Domain, Hosting & WordPress Overview
Proverbs 16:9
"A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps."
Starting a website is a lot like beginning a new adventure. You may have an idea of what you want to create, but sometimes the best opportunities come from directions you never expected. As you build your website this year, remember that planning is important, but always be willing to let YAH (God) guide your creativity, decisions, and purpose.
FOCUS
Whether your website becomes a business, a portfolio, a hobby site, or a place to share your passions, ask yourself:
- How can my website help others?
- Does it reflect excellence?
- Am I using my talents to honor YAH (God)?
Building a website is more than learning technology. It is learning how to communicate ideas that can make a difference.
What Is a Domain Name?
Think of a domain name as your website's street address on the internet.
Instead of giving people a long string of numbers, they simply type your website's name into their browser.
Examples:
- google.com
- nationalgeographic.com
- minecraft.net
Your website will eventually have its own unique address that people can remember.
Tips for Choosing a Good Domain Name
A good domain name should be:
- Short and easy to remember
- Easy to spell
- Related to your website
- Easy to say out loud
- Unique
Avoid:
- Long words
- Too many numbers
- Hyphens unless necessary
- Difficult spellings
Remember: if someone hears your website name only once, they should be able to type it correctly.
What Is Website Hosting?
If your domain is your street address...
Hosting is the land where your house sits.
A website is made up of files, pictures, videos, pages, and code. Those files have to live somewhere.
A hosting company stores all of those files on powerful computers called servers that stay online 24 hours a day.
When someone visits your domain name, the hosting company sends your website to their computer almost instantly.
Without hosting...
- Your website has nowhere to live.
- No one can visit it.
Domain vs. Hosting
| Domain | Hosting |
|---|---|
| Your website's address | Where your website lives |
| Easy for people to remember | Stores all your files |
| Example: myawesomewebsite.com | A server connected to the internet |
You need both for a website to work.
What Is WordPress?
WordPress is the software we'll use to build our websites.
Instead of writing thousands of lines of code, WordPress gives us tools to create beautiful websites using menus, buttons, and visual editors.
More than 40% of all websites on the internet are built with WordPress.
People use WordPress for:
- Businesses
- Blogs
- Restaurants
- Churches
- Photography portfolios
- Online stores
- Nonprofits
- Schools
- Personal websites
If you can learn WordPress, you can build almost any type of website.
Touring the WordPress Dashboard
Think of the dashboard as the control center of your website.
Here are some of the most important sections you'll use.
Dashboard
Your homepage inside WordPress.
Here you'll see updates, announcements, and website information.
Pages
Pages are permanent parts of your website.
Examples include:
- Home
- About
- Contact
- Services
- Portfolio
Posts
Posts are used for blogs or news articles.
Unlike pages, they are organized by date.
Media
This is where your pictures, videos, PDFs, and other files are stored.
You'll upload many of your own photos during this course.
Appearance
This controls how your website looks.
Here you'll customize colors, layouts, menus, and themes.
Plugins
Plugins add new features to your website.
Think of plugins like apps on your phone.
Need a contact form?
There's a plugin.
Need image galleries?
There's a plugin.
Need online payments?
There's a plugin.
Settings
This area controls important website options such as:
- Website title
- Time zone
- Reading settings
- Discussion settings
We'll change some of these together during class.
Why Planning Comes First
Professional web designers don't start by building.
They start by planning.
Before creating your website, ask yourself:
- Who is my audience?
- What do I want visitors to learn?
- What pages will I need?
- What photos will I use?
- What colors fit my website?
- What feeling do I want visitors to have?
A great website begins with a great plan.
Class Activity
Today you'll log into WordPress and explore the dashboard.
As you explore, see if you can find:
- Dashboard
- Pages
- Posts
- Media
- Appearance
- Plugins
- Settings
Don't worry if everything seems unfamiliar right now. By the end of this course, navigating WordPress will feel natural.
Homework
Finalize your website idea and choose a website name.
Think about:
- What is your website about?
- Who will visit it?
- What makes it unique?
- What pages will you include?
- What is the best name for your website?
Come to class next week ready to share your website idea with the class.