How to Make a Great Website
At a Glance
- Classroom course (South Kensington)
- Tuesdays 18:00 - 20:00
- 10 weeks | January - March
- Starts 14 January 2025
- Fees from £144
- Tutor: Fiorella Lavado-Chiarella
Enrol-by Date
6 January 2025
Designing and maintaining a website doesn't have to be difficult. Whether you want to create a personal website detailing your life, hobbies and interests, a food or travel-blog, or to start selling things over the internet, or you look after a website for a charity, club, society or SME, learning how websites are put together, how to create your own websites and how to spot when things are going wrong are essential skills in today's digital world.
We invite you to join Fiorella Lavado-Chiarella on a new, 10-week class at Imperial College London in which you will learn how websites work and how to create your own website. This will include understanding the relationship between a website and the internet, tools for building websites such as WordPress and advice on how to create good-looking and effective websites that get your message across. We will look at how to get your website on search engines and how to improve the ranking of your site on search engines. For those wanting a bespoke internet address we will also discover the best way to get an effective internet address (or URL).
By the end of the course you will have a fully-functioning website which you will be able to grow and develop as your knowledge improves, and an understanding of how websites dovetail with the ecosystem that is the World Wide Web.
This is a beginners class, so you do not need any experience of computing, and we will be using the IT equipment at the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication, although you are welcome to use your own laptop if you prefer.
Class Recordings
These classes are not recorded
Attendance Certificate
Successful completion of this course leads to the award of an Imperial College attendance certificate
Terms and conditions apply to all enrolments to this course. Please read them before enrolment
Course Information
Course Programme
Programme (may be subject to modification)
Session 1: Introduction to WordPress
- What is WordPress, why use it, and its benefits
- Understanding your website goals
- Discussion and brainstorming about the group’s projects.
Session 2: Creating Content
- Understanding the role of content in engaging visitors and search ranking
- Content planning: Identifying target audience, defining content types
- Using AI for content creation
Session 3: Basic Concepts of WordPress
- WordPress Dashboard overview: Navigating the WordPress backend
- Understanding Posts vs Pages
- Introduction to WordPress themes and plugins
Session 4: Installing WordPress
- Domain names and web hosting: Understanding the basics
- Installing WordPress.org on a web hosting server vs using WordPress.com
- Setting up WordPress: Configuring basic settings and user accounts
Session 5: Modifying WordPress Themes
- Overview of WordPress theme structure
- Choosing and Customising themes
- Introduction to Child Themes
*** CHRISTMAS BREAK ***
Session 6: Creating Navigation and Menu Structure
- Understanding website navigation best practices
- Creating and organising menus in WordPress
- Adding custom navigation elements
Session 7: Setting Up an Online Shop
- Introduction to WooCommerce plugin
- Installing and configuring WooCommerce
- Adding products and product categories
Session 8: SEO Basics for WordPress
- Understanding SEO fundamentals
- Optimising content for search engines
- Installing and configuring SEO plugins (e.g., Yoast SEO)
Session 9: Future-Proofing Your Website
- Backup and security essentials: Importance of regular backups and website security
- Updating WordPress, themes, and plugins
- Scaling up: Planning for future growth and scalability
Session 10: Website Launch and Review
- Finalising website content and design
- Testing website functionality and performance
- Launching the website
- Peer review and feedback session
Throughout the workshop series, there will be discussions, interactive exercises, and real- life examples. Following each session, you will receive homework assignments to reinforce learning and prepare for the next session. Additionally, you will have access to tutorial videos, class presentations, and recommended reading materials to further explore the topics covered in the workshops.
Your Tutor
Fiorella Lavado Chiarella is an emerging objects conservator and freelance web designer based in London. She collaborates with scientists, developers, film makers, and other artists in creating web content. She previously ran the Artefact Workshops providing hands-on workshops for children and adults interested in art and science, and she has a particular interest in interdisciplinary collaborations between artists and scientists.
Course Fees and Rate Categories
| Weeks | Standard Rate | Internal Rate | Associate Rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Early Bird: £241 Full price: £268 |
Early Bird: £144 Full price: £160 |
Early Bird: £190 Full price: £211 |
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| All fee rates quoted are for the whole course. Early Bird rates are available until the end of 30 September only. Part-payments are not possible. | |||||
Rate Categories and Discounts
Standard Rate
- Available to all except those who fall under the Internal Rate or Associate Rate category.
Internal Rate
- Current Imperial College students and staff (incl. Imperial NHS Trust, Imperial Innovations, ancillary & service staff employed on long-term contracts at Imperial College by third-party contractors)
- People enrolling under our Friends & Family scheme
- Alumni of Imperial College and predecessor colleges and institutes, including City & Guilds College Association members
- Students, staff and alumni of the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Music and City, UAL and the City and Guilds of London Art School
- Students, staff and Governors of Woodhouse College and the IC Mathematics School
Associate Rate
- Austrian Cultural Forum staff
- Co-operative College members
- Francis Crick Institute staff, researchers and students
- Friends and Patrons of the English Chamber Orchestra
- Friends of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
- Friends of Leighton House/ Sambourne House
- Friends of the Royal College of Music
- Harrods staff
- Historic Royal Palaces staff
- Lycee Charles de Gaulle staff
- Members of the Friends of Imperial College
- Members of the Kennel Club
- Members of the London Zoological Society
- Members of the South London Botanical Institute (SLBI)
- Members of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- National Health Service (NHS) employees
- Natural History Museum staff
- Residents of postcodes SW3, SW5, SW7, SW10 and W8
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council staff
- Royal Geographical Society staff
- Science Museum staff
- Staff of Exhibition Road Cultural Group (Discover South Kensington) organisations
- Students (non-Imperial College)
- Teachers and other staff of UK schools
- The American Institute for Foreign Study
- Tutors and other staff of institution members of the Association of Colleges
- Tutors and other staff of other universities and higher education institutions
- Victoria and Albert Museum staff
Late enrolment
It is possible to enrol on many of our adult education courses after the course has already started. For non-language courses this is subject entirely to agreement by the tutor. For language courses it is subject to agreement by the language coordinator conducting level assessment. If you want to join a course late do bear in mind there might be work you will need to catch up on, particularly in language courses.
Friends and Family Scheme
This course is eligible for allowing Imperial College students and staff to share their discount with their friends and family.
Term Dates 2024-25
| Weeks | Autumn term | Spring term | Summer term | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | n/a | Week starting 13 January to week ending 22 March 2025* | n/a | ||
| *This is a 1-term course | |||||
Enrolment Process
Enrolment via the blue booking link is open. Early-bird discounts are available until the end of 30 September 2024
Enrolment and payment run through the Imperial College eStore. When enrolling:
- Do check on the drop down menu above called "Course Fees and Rate Categories" to see if you are eligible for a discounted rate and also do make sure you select that rate when enrolling on the eStore
- If you are a first-time eStore user you will need to create an account before enrolling. You can do this by entering an email address and password. This account can then be used for any future enrolments via the eStore.
When you have enrolled you will be sent the following email notifications:
| What is sent | When is it sent | What does it contain | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Payment confirmation | Is sent straight away following submission of your online application |
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| 2. Enrolment confirmation | Is usually sent within 10 working days. Please treat your payment confirmation as confirmation that your applicant details and payment have been received |
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| 3. Programme information | Is usually sent on Friday late afternoon the week before term starts |
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Any Questions?
If you have any questions about the academic content or teaching of this course please contact the Programme Manager, Dr Michael Paraskos at m.paraskos@imperial.ac.uk
If you have any questions about your enrolment or payment processes please contact the Programme Administrator, Christian Jacobi, eveningclass@imperial.ac.uk