In this conversation, Kerim Baran of the San Diego Argonauts walks Martin Bowers of Triangle Model Yacht Club through creating a simple WordPress website from scratch, using a new DF95 USA site as the example. Kerim explains how to start with a free WordPress.com account, the difference between pages and posts, and how to choose a theme, edit content, and organize a website around a static welcome page and regular updates.
Using the San Diego Argonauts website as a working example, Kerim demonstrates how a club can bring together race results, upcoming events, calendars, educational resources, and videos. The discussion also covers adding recent posts to a sidebar, creating navigation menus, connecting a custom domain, and embedding YouTube videos. The walkthrough offers a practical starting point for volunteers looking to build or maintain a website for their club or class association.
Topics covered / Chapters
[00:00] Domain names and starting with a free WordPress site
[00:50] Creating a WordPress.com account
[02:19] Choosing a free site address and hosting plan
[03:35] Hosting videos on YouTube to save website storage
[03:55] Website goals and an introduction to themes
[05:10] Understanding pages, posts, and the WordPress dashboard
[06:05] Editing a post: Publishing race results
[07:04] Editing an About page and reusing existing website content
[09:28] Choosing and activating the Twenty Sixteen theme
[12:24] Touring the San Diego Argonauts website
[14:17] Setting a static page as the homepage
[15:07] Adding latest posts to a sidebar
[17:04] Creating and publishing an upcoming regatta post
[18:17] Organizing club information and educational resources
[19:25] Creating a navigation menu and calendar page
[20:36] Adding a sail number registration page
[21:13] Adding pages to the menu and setting its display location
[22:59] Using AI tools for further website help
[23:41] Site ownership, custom domains, and next steps
[25:06] Sharing YouTube videos: Public, unlisted, and private