Simple Website Using Github Pages

Make a simple HTML website and publish it using Github Pages.
View example: https://cplmakerlab.github.io/simple-website-template/

Setup

• Create a Github account (if you don't have one yet)
• Fork this repository to copy it to your account, i.e. github.com/username/simple-website-template (you can rename it as well)
• Make sure you see the gh-pages branch (it should be the default)
• Edit website files on the gh-pages branch, then wait a minute or two for Github Pages to update and deploy your site.
• View your site: https://username.github.io/simple-website-template

How does this work?

This website template uses CSS & JS to hide and show different parts of index.html and uses Github Pages to render the website from the gh-pages branch.

Things to try

• Edit index.html and change the title of the page (both <title> in the header and <h1> in the body)
• Upload your own logo.jpg and background.jpg images to overwrite the default images.
• Edit index.html and change the content displayed in home, about, and contact.
• Edit index.html and change the content in the footer region.
• Edit style.css and change the link color and font style.
• Update the metadata in the header portion of index.html (this is used by search engines and browsers).

Common tags

Element	Tag	Example usage
Header	h1	<h1>Title of page</h1>
Link	a	<a href="http://example.com">Check out this link</a>
Image	img	<img src="http://www.example.com/image.jpg">
Paragraph	p	<p>This is a new paragraph.</p>
Line break	br	This is the first line of a poem. <br> This second line will appear below the first.

Further reading

Where can I learn more about HTML, CSS, JS, and webdevelopment in general?

Check out Mozilla Developers Network (https://developer.mozilla.org). They have lots of good resources, tips, and tutorials to further your knowledge.

Can I configure a custom domain for my site, i.e. johnnymakerportfolio.com?

Yes! Github Pages supports custom domain configuration. However, you will need to buy a domain name from a registrar such as NameCheap or Gandi -- the cost is usually around $10 - $15 a year.

Can I add tracking?

Yes! You can embed Google Analytics to see who is visiting your site.

Can I add a blog, etc?

Not really. This template works best for simple sites. For a simple blog check out Jekyll, which is a static site generator that also works on Github pages. For more functionality, you will probably need a content management system (CMS) such as Wordpress, Drupal, or Django. A CMS will require additional setup and a website host, such as Dreamhost.

Can I sell products or add a store?

Not easily, but if you are determined you can add Paypal buttons or something like SnipCart. If you are interested in selling many products online or need a full store, check out Woocommerce, BigCartel, Shopify, or Etsy.

Can I make separate HTML files for each page?

Yes, you can use Javascript AJAX calls to pull in external content into your index.html page. See script.js for more details.

I heard I need to be using XYZ framework (Bootstrap, React, etc).

Web technology changes rapidly, and it easy to get lost in the hype. Learning the basics of HTML, CSS, and JS is a good place to start. From there, you can explore different frameworks and libraries to see what interests you.

I don't want to write code or deal with website hosting. Are there any website builders you recommend?

• Google Sites (free)
• Squarespace
• Wix
• Strikingly (free tier includes single product store)
• Big Cartel, Shopify, Etsy (e-commerce)