Wordpress – Easy Web Development - Course

This course will save you many hours of trial and error frustration in building your first custom WordPress site.

WordPress is one of the most popular open source blogging and content management systems in existence today. One of the reasons that it is so popular is due to its user friendliness and flexibility, as well as making it possible for non-technical people to build great looking sites. It can be used as both a blogging platform and as a content management system, enabling a layperson to be able to update their site whenever they want to. There is also a huge plugin and theme market out there that makes it possible to turn your WordPress site into an e-commerce store with shopping cart or even a portfolio site with gallery.

During this course you will learn the WordPress basics through to the more advance features, as well as how to customise and style your theme. It is assumed that all students have not used WordPress before and so will be starting from the beginning, covering topics like configuring admin settings, posting your first blog post, editing a post, adding images, using categories and tags, managing comments and adding pages.

Some of the more advanced topics we will be covering will be how to choose and install a theme and plugins, using widgets, customising your theme, updating WordPress, on-page SEO, blogging, calls to action, securing WordPress, linking to social media, installing WordPress, how to move your WordPress site and back it up.

The style of teaching is progressive with each lesson building on the previous culminating in a mini project where you will get to use what you have been taught during the previous classes to build your first custom WordPress site. Classes are a combination of theory and practical exercises.

Basic HTML and CSS skills, coupled with an understanding of how websites work. Any PHP skills would be advantageous but not essential. All students attending this course must be confident with Windows or Macintosh environments, including creating, moving and deleting files and folders.

You must have a sound understanding of Photoshop and be able to prepare images for the web. All students attending this course must be confident with Windows or Macintosh environments, including creating, moving and deleting files and folders.

Notepad, pen, folder for any handouts and a USB Memory stick (8GB recommended).

It is not necessary for students to have access to a self hosted WordPress site for the course, as it will be possible to be set-up on a free hosting account.

You will also be guided through the process as part of the course.

Autumn Term

• Tuesday 11th October – 13th December 2016

Spring Term

• Tuesday 24th January – 28th March 2017

Maximum 14 students

10 Tuesday evenings 6-9pm

£259