Online Class: Creating WordPress Websites

WordPress is a free open source blogging tool and content management system. WordPress can be used to create a traditional blogging site; however, it can also be used to create a standard website for business or personal use.   This course focuses on creating websites using WordPress.  No previous experience is needed.  This course is structured in a way to help all students, regardless of their experience, learn WordPress. 

Students will learn how to:

·    Set up a domain and hosting account

·    Set up a MySQL database on their server

·    Install WordPress on the MySQL database

·    Plan their website by choosing color schemes, fonts, layouts, and more

·    Search for themes in WordPress

·    Select, install, and activate a theme

·    Add posts to their website

·    Create website pages

·    Add images, photo galleries, and more

·    Create tags for SEO and categories to organize their posts

·    Use WordPress as a content management system (CMS)

·    Use widgets and plugins

·    Create an ecommerce site

·    Integrate WordPress with social media

·    Customize a WordPress site using PHP, CSS, and HTML

·    And more.

Each lesson covers a different aspect of WordPress and contains sections to teach students what they need to know.   Step-by-step instructions, along with screenshots and HD video demonstrations, make learning to use WordPress a breeze.  By the end of the course, all students will be able to successfully create their own customized and effective website using the information they've learned.

Courses Frequently Bought Together:

Adobe Photoshop

Learn HTML - Create Webpages Using HTML5

Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

Course Motivation

Users could create a blog almost instantly by simply choosing a template – or theme, then populating it with posts. Plug-ins were available to further customize the blog. These plug-ins could be used to integrate WordPress with Twitter or similar sites, as well as add photo galleries and etc. 

This plug-in and template system carried over to WordPress websites. This system made it so that anyone with a desire to create a website can do so fairly quickly and easily.   Using WordPress themes, users can create a professional website in just a few minutes. Then, using WordPress' abundant tools and features, add content and customization without writing a line of code (if they don't want).

WordPress is open source, meaning the templates (or themes) you use for your blog or website can be customized to your preferences or needs. You can make changes to the code, such as HTML or CSS, without having to worry about copyright issues. Plus, you have access to plug-ins that allow you to add advanced features to your website, such as social media integration, photo galleries, and forms.   All you need to do is install them. 

The lessons in the course are organized by the skill level needed to understand and complete the lessons. They are structured as follows:

• Lessons 1-4 are for the beginner WordPress user– or someone who has never used WordPress on their own website before. You will learn how to set up WordPress on your website. 

• Lessons 5-7 prepare you for designing your website using WordPress. In these lessons, you'll start to plan for your site by learning about layouts, images, and other design aspects. 

• Lessons 8-11 are for the intermediate WordPress user – or for any student that completed the previous lessons.   These lessons will walk you through putting your website together, including choosing a theme and adding content.  

• Lessons 12 and 13 are for advanced users – or students who have completed all previous lessons.   Any student interested in advanced website customization in WordPress will discover these lessons will give you the foundation you need to get started. 

At the end of each lesson, you'll find a lesson exercise and assignment to reinforce and quiz you on what you've learned. The course exercises are mandatory. You must complete the exercises in order to successfully complete the course. The lesson assignments are optional; however, they are recommended so that students get to put into practice what they've learned. All students are required to complete all lessons, as well as the required lesson exercises, to pass the course.

Even though this course focuses on website creation using WordPress, it's important to take a look back at WordPress' roots.   This will help us gain a basic understanding of how WordPress works and create a foundation for us to build on. It will also help you decide if you want to incorporate a blog into the WordPress website you create.

A blog, or a web log, is an informal discussion found on the Internet. A blog is made up of posts – or entries – that are usually displayed in chronological order.   Most blog posts (or entries) are very similar to articles you may read on news sites and the like.   Most blogs allow comments so that people who visit and read the blog can enter the discussion and communicate with the author and other readers. 

When blogs first started, they were typically created by individuals or small groups of people.   In addition, they were usually focused on one topic. For example, a mother may create a blog to keep out-of-town family updated on her children.  Someone into politics, antique cars, or books may have created a blog to talk about the things of interest to them.   At that time, blogs were more like journals. Sometimes they even seemed like diaries.

However, that all started to change around 2009. Multi-author blogs started to emerge.   These blogs had multiple authors and were sometimes created by media outlets, colleges, and even businesses. They became more than just a way to express opinions or share an interest. They became a way to communicate with the world. The media keeps blogs to inform readers of the latest news stories and interact with its readers.   Colleges use blogs to relay important information to students and discuss the latest happenings on their campuses.    

Business use blogs as a marketing tool. Blogs give businesses a way to educate their customers and potential customers alike on information related to their specific industry. For example, a company that sold skin care products may provide blog posts about how to have healthy skin.   Whereas the company could use their website to advertise their products, they could use the blog to "talk to" their customers; thereby, turning themselves into a resource for valuable information, as well as valuable products.