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Web development - Intermediate

Build a Website with WordPress

Plan, build, launch and look after a real website with WordPress, with no coding: pages, posts, design, plugins, security and a capstone site for a small NGO or business.

About this course

WordPress is free software that runs a very large share of the websites you visit. With it you can build a site for a business, school, church, youth group or NGO using menus and a visual editor instead of code.

This course walks you through the whole journey: planning what the site is for, setting it up, adding content, choosing a design and a few safe plugins, and then launching and looking after it. Every lesson ends with a short practice task, and the last lesson gives you a capstone brief.

You should already be comfortable using a computer and the internet. Menus and screens change between WordPress versions, so the lessons describe where to look in general terms rather than relying on exact screenshots.

What you will learn

  • Plan a website by defining its purpose, audience, pages and content
  • Explain domain names and hosting, and compare WordPress.com with self-hosted WordPress.org
  • Set up a WordPress site and configure its main settings, users and roles
  • Create pages and posts with the block editor, add images with alt text and build menus
  • Choose and customise a theme and use plugins carefully and safely
  • Add a contact form and apply basic search engine and speed improvements
  • Launch a site with a checklist, legal pages and analytics
  • Keep a site secure and healthy with updates, backups and a maintenance routine

Course content

5 modules · 18 lessons · 4 h 31 min · 6 quizzes

Module 1: Planning a website3 lessons

Decide what the site is for, who it serves, which pages it needs, and how domains, hosting and WordPress options fit together.

  1. Purpose, audience and pages 15 min
  2. Domain names and hosting explained 15 min
  3. WordPress.com or WordPress.org 14 min
  4. Quiz: 7 questions
Module 2: Getting set up4 lessons

Create the site, find your way around the dashboard, set the main settings, manage users and keep updates and backups under control.

  1. Creating your site and meeting the dashboard 14 min
  2. Essential settings 14 min
  3. Users and roles 12 min
  4. Updates and backups 14 min
  5. Quiz: 7 questions
Module 3: Content3 lessons

Create pages and posts with the block editor, handle images and media properly, build menus and link your content together.

  1. Pages, posts and the block editor 16 min
  2. Headings, images and the media library 16 min
  3. Menus, categories and internal links 14 min
  4. Quiz: 7 questions
Module 4: Design and features4 lessons

Choose and customise a theme, add blocks and widgets, use plugins safely, build a contact form and apply SEO and speed basics.

  1. Choosing and customising a theme 15 min
  2. Plugins: what they are and how to choose safely 16 min
  3. Widgets, blocks and contact forms 15 min
  4. SEO and speed basics 15 min
  5. Quiz: 8 questions
Module 5: Launch and look after it4 lessons

Check the site before launch, add legal and privacy pages, measure visits, build safe security habits and plan a capstone site.

  1. The pre-launch checklist 14 min
  2. Legal pages, privacy and analytics 16 min
  3. Security habits and a maintenance routine 16 min
  4. Accessibility and the capstone project 20 min
  5. Quiz: 7 questions
Final exam

27 questions. Pass with 70% or more to earn your certificate.

What you need

  • Completed The Internet, Email and Online Communication and Computer Basics, or equivalent skills
  • A laptop or computer with internet access and a modern web browser
  • An email address you can access

Further reading

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