If you need to get signed up for Sites@UMW we recommend you follow this video to get started:
Sign Up Directions #
Below are the quick directions for signing up. We encourage you to watch the video above to get a fuller understanding of Sites@UMW.
Signing-Up #
- Go to the umw.domains
- Click “Sign-Up for Sites@UMW” button
- Accept the Term of Service
- Sign-up for either “Just a User Account” or “A User Account & Site”
- Login with NetID and password when prompted.
- If you are only creating a user account you can skip to the “Profile Options” section below after logging in
Creating First Site #
- Choose a site URL
- Can only contain letters and numbers
- No spaces or capitalization
- Must be available
- Give your site a title
- Select “Create Site”
- Go to “My Sites” link to get to page with a list of all your sites and profile options
Profile Options #
By default Sites@UMW will use your first and last name as display name. This display name will show up across all your sites. You may want to change this or create a nickname for your display. In order to change the way your name displays you’ll need to do the following:
- Go to Profile link in the left-hand navigation area
- Choose how you want to publicly display your name and update profile
- You can use an alternative name by changing the nickname field.
- Optional: Add profile picture using Gravatar services
Accessing Dashboard of Site #
- Go back to My Sites page
- Find the site you just created and select the “Dashboard” link
How do I build? #
The Defaults #
When you first create your site there will be some defaults on your site such as:
- A theme called Twenty Seventeen will be your default theme
- There is an example page, post, and comment
- The front page will display your posts (aka the “blog” feature of WordPress)
- Default widgets in your blog sidebar
- Comments are on for posts
- Your website is public
As you move through this guide we’ll address the different ways you can adjust these defaults.
Building and Organizing Content #
Posts and Pages #
In WordPress, you’re able to add different types of content to your site as either a post or a page, depending on what goal you have in mind.
Posts are periodical pieces of content such as blog posts, news articles, reviews, opinion pieces, etc. Posts typically have an author name, date of publication and have the option to allow for comments/discussion.
Pages are for static content on your site which doesn’t necessarily change very often. Examples of pages include your home page, about page, or contact page.
To learn more about adding posts and pages see our Posts and Page guide.
Categories and Tags #
Categories and tags are very similar. They both allow you to organize content that can then be used in a variety of ways. However, there are a few differences. Please note that categories and tags only apply to Posts.
Categories are best used for broad groupings of topics. For example, if you’re creating a site that reviews media, you might use categories such as Books, Film, or TV.
Tags are much more specific topics that you want to use to associate related content. For example, if you were creating a site that reviews media, you might want to use tags such as science fiction, horror, or action-adventure.
Once you start using categories and tags there are ways to display these categorized and tagged posts and you can even use them in combination. See the WordPress guide on the different ways you can display posts on a page.
Menus #
Your menu is the list of links that are typically displayed at the top of your site. A menu makes it easy for your visitors to find their way around your site’s pages and other content. See the WordPress guide on how to add and edit WordPress menus.
Note: It helps to start building pages and posts first before you create a menu so that you have content to organize.
WordPress Editor (Block Editor) #
Once you decide what content you are going to build you’ll need to learn is how to navigate the visual WordPress editor since it might work a bit differently than other visual editors you’ve used before. The WordPress Editor uses blocks to transform the way you create content, turning a single document into a collection of discrete elements with an explicit, easy-to-tweak structure. You can read more about how to use this editor in the WordPress Block Editor guide.
Customizing #
WordPress offers many ways to change the look and feel of your website including:
- Themes
- Plugins
- Widgets
Themes #
Fundamentally, a theme is a way to “skin” your WordPress site. Themes can provide control over the visual presentation of your content and other data on your WordPress site, as well as the behavior of certain site elements while interacting with visitors.
On Sites@UMW you are limited in theme choices. Hopefully this will make it easy to choose one to get started.
You can switch between Themes from the Appearance menu in the Dashboard. Themes you add to the theme directory will appear in the Dashboard > Appearance > Themes as additional selections.
Plugins #
Plugins offer custom functions and features so that each user can tailor their site to their specific needs. On Sites@UMW you are limited in plugin choices. You can see what plugin choices you have by going to Dashboard > Plugins.
Widgets #
Widgets were originally designed to provide a simple and easy-to-use way of giving design and structure control of the WordPress Theme to the user.
Widgets add content and features to your Sidebars. Examples are the default widgets that come with WordPress; for Categories, Tag cloud, Search, etc. Plugins will often add their own widgets.
Widgets require no code experience or expertise. They can be added, removed, and rearranged on the Theme Customizer or Appearance > Widgets in the WordPress Dashboard.
Getting Support #
Hopefully, this guide will help get you started building a website on Sites@UMW. If you have questions or need help with building your website we recommend students book a Domains appointment with the Digital Knowledge Center.