Submitted by Fiona Beal
Thinking of creating a simple website without any knowledge of HTML? Google Sites is a free and easy way to create and share webpages. Basically, you would follow this sequence:
Log into your Google account and go to http://sites.google.com
- Click the Create button
- Choose the Blank Template
- Name your site. You'll notice it creates the URL based on the name but you can change that if you wish. The name you choose must be unique in your domain.
- Select the Themes section, and choose a theme (i.e. iceberg)
- Choose the More Options section, and write a short description of your Site.
- Type the captcha code (if you get one)
- Click the Create button at the top of the pageIt is as simple as that!
1. Creating a Google Site - Sites Tutorial 1 of 5
In the first tutorial of this 5 part series, Mike shows how to create a Google Site.
- He shows how to log in to Google, then to Google sites and choose ‘Çreate sites’.
- You can choose a template which can be changed later. You could end up with a site that looks like this one:
2. Basic Editing Features of Google Sites - Sites Tutorial 2 of 5
This tutorial reviews some of the basic editing features of Google Sites, including inserting and formatting options. To get to your newly created site, log in to Google and type in Google sites and navigate to the site you have created.
- Mike shows the essential editing features which are common to most word processing documents.
- He explains Insert, Format, Table and Layout
- He shows how to insert a YouTube video
- He demonstrates inserting a Google document. This will be a live document that incorporates any changes made in the document in Google Drive.
- He demonstrates uploading an image and inserting a Google map
- He demonstrates inserting a horizontal line, Google +
This tutorial illustrates a number of the page and site settings for modifying pages within a Google Site. This is the third tutorial in a five part series on using Google Sites.
- Click on More in the right hand corner.
- Mike looks at page settings and demonstrates the various options of website, file cabinet, list or announcement.
- He discusses page templates and site actions
- He talks about changing the navigation bar to a horizontal navigation bar; and aslo about managing the site.
- Mike discusses the Google Help section also available under the More button.
4. Adding a New Page to Your Google Site - Sites Tutorial 4 of 5
This tutorial reviews some how to add new pages and subpages within a Google Site.
- Click on the new page button on the top right.
- Create your pages first. Afterwards add them to your navigation bar.
- Mike also discusses how you go about nesting pages under the horizontal navigation bar. Once can change to a sidebar if required,
This tutorial reviews how to manage a Google Site using the features within the 'Manage Site' area of the Site. It is the final video in a five part tutorial series on using Google Sites.
- There is only 100MB of storage available in a Google site
- Under the Manage sites hyperlink under ‘More’ you can create a copy of the site.
- You can change the theme of your site under manage site – change theme.
- Further problems can be ironed out by looking through the Site Help section under More.