I’ve recently gone down the rabbit hole of building a website. With summer internships on the horizon and plenty of other opportunities just waiting to be discovered, it occurred to me that having all my published work in one place for potential employers might be a great supplement to my resume.
While I’m sure it’s different depending on the website builder you use, I figured I’d share a bit of my experience working in WordPress. Here are some not-so-pro, but well-meaning tips meant to maximize efficiency and minimize aggravation.
1. I found this really awesome video on YouTube that explains the ins and outs of finding a templet and making it your own. It’s about an hour long, but worth the time. This lifesaver walks you through everything you need to know.
2. WordPress has plenty of professional templates available for no additional cost. This means that you don’t have to build from scratch. These tend to come with pre-built Home, About, and Contact Pages. The one I worked with also had a Works section, so it was perfect for uploading my published pieces.
3. Once you’ve got your template, it’s easy to replace the placeholder content with your own stuff. I recommend copy and pasting text and images into the boxes already set up by the template. Of course, you also have the option of adding your own sections to the page. Just keep in mind that professional templates are called professional for a reason. They just look nice.
4. The easiest way to edit the page is through Elementor, a program that works in tandem with WordPress. Through Elementor, you can change the typography or font size, switch between headers and body text, and upload links. You don’t need Elementor to add text to your page, however, it does make it easier to convert the response modes later.
5. A response mode refers to the way that the webpage is viewed via on the computer, tablet, or iPhone. If you select a professional template and don’t shift the formatting too much, you won’t need to change a lot for your website to be visually accommodated on each of these modes. However, it’s important to check them all and adjust accordingly so that your text is stays legible when someone is reading it on their iPhone.
6. Don’t forget to hit the update button every time you edit a page. I learned that one the hard way.
7. Need a logo for your new site? Do a quick google search for free logo makers. I ended up using Brand Crowd, but there are plenty of others that will let you design and download a personalized logo for free.
If you’re willing to put the time in, you’ll have a high-quality site that’s perfect for providing interactive, easy access to your wonderful work. It’s not just about the craft, it’s about getting it into the hands of the public. Want to see an example? Google kellyarieltaylor.com. Happy creating!
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