WordPress.com: Make a website for your organisation

In May 2016, Hugh, Gareth and I (all working at Automattic) went to GROW! leadership academy to teach how to set up a WordPress.com website to support the projects that the students had been working on.

We talked about:
- Designing structure
- Setting up accounts
- Creating content
- Improving design
- Connecting on social media

Transcript

1. WordPress.com Making a website for your organisation
2. Outline • Part 1: Goals • Part 2: Creation • Part 3: Content • Part 4: Design • Part 5: Social
3. Part 1: Goals Why is your website there?
4. Goal of your website • Why do people have websites? - Table brainstorm - Group share • Why do you have/want a website? - Choose one - “On my website, I do/show/explain/…” - Share with your table
5. Who’s your audience? • Know your visitor - Ask 3 people for feedback - Survey your visitors • Target your audience - Describe your ideal visitor/customer - Which content does s/he prefer? - What do you want her/him to see/do? - What Call-to-Action would be in place?
6. Design your homepage • Sketch Your Homepage • Share in group - 1 praise - 1 remark Consider: - Logo / Name - Menu - Sidebar / Widgets - Content - Slogan - Featured image - Call to action - …
7. Communication Tips • People don’t slide • People don’t scroll • People don’t study • People don’t see • People don’t select — delete sliders — focus on top — write simple — use pointers — choose purpose
8. Part 2: Creation How to make a website on WordPress.com
9. WordPress • World’s most popular CMS 
 (Content Management System) - Easy creation of website - Easy designing - Easy sharing • WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
12. • Go to: WordPress.com > Create website • Choose: 
 Education & Organisations > Non-profit • Choose: Skip for now • Enter a domain or keyword • Select keyword.wordpress.com (free option) • Choose Select Free Plan • Fill in details and select Create My Account
13. Done!
14. Choose “Goran” as theme
15. Next steps • Click Preview • Select Try & Customize • Click Save & Activate • Select Visit site
16. Part 3: Content What’s on your website?
17. Create content • Create 5 pages (My Site > Pages > Add) - Names: Home, About, Contact, News, Events - Add featured image - Add content • Create 4 posts (My Site > Blog Posts > Add) - Lorem ipsum - Add featured image • Images: growwp.org/images • Lorem ipsum: growwp.org/news
18. Part 4: Design How do you make the website look pretty?
19. Premium options • Go to: 
 My Site > Plans > Premium > Upgrade Now • Select Have a coupon code? • Enter code and Apply
20. • Go to: 
 My Site > Domains > Claim Free Domain • Choose name carefully, then select Add • Select No thanks, I don't need email or will use another provider. • Choose Add Privacy Protection • Select Complete your purchase • Go Back to site
21. Customising your theme • Go to: My Site > Themes > Customize • Change: - Site Title, Tagline, and Logo - Colors & Backgrounds
22. Homepage design • Go to: Static Front Page • Choose Front page displays “A static page” - Front page: Home - Posts page: News
23. • Go to: Theme Options • Select: - Pages: Show breadcrumb navigation - Front Page: Show title • Choose: - Front Page: Featured Page One > About - Front Page: Featured Page Two > Contact - Front Page: Featured Page Three > Events
24. • Go to: Widgets > Footer One > Add a widget • Choose Contact Info • Fill in details • Repeat for - Footer Two 
 (Follow Button and Custom Menu: Social) - Footer Three (Recent posts) • Select Save & Publish
25. Custom menu • Go to: My Site > Menus • Select Primary Menu • Edit as wanted
26. Part 5: Social How do you get attention to your website?
27. Sharing • Go to: My Site > Sharing > Connections • Connect to Facebook, Twitter, etc. • Go to: Sharing > Sharing Buttons • Edit as preferred
28. Connect • Go to website of classmate - Comment on a post - Click Follow button • Afterwards, go to: My Site > Stats