A website is a collection of related, hyperlinked webpages devoted to a common theme united under a domain name and published through a webserver. Websites are used for commercial, governmental, entertainment, and educational purposes. Websites are accessible using web browser applications such as Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc., on laptops, computers, tablets, and cellphones. Websites can host textual, video, audio, and visual content and are a critical mode of communication and information transmission in the digital age. There are numerous ways in which creators can build and publish their own websites, including using HTML, CSS, and Javascript. However, today there are a number of platforms which provide users code-free developer environments to build and host their own sites such as WordPress, Wix, and Weebly, among others. Websites fundamentally host content and thus can be used for a variety of educational and scholarly functions. Knowledge of web development and digital publishing are desirable skills to develop in today’s digital society.
Content: The textual, visual, audio, or video information that is displayed on a website. For example, content can include written words, a podcast, a video, an animation, or music.
Footer: The bottom portion of content that appears on each webpage. The footer appears on each webpage and includes similar navigation and contact information for users to access.
Header: A top portion of content on a website that appears on each webpage. Most headers are consistent across each webpage and serve a decorative and navigation function for users to access content and move between different areas of the website.
Hero Image: Web design term to refer to banner-type image that runs across a web page.
Menu: A collection of linked items (usually text) that allows a user to navigate to different web pages or sections of a website. Menus can be designed in multiple ways.
URL: Uniform Resource Locator or web address for any resource including a website/webpage that is connected to the World Wide Web.
Web Page: A hypertext document that can be viewed through a web browser. A collection of web pages can make up a website.
How To Pick A Theme
To simplify building a website, choosing from a theme or template can save time and streamline your choices. Before deciding on a theme spend some time brainstorming and sketch out answers to the following questions: what is the purpose of my website? Who is my audience? What structure or lay-out is best suited to my content? Watch the video to run through an introduction of choosing a theme and lay-out in Wix.
How To Edit Text
Editing text is a fundamental component of publishing digital content. On most web-development platforms, once you are in “editor mode” you can double-click on template text and simply edit the components. Text settings appear on the side and include font, size, alignment, effects, among others. Watch the video to learn how to edit text.
How To Modify Pages And Menus
To make a website effective, content should ideally be organized by page theme. Themes group together like content. For example, on a personal blog, you might have separate pages like “photography,” “essays,” and “contact information.” Pages can usually be added by going to the editor dashboard on the side and clicking “add page” and then selecting the template that fits your content. Watch the video to see how to add a page and ensure it displays in the menu.
Pages and Menus by Emily Edwards
How To Add Content To A Page
While you might have selected a template that fits most of your needs, you might want to modify the structure of the webpage to add or delete content. Content can usually be added by going to the editor dashboard on the side and clicking “add” and selecting the type of content you want such as “text,” “strip,” “gallery,” or “button,” etc. Watch the video to see how to modify a webpage by adding strips of content.
How To Add Images
Visuals are a critical part of any website and to make your website more engaging you can include visuals or photos from the website developer you are using or upload your own images. Watch the video to learn how select and change an image.
How To Upload Content
On your website you might want to display your own content (images, graphs, illustrations etc.) You first have to upload that content to the website developer so that you can add them to your page. Watch the video to see how to upload and display your own content.
How To Change Backgrounds and Aesthetics
You may want to modify your aesthetics and background. You can a modify the background and colors of your website and make these changes apply to every webpage or just select pages. Watch the video to learn how to make these modifications.
How To Embed A Media Resource
Embedding external resources on your website means that users do not have to leave your website to listen to a podcast, watch a video, or visit an interactive timeline. To embed external resources, you can use a code snippet, an HTML iframe. An iframe is an HTML document embedded within another document (your webpage). You do not need to know how to code to embed a media resource. Most external sources prepare the iframe code you simply copy and paste into your website editor. Watch the video to see this process.
How To Add Buttons and Hyperlink
Hyperlinking and adding buttons are great ways for you to direct your audience to different areas within your website and to external sources. Watch the video below to learn how to modify buttons and hyperlink to external websites.
Buttons&Hyperlinks by Emily Edwards
How To Publish
To publish your website simply click “publish” and share the URL of your website which is now live for audiences to visit. Before publishing make sure you work on your website and save your change as you go. You can still edit your website once it is published. When you are done making changes, simply "re-publish" to see your changes go live.
Publishing Site by Emily Edwards