Kadence Amplify 2: Mastering the Art of Effective Website Creation

Kadence Amplify 2 was, yet again, a huge success. On October 20th, 2023 the Kadence team hosted our second Kadence Amplify event. We brought in some of the most innovative and powerful people in WordPress and asked them to share their wisdom and insight on how to be successful when it comes to creating websites. We extended the invitation beyond the Kadence community and invited anyone using WordPress, or really, anyone interested in website creation. We had 12 different speakers share on everything from SEO to Accessibility and everything in between. We closed out the day with our very own, Ben Ritner, giving us a taste of what is coming (very soon) as Kadence integrates with AI.

We are so thrilled at the success of this event and truly cannot thank our speakers and participants enough. Across each track we had live audiences who were engaged, asking questions and giving feedback as each speaker shared. That made the day so exciting and truly a delight to be a part of. A most heartfelt thank-you to all those who helped make this event what it was.

If you missed the event, we highly encourage you to watch and listen back as the wisdom that was shared is truly invaluable. If you’d like to watch the full day in its entirety, there are two tracks. You can start with Track 1 or start with Track 2. But we also wanted to give you a quick overview of each session with some highlights so you can dive in as your schedules allow.

Jake Pfohl: How to Build a Custom Linktree Page With Kadence (+ Templates)

Jake is one of our most active members of the community and we were thrilled to have him kick-start the day. In his presentation, Jake unveils the secrets to creating your personalized “Linktree” page in WordPress, all without spending a dime on Linktree services. You’ll learn how to seamlessly guide your audience to your essential links from your social bios, all while enjoying complete customization options.

Using Kadence Blocks, Jake will teach you how to create your Linktree page 10x faster than other methods, and he even prepped beautiful templates for a one-click start. Don’t miss this opportunity to easily boost your online presence! Watch Jake’s session here.

Lauren Polinsky: Business Growth With WordPress SEO

Digital marketing and SEO expert, Lauren Polinsky, blew us away with her SEO knowledge. If you’re a small business owner looking to improve SEO on your WordPress website, Lauren’s talk is you for. SEO can be a bit complex and time-consuming, but it’s a crucial factor for small businesses aiming to attract more website visitors and boost lead generation and sales. Tune into Lauren’s session as she simplify’s the SEO process and helps small business owners like you make the most of it.

Maestro Stevens: WordPress With Purpose – Freshen Up Your Website Strategy

What a treat to have Maestro Stevens back with us for this event. In his talk you’ll learn how to create or freshen up a website utilizing a minimal strategic approach that can maximize your chances of success. Get the low down and how to rise to the top using a website strategy as your springboard. 

In Maestro’s session, he’ll map out elements such as goals, sitemap, features to your audience, tech stack, analytics, and more as you prepare BIG PICTURE style for a fresher New Year!

Zach Stepek: Using Kadence to Build Custom Landing Pages for WooCommerce

Zach is a client enablement manager at Convesio and it was such a joy to have him as a speaker at Amplify. Zach spoke about building custom landing pages for WooCommerce because, let’s face it, most product purchase pages are dull. E-commerce software focuses on adding the product to the cart and doesn’t really focus on marketing. Some outstanding product marketing sites have completely separate purchase experiences from their marketing pages. But with WooCommerce and WordPress, we don’t have to accept the status quo. We can build anything, combining marketing and purchasing into a single experience. Zach’s session will look at ways to create these blended experiences with Kadence.

Amber Hinds: Building Accessible Websites with Kadence

We were so grateful to be joined by Amber Hinds, founder & CEO at Equalize Digital and accessibility expert. Laws around the world require websites to be accessible to people with disabilities. You may have heard of accessibility but not know where to start. In Amber’s session, she shares best practices for building accessible websites with Kadence and providing an actionable check list for accessibility testing on your or your clients’ websites. Watch Amber’s session here.

Thomas Raef: The Why & How of Today’s Cybercriminals

In this presentation Tom Raef from WeWatchYourWebsite, discusses why hackers want your websites and their most recent methods for hacking them. Tom has been fighting cybercriminals since 2007, focusing on website security; prevention, detection and remediation. In Tom’s session he’ll bring his vast experience and knowledge of cybercriminals and what their motivations are. By knowing why they hack and how they work, you’ll have a better understanding of steps you can take to keep your sites malware free. Watch Thomas’ session here.

Clifton: How to Build and Customize Websites Using Kadence Starter Templates

The Bob Ross of WordPress, CliftonWP, joined us for a session and we were so blessed by his knowledge. If you want to learn how to turn a Kadence starter template into your own masterpiece, this talk is for you. In Clifton’s session he shows us how with simple customizations and easy web layout techniques, you can have the website of your dreams. Watch Clifton’s session here.

Brandy Lawson: Conquer Scope Creep: The Power is Within You

We loved having Brandy Lawson from Leverage Your Spark. If you’ve ever had projects that got off the rails or if you’ve found yourself 9 versions in on a design and the client still hasn’t approved, then Brandy’s session is for you. You’ll learn why scope creep happens and what to do differently so projects stay on track and you keep your sanity.

Katy Boykin: Crafting A Homepage That Connects And Converts

Katy is a both website designer and marketing strategist and she had so much incredible insight to share with us at this event. Watch Katy’s session to learn how to craft a homepage that is not only engaging, but one that actually converts. Katy goes over the two core reasons why your website exists and the 9 essential ingredients you should include on your website home page. At the end of this session, you’ll walk away with actionable steps you can implement immediately on your website!

Adam Preiser: Elevate Your Online Store: Unleashing E-Commerce Potential with WordPress Blocks

Adam Preiser of WP Crafter is a longstanding friend of Kadence and it was joy to bring him in for Amplify. In Adam’s session you’ll gain new wisdom and insight on enhancing your online store and tapping into a whole new e-commerce potential using WordPress blocks. Watch Adam’s session here.

Craig Hewitt: How to integrate your podcast and website for a seamless listener experience

This one is for the podcasters (and any who are thinking of becoming a podcaster). Craig is the founder and CEO at Castos and we were honored to have him join us. In Craig’s session you’ll learn about turning your WordPress site into a fully functioning podcast distribution platform takes just the Seriously Simple Podcasting plugin and optionally Castos hosting for file storage/distribution. With this you’ll have a fully integrated podcasting experience for publishers and website visitors, increasing brand presence, boosting SEO and discoverability, and offering the full suite of content publishing tools on your site. Watch Craig’s session here.

Ben Ritner: Building Websites with Kadence and AI

Of course we couldn’t end the day without bringing in our own, Ben Ritner, founder of KadenceWP. Ben gives us a walk through of how AI will change how you build websites and how Kadence is adapting to it. Plus you’ll want to tune in to the Q&A at the end where Ben talks about the focus of Kadence and where we are headed going forward. Watch Ben’s session here.

Another Successful Event

Once again, we are humbled and so grateful by the participation in this event, both from our speakers and from our amazing online audience. There will be more events like this, so be on the lookout! We are so excited for the future of building with WordPress, and of course, for the future of Kadence. If you’re not already on our mailing list, now’s the time to join!