ontact Building a FREE church website Department of Communications THE OKLAHOMA UNITED METHODIST

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1 Building a FREE church website Department of Communications ontact THE OKLAHOMA UNITED METHODIST Contactwww.okumc.org Slide 2 - Reasons to use WordPress Cost effective way to build a website Doesn t cost a dime to use. Quick It is quick to setup and use. Convenient You manage and update it yourself Responsive It has a responsive website theme. 'Responsive Theme' is a flexible foundation with fluid grid system that adapts your website to mobile devices and the desktop or any other viewing environment. Slide 3 Some general terms to know Domain name The name/address of your website, example: Usually costs from $9 to $15 depending on the registrar. (GoDaddy, Network Solutions, Register.com) Or you can use the free one from WordPress (example: Host this is where your files are saved; images, text files, and everything about your website. ( You get 3GB of storage with a free WordPress site. This may not be enough for your site depending on the size/content you want available online.) CMS a content management system allows publishing to be done easier, since you won t deal with the intricacies of coding just to publish an article, video, or a photo. WordPress is built on CMS. Slide 4 Dashboard inside WordPress, this is where the magic happens. This is where you can manipulate your website s content that visitors see. Theme a theme is a bundled up design (and often with extra features) that you can use right out of the box. The theme you choose can change the way your website looks without necessarily changing the content. Plugin a plugin is an add-on that you can, include on your WordPress site installation to extend its functions. What if you want to add a specific feature like Twitter stream on your website? That s where plugins enter. To date, there are over 24,000 free plugins that you can choose from at WordPress.org. Slide 5 Using WordPress.com to create a website Host and Domain You can either have your WordPress website set up on your server and thus show up for your domain name OR host for free at WordPress and choose a website like ourwebsitename.wordpress.com If you can afford the costs and have the skills, it is better to purchase a specific domain name and have a web hosting company host your content. By doing your setup this way it helps to make your website look like a legitimate site and less like spam. BUT this training's focus on using the free WordPress. Slide 6 Setting up a free site Once you submit this form an will be sent to you to complete the registration. Slide 7 Free Basic What you get A free WordPress.com address (e.g., ourfabulousbusiness.wordpress.com). Choose from free themes. More options are added every week. (No premium themes are included, but you can buy one at any time.) Basic customization add widgets, pages, and custom content; upload a custom header image or background; and more. 3 GB of space for uploading photos. No video storage. (use YouTube, it is also free) Community support in the WordPress.com forums. Slide 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 These slides show the set-up of a Wordpress site. Slide 13 Make your homepage beautiful Here a few ideas: Create a welcome message Use images, text, photos that set the tone for your site. (people will linger on a page longer if there are images alongside text versus pages of text only)

2 Page 2 Limit the length of the page. (put the important stuff at the top of the page) Slide 14, 15 Adding Media Slide 16,17 Choose a theme: The WordPress Content Management System (CMS) is theme-based which means that you can change designs any time you want. The default theme is installed To activate a theme go to Appearance >>Themes in the left panel menu. You should see the list of themes available. Click on the theme you d like to use and confirm your choice. Many themes are available for no cost Slide 18 Check out the available themes: A theme is a layout and visual look for your website. WordPress.com has over 200 to choose from, and you can customize any of them. On your dashboard, head to the Appearance >> Themes menu. Preview how a theme will look by clicking Live Preview. Slide 19 If you like what you see, click Activate if you don t, keep on browsing. Pick the right theme that s right for you: Themes come in a lot of different styles and offer different functions. Think through what might be the best theme for your particular needs and whittle down your options by making use of the Feature Filter at the top-right of the Appearance >> Themes page. Slide 20 Add more content with widgets: Widgets are easy ways of getting interesting or useful text, images, or navigation elements into the sidebars of your blog (the parts other than your posts). You can add and configure widgets from the Appearance >> Widgets menu. Widgets and Plugins Allow you to create special features on your site just like a custom built website. Slide 21 Upload a custom header and background: Most themes let you tweak the look of the header (the image running across the top of your blog) and the background (the color or pattern behind the main text area). If your site supports custom headers, you ll see the option in the Appearance >> Header menu you can upload an image, crop it, and set it as your header. Slide 22 Embed video to your site You can also share video on your site embed YouTube videos, or your camera phone video. Embed a URL from YouTube or Vimeo To quickly embed a YouTube video, copy the video s URL from your web browser s address bar while viewing the video. Then, paste the video s URL on its own line in the visual editor, and make sure it s not hyperlinked. Slide 23,24,25 Menus Adding Custom Links Want a menu tab to link directly to another website? No problem! Type in the URL where you want to take someone when they click on it, add Link Text to specify what the tab will say, and then click "Add to Menu." Changing the Order & Creating Sub-Menus At any time, you can change the order and placement of menu items by simply dragging and dropping the items to change their order. To create sub-menus or drop-down style menus, drag individual items to the right to nest them under a given parent tab. You can undo this by dragging them to the left. Slide 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 Add New Links: To add a new link, click on "Add New" in the Links menu. Link Categories You can manage a blogroll (a set of links) using the Links menu in your Dashboard. These links will display on your blog if you have added the "Links Widget" from the Appearance -> Widgets page. To manage link categories, click on Link Categories in the Links menu. To add a new category, use the Add Category form on the left. Fill out the category Name, add a Description (optional), and then click the Add New Link Category button. The link categories you create will appear in the list on the right. To modify existing link categories, hover over the category name and then click on the Edit, Quick Edit, Delete, or View options that appear below it. Link categories don t have many options, so Quick Edit will usually be the best choice.

3 Page 3 The Links column on the far right shows the number links assigned to each category. A link category will only display on your blog if at least one link is assigned to it. You can manage a blogroll (a set of links) using the Links menu in your Dashboard. These links will display on your blog if you have added the Links Widget from the Appearance -> Widgets page. Slide 32, 33, 34, 35, 36 Adding Users Adding New Users to Your WordPress Site Important Note: Be careful of the roles you give users on your site. If you add a user as an administrator, you are granting them full access. This means that she/he will be able to delete pages, posts, plugins, themes, etc Types of Users: Administrator An administrator has full and complete ownership of a website, and can do absolutely everything. This person has complete power over posts/pages, comments, settings, themes, plugins, import, users everything. Nothing is off-limits, including deleting everything. Editor An editor can view, edit, publish, and delete any posts/pages, moderate comments, manage categories, manage tags, manage links and upload files/ images. Author An author can edit, publish and delete their posts, as well as upload files/images. Contributor A contributor can edit their posts but cannot publish them. When a contributor creates a post, it will need to be submitted to an administrator for review. Once a contributor s post is approved by an administrator and published, however, it may no longer be edited by the contributor. A contributor does not have the ability to upload files/images. Subscriber In your comment settings, if you ve selected Users must be registered and logged in to comment, once they have created an account, they will be given subscriber role. Subscribers only have the ability to leave comments. and select the role you wish to give them using the dropdown. Your new user will get their password in the with instruction on how to log in. Once logged in they can change their password and any other info (except their username) by editing their profile. Slide 36 Changing User Roles As an Administrator of a site, you can change other users roles by following the steps. Head to Users All Users in your WordPress admin. Check the box(es) next to user avatar(s). Using Change role to dropdown menu, select the new user role(s) you want to assign. Click Change. Slide 37 Website example Slide 38 Reading Resources content3.aspx?c=mrlzj9pfkmg&b= &ct= /using-wordpress-to-create-a-website/ Slide 39 United Methodist Communications is offering options to local churches using WordPress UM branded templates Unique Domain Name The free package is intended and restricted to local United Methodist churches that currently have a Find-A-Church profile. Slide 35 Adding Users If you re an Administrator and you d like to make someone a Contributor, Author, or Editor on your site, go to Users Add New. Fill in the required info, choose a password for them, check the box Send this password to the new user by The Oklahoma United Methodist Joseph Harris, director of communications Holly McCray, editor Nyla Wallin, administrative assistant/video coordinator Alicia Galyon, Web Ministry/graphics design Amelia Ballew, Media Library Andrew Himes, Video Production 1501 N.W. 24th Oklahoma City, OK 73106

4 Creating a WordPress Website Oklahoma Conference of The UMC Department of Communications Cost Quick Reasons to use WordPress wordpress.com Convenient Responsive 1 2 Domain name Host CMS General Terms Dashboard Theme Plugins General Terms 3 4 Using WordPress.com to Create awebsite Host and Domain Setting up a free site Once you submit this form an will be sent to you to complete the registration Type in the name for your website here 5 6 1

5 Free Basic What you get A free WordPress.com address Choose from free themes. Basic customization ti 3 GB of space No video storage. Community support 7 Login to your account and set up your personal profile information 8 Click on your page to access the dashboard. 9 To set your website title and some of the main settings go to Settings>>General. 10 First Set up your homepage Click on Pages Add new Type in Home in the title area IMPORTANT Click Publish Now add a second page Type in your title Click Publish In settings go to reading Under Front page displays, click on A static page and select your home page for the front page Click save changes at the bottom of the page

6 Make your homepage beautiful Here a few ideas: Create a welcome message Use images, text, t photos that t set the tone for your site. Limit the length of the page. 13 Adding Media Click on the Add Media Button then under upload files click on the select files and choose an image from your computer Click on the button on the bottom right to insert image into your page. 14 Click on update before leaving the page Choose a theme The WordPress Content Management System (CMS) is theme based which means that you can change designs any time you want. The default theme is installed To activate a theme go to Appearance >>Themes in the left panel menu Get personality: pick a theme to define the look and feel of your site. Check out the available themes: A theme is a layout and visual look for your website. On your dashboard, head to the Appearance >> Themes menu. Preview how a theme will look by clicking Live Preview

7 If you like what you see, click Activate Add more content with widgets. Choose the widget and drag and drop in sidebar box. Pick the right theme that s right for you: Themes come in a lot of different styles and offer different functions Upload a custom header and background: Most themes let you tweak the look of the header and the background. If your site supports custom headers, you ll see the option in the Appearance >> Header menu 21 Embed video to your site Embed a URL from YouTube or Vimeo To quickly embed a YouTube video, copy the video s URL from your web browser s address bar while viewing the video Then, paste the video s URL on its own line in the visual editor, and make sure it s not hyperlinked 22 Menus Menus Changing the order and creating sub menus Adding Custom Links Want a menu tab to link directly to another website? No problem! Type in the URL where you want to take someone when they click on it, add Link Text to specify what the tab will say, and then click Add to Menu. 23 At any time, you can change the order and placement of menu items by simply dragging and dropping the items to change their order. 24 4

8 To create sub menus or drop down style menus, drag individual items to the right to nest them under a given parent tab. You can undo this by dragging them to the left. 25 Add New Links: To add a new link, click on Add New in the Links menu 26 Link Categories You can manage a blogroll (a set of links) using the Links menu in your Dashboard. These links will display on your page if you have added the Links Widget from the Appearance > Widgets page To manage link categories, click on Link Categories in the Links menu. To add a new category, use the Add Category form on the left. To modify existing link categories, hover over the category name and then click on the Edit, Quick Edit, Delete, or View options that appear below it

9 The Links column on the far right shows the number links assigned to each category. Adding Users Important Note about adding new users to your WordPress site Types of Users: Administrator: An administrator has full and complete ownership. Editor: An editor can view, edit, publish, and delete any posts/pages, moderate comments, manage categories, manage tags, manage links and upload files/images. 33 Types of Users: Author: An author can edit, publish and delete their posts, as well as upload files/images. Contributor: A contributor can edit their posts but cannot publish them.. Subscriber: Subscribers only have the ability to leave comments. 34 Adding Users: Go to Users Add New. Your new user will get their password in the with instruction on how to log in. Once logged in they can change their password and any other info by editing their profile. 35 Changing User Roles: 1.Head to Users All Users in your WordPress admin. 2.Check the box(es) next to user avatar(s). 3.Using Change role to dropdown menu, select the new user role(s) you want to assign. 4.Click Change. 36 6

10 Here is our beautiful website, well ok maybe not beautiful yet, but it is a start and it didn t take very long to create! Reading Resources Article on WordPress from UMComm Article Using WordPress.com to Create a Website Article Getting the Most from WordPress.com United Methodist Communications is offering options to local churches UM branded templates WordPress Based Unique Domain Name The free package is intended and restricted to local United Methodist churches that currently have a Find A Church profile. Thank you for coming to today. Please feel free to contact us with questions about setting up a Wordpress site. Department of Communications 1501 N.W. 24 th St Oklahoma City, OK