Build Your Own Website Introductions

Tutors name …..Phil Stone ICT tutor for Dudley Adult Community Learning Retired IT consultant The course is “Build your own Website” We will learn how to build a basic website that

you can use to sell from if required. Course website is

http://l4lwebdesign.weebly.com/Password is “learning4life” 6 weeks duration Logon – username = l4luser02 – l4luser16 Password = Startnow1

Build Your Own Website House Keeping and Rules

Toilets Emergency exits My contact number is 07956052367 Email philipstone@live.co.uk Phones set to silent Be courteous and respect each other

Build Your Own Website Introduction Take the Register Sign the induction document Give me your Email Addresses Working on-line Safely

http://www.google.co.uk/goodtoknow/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/webwise/topics/safety-and-priv

acy/

We are going to learn to build your own website with an on-line application called “Weebly”.

This is a drag and drop website builder that is free for basic websites.

It’s easy to do and can include: Basic webpages Contact pages Maps Picture galleries and slide shows Music and videos On-line shopping * BLOG (online diary)

In fact most things that need to be on a website

* To use the Weebly online shop you need one of their paid accounts, but we can create our own shop via PayPal

Introduction

We are going to learn how to add each of the various elements on a website during the class.

You will need to carry on with your website in your own time

We will review the last session at the start of each session

So any problems/questions will be answered then

I have also included a set of videos and links on the course website, that will take you through the process of building a website.

You can access these videos anytime and carry on with this at home.

This will allow you to re-enforce all the instruction on the elements you can put on your own website.

Introduction

Most important - you will need to have your own idea of what type of website you want to build

The look and feel of the website what content (text, pictures, video etc.) that you

want to include. The goal for your website What your target audience is

Over the next few weeks look at lots of websites and gather as much information as you can.

You will need to have a USB memory stick to copy this information to.

All the topics we go through during class will be available on the course website

Introduction

Initial assessment and Learners Diary The course learning objectives Introduction to Weebly About Domain names Create a Weebly account Designing a website

Pages, layout, colours Create a storybook

Week 1

Initial assessment record Record your learning experiences Outlines the agreed learning objectives

of the course I have provided some group objective I will discuss with you if you have any personal

learning objectives The diary is available in electronic form

on the course website http://l4lwebdesign.weebly.com/documents.html

I need you to fill it in after each session and upload it to me.

Lets have a look at it now and fill in the details and take the self assessment.

When finished save it on your memory stick, do not forget to upload it to me via the http://l4lwebdesign.weebly.com/uploads.html

Learners diary

1. Create an on-line account with weebly.com and create a blank website

2. Understand the Weebly dashboard and menus and change and configure Weebly templates

3. Add basic elements to your website (text, pictures, multiple columns, links and pages)

4. Add intermediate elements to your website (photo gallery, slide-shows, files, video, maps,)

5. Add advanced elements to your website ( Blogs, video slide shows, selling mechanisms, HTML)

6. Add website to the Google search engine and configure Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) keywords and descriptions

7. Manage website with Google webmaster tools and Google analytics(optional - Add own domain to website)

Learning Objectives

This is the name (sometimes called your address or URL) that your site will be called on the internet and will consist of two or three elements. eg: mydomainname.weebly.com or

mydomainname.co.uk

The 1st one is a fee one you get from Weebly, and consists of your domain or website name as a sub-domain of Weebly.

the 2nd is one you can purchase for yourself. However to use it on your Weebly website you do need to move off the “free service”

Take a look at www.123reg.co.uk to see what names are available and their cost.

You can also buy a domain from Weebly (limited) Initially we are going to use a free domain from

Weebly

Domain Names

Signing-up for your free Weebly, website creation, account could not be easier. All you will need is a email address and password and you will be have your own blank website.

Note: the email account you use must be available on the internet (web based client) and your own account. Do not use a work account.

Go to www.weebly.com

Signing Up With Weebly

Signing Up With Weebly

Add your name and email address plus a password (remember it!!!!)

Signing Up With Weebly

Select “Site”

Signing Up With Weebly

Just click on the 1st theme, we can change it later

Now we need to choose a domain name. Just think of any name, we can change this

later on. Select the top box and enter your chosen

name. If its not available choose a different one Then hit continue

Signing Up With Weebly

There is a brief video about Weebly but lets just click on the “Build” Button

You now have a blank website

Signing Up With Weebly

Publishing Your Website Your blank website is not on the internet at the

moment, it is just located on the Weebly Application server and is only visible to you.

To put your site up on the Internet so that you can access it from a browser anywhere just click on the button

You need to do this every time you make changes to your website A the moment the website is not searchable on the internet so no-one else can view your new site.

To view your blank website click On the blue writing, do not click Anywhere else.

Click on the site planner box at the bottom of the toolbar

After watching the introduction video click on next step

Now you go into the weebly site planner guide – this is probably the Hardest part in building your website.

Planning your website What type of website do you want?

Personal Club, hobby or informational Business Sales – direct or indirect

Who is your target audience Friends and Family Colleagues General public

What should it look like? How many pages Colour and Style Pictures Multi-media

Planning your website Designing Your Website

Create the pages in a storybook sketch it roughly Mind-map it Create it in a document or graphics program On the course website there are documents

that describe how to create a storybook. Create a plan or sitemap of your website

Take a look at websites that have the same theme as yours (you can down load a website to look at it offline)

Collate all the pictures and write the text Choose a template for your website

Planning your website What pages should I include? Home page

Think of this page as the "cover to your book" inviting viewers to enter your site. Your goal should be to make it colourful and eye catching. Your company logo, name and a brief description of your company may go here.

About me/Us (Bio) Think of this page as chapter "one" of your "book". Your

company profile or a more in-depth description of your company is described here.

Content, Products or services offered Chapter "two" page of your web site. Additional pages

can spring off of this page to describe your offerings in more depth.

Contact Me/Us Chapter “three" of your site. An information request form

page, could also include an address, directions and phone number. (depending on site)

Blog/News/Events/Diary This allows you to keep your site up to date and relevent

Homework Go through the Weebly site planning guide for

the “Plan” section Read documents on storyboarding and wireframe Look at websites that are similar to the theme

you want to build

create your own plan or storyboard design

Get your text and pictures ready A copy of this presentation and other documents

and videos are available on the websites http://l4lwebdesign.weebly.com/weebly-videos.html

Take a look at some sites built with Weebly http://featured.weebly.com