Training: “Websites for Small Businesses” in Rogers Park

Today I began teaching a new course that I wrote– “Websites for Small Businesses”. The course is sponsored by DevCorp North. Here’s the first night materials:

Websites for Small Businesses from Daniel X. O’Neil

This is a custom 9-hour course taught in three-hour stretches over three days. Syllabus as follows:

Learn How to Create & Maintain a Professional Website
for your small business

This is a hands-on class where you will learn and do at the same time! This is an intensive course spread over two 4-hour classes. At the end, you will have your own website, webhost, email, and other web-based tools for growing your business.

Learn tips & tricks for making a professional website for your business. All of the tools you will use in this class are web-based and inexpensive. Unlock the power of the internet for you and your business.

Web Hosting
—Find the right web host for you
—Learn about the features and lingo of web hosting
—Evaluate various plans and choose the right one for you

Web Design
—Use inexpensive web publishing tools
—Build an easy-to-use website in
—Learn the basics of HTML and CSS

Email, Marketing, and Search Engine Optimization
—Set up email accounts
—Learn tips for using the internet to find customers
—Create compelling content that appeals to search engines

Web Publishing & Maintenance
—Stay on top of new tools you use to improve your site cheaply
—Learn about e-commerce and other advanced techniques
—How to buy your own URL

Also:
—Learn basic internet skills (search engines, email management, configuring your browser, and so on)

We had three students show up:

An attorney who has hired a web developer to launch his site and wants to be able to update it after it’s launched. We’re going to create a weblog newsletter for him that matches his site and teach him how to use it for marketing. He said we’ve “already changed my life” because he now has a GMail account with all of his disparate email accounts being handled in one interface
An entrepreneur who is a clothing business based on natural materials. We bought a URL and we’ll start developing the site next week
Aa Spanish Hip Hip artist who wants his own a website. Advised him on getting his domain name and had him sign up for a MySpace account, where he is uploading his music.