I think I want a website! - ashmug.com · Web Hosting Service - a company that provides space on...
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I think I want a website! Some ideas and options to consider Presented by Marcia Bolsinga AshMUG Meeting 10/11/2011 Wednesday, September 5, 12
Transcript of I think I want a website! - ashmug.com · Web Hosting Service - a company that provides space on...
I think I want a website!
Some ideas and options to considerPresented by Marcia Bolsinga
AshMUG Meeting 10/11/2011
Wednesday, September 5, 12
What would I use it for?Blog Travelogues Photo and video sharing Provide info about your organization Market your business eCommerce
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How do I get on the web?
Use a blogging serviceWordPress (www.wordpress.com/)Google Blogger (www.blogger.com/) Others (tumblr, Xanga)
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How do I get on the web?
Use an online template-based site creator
Google Sites (www.sites.google.com/Weebly (www.weebly.com/)Webs (www.webs.com/)
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How do I get on the web?
Use a full-service provider, such as Project A (www.projecta.com)
Web Design and DevelopmentWeb HostingContent ManagementSite-in-a-Box
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How do I get on the web?
Hire a web developerGet referralsReview their portfolio How much do you want them to do?
DesignDevelopMaintain
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How do I get on the web?
Do It Yourself!
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What will I need?Domain name - name that identifies your website. Example: ashmug.com
Needs to be registered - you can use a registrar like www.godaddy.com or www.gkg.net, or register through your hosting service - about $10/yearNeeds to be unique - Registrar will determine its availability. Can use various top-level domains (.com, .org.)
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What will I need?Web Hosting Service - a company that provides space on their server to host your website.
Bluehost - AshMUGs host (www.bluehost.com)Most provide email, backups, SEO tools, security, tutorials and support.Cost: between $6 and $10 a month
Note: iCloud won’t provide web-hosting services
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What will I need?Web Development Software
Desktop software (do the work on your computer, and upload results to the web). Generally template-based; no coding required.
iWeb - part of iLife - rumored to be on its way out
Freeway Express - $69 (www.softpress.com)
Sandvox - $77 (www.karelia.com)
Rapidweaver - $79 (www.realmacsoftware.com)
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What will I need?
Web development SoftwareWeb-based software (do the work online - can be collaborative)
Joomla - open-source, free! (www.joomla.org)Wordpress.org - open-source, free! (www.wordpress.org)
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What else might I need?
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software for uploading files to your host’s server. Example: FileZilla (http://filezilla-project.org/) - free!
A code/text editor in case you do need to do some coding. Example: TextWrangler (http://www.barebones.com/) - free!
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Some terminologyHTML (Hypertext Markup Language) - language which builds web pagesPHP - (PHP:Hypertext Preprocessor) scripting language used by WordPress to interact with server and databaseMySQL (Structured Query Language) database implementation used by WordPressCSS (Cascading Style Sheets) language for specifying how a web page is presented
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Some WordPress terminology
Dashboard - the “backend” or admin of your website, where you create and revise your websitePosts - blog style pagePages - static content pageMedia - photos, videos, graphicsPlugins - tools to extend functionality of WordPressWidgets - plugins used in the “sidebar” of a site
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WordPress Terminology - Themes
Themes “skin” your site, and provide control over the presentation of the material of your siteThemes don’t change the underlying data; simply present it differentlyThemes are available from WordPress.org or from independent developers Themes consist of .php files and .css filesAshMUG.com uses a theme from Elegant Themes (www.elegantthemes.com)
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WordPress DemoAshmug
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Some things to consider if using WordPress
Think about what you want to be able to do on your site before choosing a theme.Go with a well-supported themeUse a child theme to simplify changesCustom Menus provide more flexibility in navigationUse plugins that are well-reviewed and up-to-date
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Site creation process
MindNode map
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