Intro to MailerLite for Email Marketing

Join us on June 19, 2018 for an exciting presentation about MailerLite by fellow West Metro Detroit WordPress member Anthony Wagner.

MailerLite is an email marketing application that integrates with WordPress, WooCommerce, and much more.

Similar to MailChimp, AWeber, and other email marketing apps, MailerLite offers small businesses, bloggers, digital marketers, and others a way to build and grow your mailing list.

One of the features MailerLite offers: a free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers.

Anthony will talk about the advantages of using MailerLite, step us through the basics, and show us how his account is configured.

Questions, suggestions, and discussion are welcome!

Whether you’re new to WordPress or have been working with it for several years, please join us.  If you use WordPress for marketing purposes or in connection with email, I’m sure you’ll find this meeting very interesting.

NEW Location and Meetup Details

We’ll be meeting at the Westland Public Library from 6:30pm to 8:300pm.  Located at 6123 Central City Parkway, Westland, MI 48185, the library is north of Ford Road on Central City Parkway (map and directions to the library).

Parking is free in the lot behind the library.

Cost is FREE, but pre-registration is required.

The room is limited in size to 10 people. Be sure to register on Eventbrite.

We’re meeting in Meeting Room C at the library. Once you enter the library, turn right at the circulation desk and follow the hallway about 1/2 way down.

Meet Our Speaker

Anthony Wagner is an educator and entrepreneur. He’s currently building an online business to help school counselors use and organize data.

Wagner has ten years of experience helping folks with their technology.  For the past four years, he’s worked for a public school, learning about the needs and pain points of all different type of educators.

On the personal side, Anthony is an avid fan of classical and jazz music and plays the trombone.

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May 2018: WordPress Workshop and Q&A

You’re invited to join us for a WordPress workshop and Q&A at our May 2018 West Metro Detroit WordPress meetup.

Whether you’re new to WordPress or have been working with it for several years, join us for a casual meetup to:

• Talk about WordPress
• Get help with plugin or theme configuration
• Ask how to solve a styling issue on your WordPress site, or
• Ask any other question you have about WordPress

Whatever your WordPress issue, here’s your opportunity to get your question answered from fellow meetup members.

Recap: 9 Tips to Help You Safely Change Your WordPress Theme

At our April meetup this week, we had a great discussion about changing your WordPress theme. After I gave my presentatation, our members chatted about themes, talked about WordPress, and enjoyed delicious slices of pie from Grand Traverse Pie.

I’ve published my talk on my blog, where you can find the nine tips, along with my recommendations for finding themes.

In addition to the presentation, we discussed General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the upcoming 15th WordPress anniversary.

General Data Protection Regulation

Here’s what I mentioned about General Data Protection Regulation at the meetup, along with helpful resources:

1. GDPR is a European Union (EU) data privacy law that goes into effect May 25, 2018.
2. The aim of the regulation is to protect the personal data and privacy of EU citizens.
3. Regardless of your physical location, if you process the personal data of any EU citizen on your website, GDPR applies to you. And your company must be able to show compliance by May 25, 2018.
4. GoDaddy has two excellent resources on GDPR. One article explains GDPR compliance for web designers and developers. The second article is a practical guide for moving your site toward GDPR compliance.
5. Another excellent resource is how to make a WooCommerce website GDPR Compliant? (12 steps).
6. MailChimp has released their GDPR-Compliant Form

Our next meetup is Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Hope you’ll join us!

9 Tips to Help You Safely Change Your WordPress Theme

Imagine you’ve had the same theme on your website for a few years. It’s starting to look dated and you’ve decided it’s time to change to a new theme.

That’s exciting! The new theme has features you’ve wanted to add to your site and you can’t wait to get started.

WordPress makes it easy to switch to a new theme. But before you activate it, there are a few things you can do to make sure you safely transition to the new theme.

For our April 17 meetup, we’ll share nine tips to help you get your new WordPress theme up and running quickly.

What You’ll Learn

Our WordPress experts will share their experience switching themes, offering tips for:

• Reviewing your existing theme
• Selecting a new theme
• What to do before activating the new theme
• What to do after activating the theme

Meetup Details and Location

We’ll be meeting at the Grand Traverse Pie Co. in Plymouth at 41640 Ann Arbor Road, on Tuesday evening, April 17, 2018 from 6:30pm until they close at 8:00pm.

When you arrive, look for a bunch of tables that have been pushed together, with a sign on the table that says “West Metro Detroit WordPress.”

Cost is $4.00 (we’ll be providing pie!). Register for the meetup on Eventbrite.

Share Your Favorite WordPress Tip or Plugin at our March 2018 Meetup

For our March 2018 West Metro Detroit WordPress meetup, we’re planning a “Share Your Favorite WordPress Tip or Plugin” event.

Our members will have five to ten minutes to share a WordPress tip or plugin that’s made it easier for them to manage or add content to their site.

Have a new plugin you installed last week that solved a problem for you?

Or did you find an easier way to update a post? Share your discoveries with your fellow members!

Whatever the topic, here’s your chance to share what you’ve learned and find out ways you can improve your site.

I love these types of meetup events since they:

1. Give members a chance to talk about their sites
2. Are short, informal talks
3. Only last five to ten minutes
4. Give all of us an opportunity to get to know each other

Meetup Details and Location

We’ll be meeting at the Grand Traverse Pie Co. in Plymouth at 41640 Ann Arbor Road, on Tuesday evening, March 20 from 6:30pm until they close at 8:00pm.

When you arrive, look for a bunch of tables that have been pushed together, with a sign on the table that says “West Metro Detroit WordPress.”

Cost is $4.00 (we’ll be providing pie!). Register for the meetup on Eventbrite.