s Gary Vaughan and hosted by 40 Plus of Greater Washington at 7:00 PM EDT on Monday, January 30. See full program details.

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A website can be key to bolstering your professional brand, and complementing your use of LinkedIn and other social media for networking. Blog articles can showcase knowledge and connections in your field, and a simple website can sharpen your “value proposition” as a volunteer, a solo consultant or a future employee.

While this 40 Plus DC presentation is oriented to professionals in career transition, its basic website design and tech principles are applicable to any small business or non-profit.

During this presentation Gary will explore the following:

* Pros and cons of building a professional website

* Simple website software to consider before WordPress

* Benefits of using WordPress.Com as a basic site-builder

* Key software concepts, cost and how to link with social media

* Demo of a professional website and blog on WordPress.Com

This program is an encore presentation to one that Gary gave at 40 Plus DC last September. For a Zoom link to this talk, registration should be available soon at 40 Plus DC or contact Gary at gary@dcwebrevolution.com.

Battle of Cowpens Speech

Patriot cavalry in action against the "British Legion" at Cowpens — Patriot cavalry in action against the “British Legion” at Cowpens

I originally gave this speech to my local Toastmasters Club (Talking Heads of State) in September, and then an expanded version of the talk to the Reston Leadership Breakfast on October 28, 2022 and the Maryland Leadership Breakfast on January 13, 2023.

The speech summarized how the Patriots won a decisive victory over the British in the Battle of Cowpens in the Revolution, laying the basis for eventual victory of Washington at Yorktown and guaranteeing American independence. I focused on the leadership skills of the American commander, General Daniel Morgan, in applying Planning, Teamwork and Communications in ensuring success of his motley army of militia, regulars and cavalry over the British commander, “Bloody Tarleton”, in the engagement.

At the Leadership Breakfasts we also discussed the general relevance of military leadership lessons to modern day civilian organizations, and how military models of strategy and tactics may or may not be relevant. See also this related Web article: What Lessons Can the Agile Community Learn from A Maverick Fighter Pilot?, by Steve Adolph of the University of British Columbia.

SOHO Office Organization

Fictional, ideal photo of home office setup. — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I plan to write periodic articles on my Small Office Home Office (SOHO) experience, including tips from the Web, photos of my progress in home office setup, and participation in monthly meetings of the SOHO group with the Germantown Gaithersburg Chamber of Commerce. See the inset image for my idealized SOHO office setup!

As a first contribution, see this Web article by Hongkiat on How to Create A Productive & Organized Home Office (8 Tips)

DC Project Management Day of Service 2023

The Annual DC Project Management Day of Service (DC PMDOS) is a one-day virtual event where area non-profits and Project Manager (PM) volunteers come together to produce business plans and indicators tailored and documented to each non-profit’s needs.

I have participated in years past, and plan to volunteer again as a PM expert resource on website design and social media management. The program is sponsored by Project Management for Change in partnership with the University of Maryland Project Management Center for Excellence. It is a great event, with a lot of advance planning by the PMDOS team, and virtual hosting on an easily navigable Google collaboration platform. Here is a link from a past 2020 PMDOS event held at UMD to give you an idea of program content, and how PM volunteers and non-profits interact during the Saturday!

Doors are now open for non-profits to register, while Project Manager professionals may express interest in volunteering on January 8. See this PMDOS Registration link for information on how either non-profits or PM Volunteers might apply and participate in the event. Hope to see you there in 2023!

Mark your 2024 Calendars: The next DC PMDOS is scheduled to take place from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM on Saturday, February 17, 2024.

Soft Launch Feedback!

I am announcing my “Soft Launch” of this web design consulting website, “dcwebrevolution”, today, December 9!

As of this date anyone with this link – dcwebrevolution.com – can view the site on the Web; however, I will not allow broader searchability until my “hard launch” planned for early 2023. At that time I plan to open the site to Google Search and actively promote the business to new customers of my web design, business planning and social media management services, with a focus on small non-profits, entrepreneurs and bloggers.

This article is to thank my colleagues from the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce, 40 Plus of Greater Washington, Baltimore Techies for Good, and past pro bono clients (plus anyone else who comes across this link!) for their advance feedback prior to my finalizing this site for hard launch in January. In particular, I am looking for reactions to the site’s general design, ease of navigation, and description of my consulting services and related resources. To get a quick feel for the site, please check out my Consulting Approach, video samples of my work in Tutorials, and my background in Owner Bio.

Users can convey feedback (or any advance interest in my consulting) by directly commenting on a site Page, by filling out an online form on Contact Me, or by sending me an email at gary@dcwebrevolution or glvconsulting@hotmail.com

Note that the following elements of the site are still pending completion:

Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and related client pricing/deposit policies.
Payment block to accept deposits for consulting services (I created my business bank account last Tuesday, but will not receive the debit card until next week).
Edits to my Partner Page, flowing from my ongoing conversations with possible WordPress Developer, Graphic Artist and other tech agency Partners in coming weeks.
Continuing contacts with other consultants or non-profits to gain permission for use of their links as references in my site.

I look forward to seeing your comments (as people have time given this busy holiday season), and applying them to strengthen and edit my site for final launch in early 2023!

Thank you all, and wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year!

Gary Vaughan, Owner, DCWebRevolution

New Business Progress

I have made the following initial progress in formalizing my web design consulting business over the past 6 weeks:

Obtained an EIN number from the IRS, and discussed tax planning with my accountant

Registered my company and received a DBA Certification from the State of Maryland for the company trade name: “dcwebrevolution”

Applied for membership in the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC), attended a couple of Chamber events, and had some productive networking with Chamber members – a very professional and collaborative group!

I continue to fine-tune my website at dcwebrevolution.com, getting feedback from colleagues on site design, navigation and content – all with a view to a public site launch before the end of the year. Thanks all for your input to date!

Nonprofit Marketing Table Topics

On October 14 I participated as an expert panelist at a live webinar on Non-Profit Marketing Table Topics sponsored by Baltimore Techies for Good, Apex Systems and ClearEdge Marketing. Solutions. See this EventBrite link for program details. Hats off to Erica Woods for hosting and organizing this successful event!

My panelist role was to offer non-profits tips on Social Media Planning and Press Releases. I also enjoyed participating in other table topic sessions by using Remo virtual conferencing software. I found this software to be very user-friendly in hopping in and out of various sessions.

Stay tuned for my posting of other Baltimore Techies for Good events to provide tech tips to non-profits!