Software accessed online that allows the construction and maintenance of websites without manual code editing.

There are many site builder options – more info»

WIX
Squarespace
Weebly

WordPress is a content management system or CMS and was not considered a site builder when first created. However, with using the appropriate plugin such as Elementor, WordPress becomes an excellent site builder. 

• Started in 2003 as a blogging system
• Today – blogs or traditional sites
• Over 40% of all websites – statistics»
• Basic site builder or developer-modified complex site
• WordPress comes in 2 flavors – more info»
  1. WordPress.com – a for-profit business
     Free hosted basic site but limited in modification options
     Add more options for a fee
  2. WordPress.org – open source free core software
     Unlimited options but requires you to obtain a hosting provider
     Many free options available usually sufficient for our network

• Software and Data

Core files – common to all WordPress sites
Themes – control page layout (appearance)
Plugins – add functions and features (special capabilities)
Database – stores most of the data involved (users, content…)

• Typical WordPress Site Page

Header
Menu or Navigation Bar
Main Content
Footer

• Widgets
  

Small block of space
Performs a specific function
—secondary menu
—lists
—headings
—images…
With a plugin such as the Elementor drag-and-drop editor, widgets can can be placed anywhere on a site page.

Many ways exist to build a website. WordPress is a great way to build a site without using coding, offering a good compromise between user-friendliness and site-building power. WordPress comes in 2 flavors: wordpress.com and wordpress.org. Lakekit.net is a wordpress.org site. WordPress.org is an open source project which means anyone has permission to modify the underlying code, giving a great amount of flexibility in designing a site. A wordpress.org site requires a hosting account explained in the next section below. Most WordPress.org sites operate as standalone sites with its administrator performing all of the various administrative functions. But this site, lakekit.net, is the base site for a special form of wordpress.org called a multisite or network.

In a network, multiple WordPress sites work through one installation of the WordPress software, all managed by a network administrator. Each of these multiple sites, or sub-sites, acts as a standalone site to a visitor. A network works best when the sub-sites have functions and interests in common. Lake organization sites fit this commonality well. With a network, the network administrator takes care of many of the administrative duties associated with a standalone wordpress.org site. Network sub-site administrators then have fewer administrative duties than standalone WordPress site administrators. As a result, they can concentrate their attention on providing good content on their site.

1. Advantages
   Less expense per site
   Less admin duties for site administrator
   Site design tailored to network purpose
   Help is available through the network
2. Disadvantages
   Requires network administrator
   Sites need similar functional requirements

Our network administration is through a combination of a web services business (Northern Graphics OPS), Wisconsin Lakes, and volunteers.  Their combined tasks are:

1. Core, theme, and plugin updates
2. Add or remove themes and plugins
3. Add new sites
4. Domain mapping
5. Troubleshooting
6. Network settings
7. Local and remote backups
8. Homebase (lakekit.net) maintenance
9. Training help
10. Hosting service interaction
11. Manage finances

With a WordPress multisite or network, the site administrator mainly manages the content on the site pages. This network focuses on building webpages without coding. Content editing and selecting various settings is usually sufficient to provide a high quality lake organization site.

The core software, themes, plugins, and database reside on a computer system, or server, attached to the internet for delivering webpages. When visiting lakekit.net or one of the network sites, the webpages are delivered from this server. WordPress.org sites are self-hosted which means our network purchases use of the server from a hosting company.

Page content is the text, links, images, audio, animation or video placed anywhere on a webpage. Both WordPress pages and posts have page content.

WordPress uses both posts and pages to display information to the website user. Here we will use “webpage” to refer to either a WordPress page or a WordPress post. So a webpage is the display a web address (URL) delivers.