This was our second collaborative website. It was a significant redo of the “Jae Taylor Designs” website that supports Jae’s interior design business. As with the “The Gaits of Chelle” website, we used WordPress. The new site includes information about her design business as well as an online store.
One significant difference is that we are extensively using blog posts to highlight the different projects she has completed. The flexibility of this method makes it easy for Jae to create her own content without any technical support required.
A WordPress Website
Developing a WordPress website involves several key steps to create a functional and visually appealing online platform.
- Planning and Goal Setting: Start by defining the purpose of your website, target audience, and specific goals. This step lays the foundation for the entire project.
- Domain and Hosting: Choose a domain name that reflects your brand and secure a reliable web hosting service to store your website’s files and data. For hosting, we use A2Hosting. Their cost is reasonable, their support is overall pretty good and the environment is very stable.
- Installation: Install WordPress on your hosting server. Most hosting providers offer one-click installations for convenience. A2 Hosting includes the one clink installation capability.
- Choosing a Theme: Select a WordPress theme that suits your website’s design and functionality needs. Customize it to align with your branding.
- Adding Content: Create and organize your content, including pages, posts, images, and videos. Ensure that your content is engaging and relevant to your audience.
- Plugins: Enhance your website’s functionality by adding plugins. Popular plugins include SEO tools, contact forms, and social media integrations.
- Customization: Fine-tune the website’s appearance and layout using WordPress’s customization options. Adjust fonts, colors, and widgets to match your branding.
- SEO Optimization: Optimize your website for search engines by using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and SEO plugins.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly to cater to users on various devices.
- Testing: Test your website’s functionality, responsiveness, and load speed across different browsers and devices.
- Security Measures: Implement security measures like SSL certificates and security plugins to protect your website from threats.
- Launch: Once you’re satisfied with your website’s design and functionality, launch it for the world to see.
- Maintenance: Regularly update WordPress, themes, and plugins to keep your website secure and up to date.
- Content Updates: Continuously add fresh content, engage with your audience, and monitor your website’s performance through analytics.
Final Thoughts
Building a WordPress website is an ongoing process that requires attention to detail, creativity, and dedication to delivering a user-friendly experience to your visitors.
I will leave you with these thoughts. Those of you who know me well can attest that I get a kick out of solving puzzles and figuring things out. This WordPress adventure, though challenging, has been a lot of fun. Thanks for joining me on the ride! And I hope you enjoy the new Jae Taylor Designs website. – Jae
