Phase # 4: Creating Your Website

Sitebuilder

Check out the video first!

 

1)      Go to your main sign in page.

2)      Log in to the main control panel.

3)      Go down the menu on the left and click on “Domains”

4)      This will take you to a page where you should see the default setting for your new domain, which should look something like this:

 

5) There are five settings you can chose from with your new domain. You can alter the options by clicking the "Change Setting" button. This will put you on a screen, which looks like this

 

6) There are five options.

1. I want to use the WebSite Builder Templates to build my own WebSite.
2. I want to use Automatic Forwarding Service (forward both your domain and email)
3. WebSite.ws' Hosting Service. You can use your own application to build your site and we can host it for you.
4. I want to "park" my domain on WebSite.ws' nameservers. My replicated WebSite will be displayed until I decide to do something else with my domain.
5. I will provide my own nameservers.

This is what each of the 5 options does:-

7) We will deal with option 4 first:-
Choose this option if you just want to do nothing with your domain name. For example, you just want to reserve it for future use and you are just protecting your name. In parked mode there is no email forwarding service.

8) On to option 5:-
This option is for the more experienced surfer who wants to build his own website and host it somewhere other than at GDI. You pay the hosting costs over and above the $10 you are paying to GDI to host elsewhere. In this option you only need to fill in the name server names - the IP addresses are not necessary but you should fill them in if you have them. You need your own website building software such as Frontpage or Dreamweaver or Hotdog and an FTP program like WS FTP or Cute FTP for this.

9) Option 3:-
This option is also for the more experienced webmaster. You need your own website building software such as Frontpage or Dreamweaver or Hotdog and an FTP program like WS FTP or Cute FTP for this. If you choose this option, you will get a message which says "Hosting for yournewdomain.ws Activated Successfully! Check your original email address for instructions (it may take a few minutes for the email to arrive). In this option GDI host your site at no extra cost, but you have to build it yourself and upload it to the FTP address specified in their email to you.

10) Option 2:-
This is the general default option. What this does is point all the emails to the address you ORIGINALLY signed up with. So fred@yournewname.ws and mary@yournewname.ws and yourdogfido@yournewname.ws all go to whatever address you originally signed up with. The second part of this setting forwards your new domain to your GDI presentation page. So if you type http://www.yournewdomain.ws/ into the address bar in your browser, you will end up at you personal GDI presentation site. Your GDI presentation site will have a url like http://website.ws/userid This is the default setting. While you are learning the ins and outs always set your domain back to this setting when you leave.

11) In the default setting, if you click on the word "forwarding" you will go to a screen where you can change either the email address all your mail gets forwarded to or the website where your new domain points to. Remember to hit the "update" button if you change the settings. If you don't want to build your site and just want to promote the GDI system, leave the settings on the default setting and give everyone your new website address and they will automatically go to your presentation page.

12) Option 1 - Use the GDI website builder:-
This is what we have been waiting for! Sorry it's last on the list but we had to give you the other options first! Select the top option which says "I want to use the WebSite Builder Templates to build my own WebSite". Press "Continue". You should get a message which says "The nameserver option for YOUR GDI WEBSITE.WS has been changed to SiteBuilder. Begin building your WebSite now by clicking the link below. Build My WebSite!” Click the "Build My Website" link!

Okay so there you have it. Let now take a look at Sitebuilder

Instructions for Website Builder

Login to your GDI control panel. Down the left side, find the button entitled "domains" and click it. You should see your domain there with a series of options to the right of it. You can change the options using the grey button "Change Settings" button underneath your domain. We want the build my site option.

When you click on the build my site button, you should come out at a screen that looks like the graphic below.

Let's deal with each element of this page:

 

1. Clicking the "Create New Page" Button will allow you to get started. If you're just starting for the very first time, click the "Create New Page"
2. In our example we have two pages. The main page and a contact page. From the Page editor you can select what you want to do to each of your pages.

Clicking the "Gallery" button will put you in your own personal gallery from where you can insert images into your web pages. If you go to your gallery page you will find an upload section. In the upload section you should be able to browse the computer you are working from for images you want on your site. You should upload pictures to your gallery before you insert them into your site.

 

1. Clicking the "Plugin Editor" button takes you to forms supplied by GDI, which you can add to your site over and above the 6 pages you are allowed with the site builder. The forms are a simple feed back form to get feedback from your visitors and a guest book which allows visitors to sign a guest book on your site.
2. Clicking the "Traffic" button (the last tab on the left) takes you to a page, which shows how many visitors you have had in the last 24hrs, 7days, month or two months. Remember to check out our resources on promoting your site and generating traffic.

Clicking the "Help" button (the one with a question mark on it)takes you to a detailed FAQ page, which answers questions in depth about the individual components of the GDI site builder.

 

1. Clicking the "Logout" button takes you out of the site builder. You don't have to log out but it is good practice to do so.

Now let's deal with the main control panel which shows what pages you have on your site and allows you to work on them individually.

1. Now to the "Edit". This will take you to the facility where you can edit each page.
2. Now go to the "Properties" icon for your page and click it. On this page fill in a Title for your page. This is what your page is about. Now fill in the Slogan, Email address and your Phone number. In the keywords field, type in 5-10 words or phrases each separated by a comma that relate to your page. In the Description field type in a 7-10 word sentence which describes what the page is about. Once you have chosen your additional page properties you shouldn't have to go back unless you want to change the details. Click Submit when you have made a choice and go back to page editor view. At this point we should have the main skeleton of our page in place. Do not worry about getting it 100% right the first time, you can always go back and change it.
3. Now lets deal with the "Visible" box. The icon shows the status of the page. It is either visible or hidden. Clicking on the block will change the status of the page. This allows you to work on pages while other ones are published on the web. Effectively this takes a page on or off line. The visible icon works in both the published and unpublished modes.
4. The "Preview" box allows you to see the final results of your hard work with any editing tools removed. This will show you what all your hard work on the page will look like when it is finally published.
5. The "Publish" icon also has two forms published or unpublished. This effectively takes your site out of the site builder and makes it go live on the web. If you are working on a whole series of unpublished pages, you can publish them all by clicking the "Publish All" button. You can publish individual pages as you go by checking the individual page boxes.

The "Delete" icon has only one function. Clicking on the delete icon will delete the page. Please note this icon is a little confusing as a red cross looks like the page has been deleted. In fact it’s a navigation icon to delete the page.

So there you have hope that gives you an idea about GDI's Site Builder. Be sure to contact (me) your sponsor for any assistance. Lets now go to Phase #5.