Web design training courses in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire (Bristol and Birmingham by arrangement). |
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Websites Made Easy with Weebly
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Are you...
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If the answer to any of the above is yes, then this intuitive, non-technical course is for you. Using a popular, freely available online tool, you will learn how to create effective, multimedia websites, how to optimise them for Google™ in order to attract more custom, and how to use social media tools and offline business skills to promote your message.
The emphasis is on personal guidance and hands-on training, and take place over ten midday sessions plus a two-hour one-to-one session, a total of 22 hours tuition). Courses are held in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, but can also be arranged elsewhere (e.g. Bath, Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford, Worcester), depending on demand, for 5-6 people.
The emphasis is on personal guidance and hands-on training, and take place over ten midday sessions plus a two-hour one-to-one session, a total of 22 hours tuition). Courses are held in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, but can also be arranged elsewhere (e.g. Bath, Bristol, Birmingham, Oxford, Worcester), depending on demand, for 5-6 people.
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Course content
You will learn how to create web pages using simple 'drag and drop' techniques familiar to anyone who uses windows or Mac. We will be online during the classes, so you will need to bring a laptop that is able to access the internet via wifi (see Requirements, below).
The course also includes tips on how to use effective graphics and photographs, as well as an introduction to marketing your new website using social networking and freely available online tools. Please see the full list of benefits at the bottom of the page. |
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The course offers a balanced approach that includes practical exercises,
theory and supervised work on your own site. There are a maximum of 6 students, so there will be
opportunity to ask questions and receive some one-to-one guidance.
By the end of the course you will have your own fully functional website, together with the skills to update and maintain it, using a popular and freely available online tool. Please note that the course is subject to cancellation or postponement if fewer than 4 people have booked. |
 Screenshot showing picture being added to page (click to enlarge) |
 Isbourne House, Wolseley Terrace, Oriel Road (near Cheltenham Town Hall) |
What the course doesn't cover...
If wanting the skills to create basic multimedia websites for clients, this course serves as an introduction to a highly varied, interesting and potentially lucrative field. |
Course dates & details
The course spans 10 two-hour Wednesday and Thursday daytime sessions (11am-1pm) over 5 consecutive weeks, plus a 2-hour follow-up session. As courses fill quickly (max. 6 people) please book early.
Next course dates:
Venue: The Isbourne Holistic Centre, 2 Wolseley Terrace, Oriel Road, Cheltenham (see Getting There, below) |
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Arrival: Please arrive in good time so that lessons can start promptly at 11am.
Refreshments: Tea and coffee provided. 
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Book Now:
Please note:
The course requires you to open a free account
with Weebly, details of which will be sent
before the course begins.
With the free version of Weebly you can create up to ten websites each with up to 5 pages (which can have as much content on them as you wish). These are hosted free of charge in return for displaying a discrete 'Powered by Weebly' message at the bottom of each page. However, if you wish to use your own domain name (e.g. www.mybusinessname.co.uk) you will need to pay for Weebly's Starter (recommended) or Pro options, which cost approximately £33.00/£66.00 +VAT per year per website. It is your choice which to go for, but it is suggested you start with the free version initially, then decide during the course whether you need to upgrade. |
If you wish to open a full online store, with unlimited products and an automated postage and tax calculator, you will need at some stage to upgrade to Weebly's new Business version (approx. £185.00 +VAT per year).
There are no other fees unless you require your own domain name (web address), e.g. www.yourbusinessname.co.uk, which can be purchased for £5.00-£10.00 per year; you want graphics (e.g. logos and banners etc) designed; or if you choose to enhance your website with third-party add-ons such as premium templates, available for around £18.00. Please call me if you already own a domain name. In most cases it can be 'pointed' at your new site quite easiy, but with certain providers there can be technical problems, in which case it might be necessary to transfer your domain to a new provider. |
Benefits
- Much, much cheaper than other web design courses, which are typically £450-£1200 for an equivalent length course
- Many web design courses involve learning Dreamweaver, which is complicated to use and expensive to buy (min. £250.00)
- A practical, hands-on course in which you learn by doing, and can work on building your own website
- Intuitive, enjoyable, 'drag and drop' approach
- Creating your own website is usually cheaper than paying a web designer to do it for you
- You are in control of updating the website at any time - no waiting for a designer to find the time
- Learning in a small, supportive group
- Advice on what makes for good design, together with examples (and examples of bad design)
- Template-based - makes creating a site quick and easy. If required, minor adaptations to templates can be made by the tutor during the course - more advanced adaptations can be made after the course for a small fee.
- Design, build and publish your website during the course
- Tips on using graphics, photographs and writing style
- An introduction on how to attract visitors to your website via: search engine optimisation (SEO), social media, e.g. LinkedIn, Twitter etc and Newsletters e.g. Mailchimp
- Invaluable feedback on your design and ideas from tutor and class
- Non-technical - no need to learn CSS and HTML coding
- Useful resources such as course notes and list of free utilities to enhance ones website
- Website can be added to and expanded on indefinitely after the course
- Website can be updated any time and anywhere - even from a mobile phone (coming soon)
- Automatic creation of a mobile-phone optimised website
- Minimal hosting fees if you go for the Starter options, which costs only around £33.00 per year per website. If you want to use your own domain name, e.g. www.mybusinessname.co.uk (as most will), you can start with the free version then upgrade during the course to the Starter version. You can also if you wish upgrade to Pro version (c. £66 p.a.) at any time. The Business version (£185.00 per year) is for those who want to create a full online store selling more than 10 products, with automated postage and tax charge calculation in the checkout.
- No other costs apart from optional domain name (recommended, approx £10.00 p.a.), optional graphic design, optional third-party plugins and optional template adaptations. If you sell products on your website, there may be charges (typically 3%) depending on what payment provider you use, e.g. Paypal.
Requirements
- Modern laptop with ability to get online using wifi (i.e. wirelessly)
- Familiarity with Windows or Mac (i.e. you can use your own computer (!), are familiar with 'drag and drop' and can do basic tasks such as wordprocessing)
- Notepad and paper
- Please also bring a mouse (and mousepad) if you prefer not to use your laptop's touchpad.
To make the most of the course, it is suggested you write some or all of the content of your website beforehand, and bring it with you on your laptop. If you have any photos or graphics you want to include, please also bring these (in .jpg format). It is not compulsory to bring your own finished material however – you can always add it to your website in your own time at a later date.
Please note that although guidance will be given on language, grammar and copywriting, detailed feedback on wording is beyond the scope of the course as it would take too much time. I am however happy, if required, to give detailed feedback on your website's content, i.e. language, design, usability and search engine visibility, as a separate service after the course. Please contact me for details and pricing.
Getting there
The Isbourne at 2 Wolseley Terrace, Oriel Road, Cheltenham GL50 1TH is an elegant Regency building, just by the traffic lights over the road from the Rodney Road car park.
For some reason, Google maps don't show Wolseley Terr., but it is located where the marker shows, i.e. between Trafalgar St. and Vittoria Walk. |
It's a few yards from Cheltenham Town Hall, and a short walk from The Promenade. If you live in Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud, Worcester, Bristol, Birmingham or Oxford, there are good road and rail links to Cheltenham, making it a convenient choice for training.
Parking
If you are arriving by car please do not try to park in Wolseley Terrace itself, as British Telecom, who are directly in front of the building, get very upset (they have access rights to the space).
Since Spring 2012 Cheltenham Borough Council have, in their infinite wisdom, decided to remove most free free-of-charge on-street parking nearby. On-street parking in the area is expensive and generally limited to a maximum of 2 hours.
The Rodney Road car park, which is just over the road from Wolseley Terrace, charges £3.60 for 3 hours/£4.00 for 4 hours (prices correct summer 2015), or £10 per day (inc. Sundays and Bank Holidays).
There are two Park and Rides, at Arle Court (near B&Q) and at Cheltenham Racecourse. The Arle Court service costs £3.00 for a return and takes 12 minutes to arrive in the Promenade, which is a short walk from the Isbourne Holistic Centre. The Cheltenham Racecourse P&R, operated by Stagecoach, is slower and drops off a little further away (see route map and service numbers).
Since Spring 2012 Cheltenham Borough Council have, in their infinite wisdom, decided to remove most free free-of-charge on-street parking nearby. On-street parking in the area is expensive and generally limited to a maximum of 2 hours.
The Rodney Road car park, which is just over the road from Wolseley Terrace, charges £3.60 for 3 hours/£4.00 for 4 hours (prices correct summer 2015), or £10 per day (inc. Sundays and Bank Holidays).
There are two Park and Rides, at Arle Court (near B&Q) and at Cheltenham Racecourse. The Arle Court service costs £3.00 for a return and takes 12 minutes to arrive in the Promenade, which is a short walk from the Isbourne Holistic Centre. The Cheltenham Racecourse P&R, operated by Stagecoach, is slower and drops off a little further away (see route map and service numbers).
Buses and Bicycles
If you are cycling, you can chain your bicycle to the railings in front of the Centre.
Many buses converge on Cheltenham's Promenade (see bus map), which is a short walk from the Isbourne Holistic Centre (see Google map above).
Many buses converge on Cheltenham's Promenade (see bus map), which is a short walk from the Isbourne Holistic Centre (see Google map above).
Your tutor
 Weebly tutorGraham Boston My background is in web design (since 1996) and magazine publishing, and I have run regular training courses in web design and newsletter marketing since 2011, and more recently search engine optimisation (SEO) basics.
I also run website feedback focus groups for small businesses and web marketing courses for therapists at The Isbourne. In addition to running courses I also offer one-to-one tuition via Skype or in person at my home in Cheltenham. Questions
If you have any questions about the course, please feel free to call me on (01242) 228796 or use the Chat button below.
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