How to Create an Offline Website on Your PC With WordPress
So you’re going to be holed up inside all day long thanks to the pandemic, right? Perfect timing then to dive into creating an offline website with WordPress.
An offline website doesn’t need to be limited to just content. With the right tools, you can add functionality like forms, shopping carts, and more—all without having to connect to the internet.
Make A Plan
Before you start, it’s important to have a plan. This shouldn’t be some rushed attempt at getting something up online. It should be done with conviction and forethought. Once you have a basic idea of what you’re trying to create, it will be much easier to plan out the details and flesh it out as you go.
Get Inspired
Look at other successful websites. What do you see? Where do you think you might fit in with your own website? It could be that you’ve seen a website that does something similar to what you want to do and are inspired to create your own version.
Choose A Niche
The first step is to find a niche. This isn’t as easy as it seems. There are a variety of topics that you could dabble in but only one of them will truly resonate with your audience. To get started, simply search for keywords that are relevant to your niche.
Start Small
If you’re absolutely new to WordPress, start small. With just a few blogs, you can familiarize yourself with the basics of working with the content management system. Once you’ve had some experience, you can move on to larger projects.
Decide On The Platform
There are a variety of platforms that you can use to create an offline website. While you don’t necessarily need to use the most popular one, it’s important to pick one that has the functionality you need to make your site fully functional. For example, if you want to create a site for an artist or a band, you might want to look at Squarespace or WordPress.com.
Pick A Domain
Next up is choosing a domain. Ideally, you want to pick a.com domain that is both memorable and easy to spell. If you’re on a budget, don’t be afraid to get a.net or.org domain as well. Depending on your niche, you might also want to consider buying a mobile-friendly domain like “mywebsite.com” or “.nomakeupnow.com”.
Get Web Hosting
To put your website online, you’ll need to get web hosting. The cost of web hosting ranges from free to very affordable. Once you have your domain, you can get a hosting plan that suits your needs. For example, you might want to get a free trial of Bluehost to test the waters.
Install WordPress
Installing WordPress isn’t as difficult as it seems. You can simply log in to your WordPress dashboard and follow the on-screen instructions. Keep in mind: if you’re doing this remotely, make sure that you’ve got the appropriate download links and that your WordPress is up to date.
Set Up The Template
After you’ve installed WordPress, it’s time to set up your template. This is where you design the look and function of your website. There are a variety of templates available, and you can install them all via the WordPress dashboard. Simply search for “wordpress template” in your favorite search engine to find a vast array of options that suit your needs.
Add Content
WordPress comes with a variety of pre-made themes and plugins that you can use to populate your site with content. To use them, simply hover your mouse over the “artwork” link in the top navigation bar and click on “Themes” or “Plugins”. From there, you can browse through the gallery and find the options that suit you.
Customize
Once you’ve got your content, it’s time to customize. Here, you can make changes to the template via the WordPress dashboard. For instance, if you want the menu on your homepage to link to a different page, you can do that.
Make Sure Your Links Are Working
Before you go live with your site, it’s important to test the links. Simply log into your WordPress dashboard and click on “Setting” in the sidebar. From there, you can enter the URL of a test site and click on “Run Tests”. This will check out the links on your site and make sure that they’re working correctly.
Launch Your Website
Once you’ve tested all the links on your site and are happy with how they’re functioning, it’s time to launch your website. This involves uploading a small amount of content to your site (i.e. a couple of pages) and then entering a URL (i.e. http://www.yoursite.com) into a search engine to find your site. If you already have a domain and are just trying to find a way to put your website online, you can use tools like Google Webmasters to easily find the correct URL.
WordPress makes it easy to get started with an offline website and offers a wealth of features and functions that you can use to customize and enhance your site. It also has a vibrant community that can help you get the most from your platform.