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Beginner, Green run

Your First Website with WordPress and Elementor

Go from a blank screen to a live five-page business website on your own domain, built with the free version of Elementor.

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11Modules
62Lessons
10-11 hoursVideo
35-45 hoursTotal study time
4-6 weeks at 8 hours a weekTypical pace
Elementor Free (no Pro needed)Elementor licence

See what you'll be building

Every lesson is a real screen recording of one job, start to finish, on a site like this one. No slides, no theory for its own sake.

Browse the lessons
Recorded in the real editor, at real speed

You'll finish with

  • A live five-page website on your own domain, with SSL
  • A header, footer and mobile menu built without Elementor Pro
  • A contact form that actually lands in your inbox
  • Basic SEO, Google Search Console, analytics and a cookie banner
  • Automatic backups and a monthly maintenance routine
  • A simple WooCommerce shop with your first products, ready to grow
A cafe owner at the counter

Capstone project

Capstone: your five-page site, live

Build Home, About, Services, Contact and Privacy pages for your own business, or use the supplied brief for Oakfield Plumbing and Heating, Nottingham. It goes live on a real domain with a working form, header and footer, and scores above 85 for mobile performance and accessibility in Lighthouse. You then show it to your tutor live on a call and we go through it together.

This course is for you if

  • You run a small business and want a website you control and can edit yourself.
  • You have never built a website and want a clear path from nothing to live.
  • You tried YouTube tutorials, got stuck halfway and want to finish properly.
  • You want to test whether web design could be a side hustle or a career.

It's not the right fit if

  • You already build Elementor sites for clients. Start with Intermediate.
    • You want a full online shop straight away. You will set up a simple starter shop here; the full build is in WooCommerce Shop with Elementor.
  • You want to learn to write code from scratch. This course uses no code.

Curriculum

11 modules and 62 short lessons. Every module ends with a quick five-question check and something added to your project.

01How websites workDomains, hosting and where Elementor fits · 5 lessons
  1. What you will build: a tour of the finished site
  2. Domains, DNS, hosting and SSL in plain English
  3. WordPress.org vs WordPress.com vs site builders
  4. Themes, plugins and page builders: where Elementor fits
  5. Choosing a host in the UK: a checklist: PHP 8, SSL, staging, backups, support hours
02Set up WordPressFrom domain to logged in, safely · 6 lessons
  1. Register a domain and connect hosting
  2. Install WordPress and log in safely
  3. Essential settings: title, tagline, permalinks, time zone, comments
  4. Users, roles and strong passwords with two-factor
  5. Install Hello Biz, Hello Plus and Elementor: and the onboarding wizard
  6. Practice option: an offline copy with Local
03Meet the Elementor editorThe Elementor 4 editor, panel by panel · 6 lessons
  1. Editor tour: canvas, elements panel, structure panel, style tab, top bar
  2. Div Block, Flexbox and Grid: the three layout boxes
  3. Heading, Paragraph, Button, Image and SVG
  4. Spacing, size, typography and borders in the style tab
  5. Responsive modes and breakpoints
  6. If your screen looks different: older widgets, sections and the editor toggle
04Plan the siteContent first, then design · 5 lessons
  1. The five-page small-business site map
  2. Writing the content first: headline, offer, proof, call to action
  3. Images and icons you are allowed to use: sizing and naming them
  4. Brand basics: two fonts, five colours, one spacing scale
  5. Sketching the homepage on paper
05A tiny design systemStyle once, reuse everywhere · 5 lessons
  1. Variables for colours, fonts and sizes
  2. Default styles for headings, text, links and buttons
  3. Classes: style once, reuse everywhere
  4. Site settings: layout width, background, favicon
  5. Saving and reusing templates
06Build the homepageSection by section, with a clean structure · 7 lessons
  1. Hero section
  2. Services grid
  3. About strip
  4. Reviews and trust badges: using only genuine reviews
  5. Call to action and contact block
  6. Tabs and accordion for FAQs
  7. Review: tidying and naming the structure panel
07Inner pagesAbout, Services, Contact and the legal bits · 6 lessons
  1. About page from a ready-made section, then customised
  2. Services page with repeatable service blocks
  3. Contact page: form, map and opening hours
  4. Making form emails arrive: SMTP or Site Mailer
  5. Privacy and cookie pages: what UK sites need to show
  6. Blog basics: posts, categories and featured images
08Header, footer and menus without ProThe bit most free tutorials skip · 5 lessons
  1. Create the menu in WordPress
  2. Header: logo, menu, button, sticky behaviour
  3. Footer: columns, contact details, legal links
  4. Alternative: the Hello Elementor header and footer
  5. Testing the mobile menu
09Responsive, accessible, fastMake it work on every phone · 6 lessons
  1. Tablet and mobile passes
  2. Image sizes, WebP and free image optimisation
  3. Fonts: fewer weights, faster pages
  4. Accessibility basics: heading order, alt text, contrast, link text, focus
  5. Running Lighthouse and reading the score honestly
  6. Element caching and other speed settings explained
10Go liveLaunch day, step by step · 7 lessons
  1. Pre-launch checklist
  2. SSL and forcing HTTPS
  3. SEO plugin setup: titles and descriptions
  4. Google Search Console and Analytics
  5. Cookie consent banner
  6. Backups to cloud storage
  7. Submit your sitemap and announce the launch
11Maintain and growKeep it healthy month to month · 4 lessons
  1. Monthly routine: updates, backups, uptime
  2. Adding pages and posts without breaking the design
  3. Reading analytics and making one improvement a month
  4. Where next: your practical assessment and the Intermediate course

Recorded on the Elementor 4 editor. Each module opens with a note of the Elementor, WordPress and theme versions used, and lessons are re-recorded when something important changes.

Live classes, not just videos

Alongside the video lessons you join 3 weekly online classes of 2 hours, with a maximum of 5 students in each class. You build along with your tutor, ask questions as you go and see how others solve the same problem. You also get 2 hours of one-to-one tutoring to use whenever you need it.

  • 6 hourslive online classes
  • 3weekly classes of 2 hours
  • 5 maxstudents per class
  • 2 hoursone-to-one tutoring

Projects you'll build

Every step is a real piece of work. You start with an empty hosting account and finish with a live website that can sell, ready to grow.

  1. Set up

    Domain, hosting and WordPress

    Point a domain at your hosting, install WordPress, switch on SSL and lock down the login.

    Modules 1-2

  2. Project 1

    A "coming soon" page

    Logo, headline, opening date and an email link for a local business, so you learn the editor.

    Module 3

  3. Project 2

    A café style kit

    Two fonts, five colours and button and heading styles set once, used everywhere.

    Module 5

  4. Project 3

    A plumber's homepage

    Hero, services, reviews and a call to action, laid out with Flexbox and Grid.

    Module 6

  5. Project 4

    A salon contact page

    A form that really reaches the inbox, a map and opening hours.

    Module 7

  6. Project 5

    Header, footer and mobile menu

    Built with free tools only, no Elementor Pro.

    Module 8

  7. Project 6

    The mobile fix-up challenge

    We hand you a broken page. Make it work on a phone and pass the accessibility checks.

    Module 9

  8. Project 7

    Add a starter shop

    Install WooCommerce, add three products, set up delivery and take a test order.

    Bonus

Then the capstone: your own five-page site, live on your own domain, which you present to your tutor on a live call.

How you're assessed

Two parts, both online. Pass both and you get your Begin2Code certificate. One free re-sit of each part is included.

  1. Part 1

    Online quiz

    20 multiple-choice questions in 25 minutes, based on real situations you'll meet when building sites. Marked instantly. Pass mark 70%.

    25 minutes

  2. Part 2

    Live practical test

    On a video call with your tutor, screen shared, you build a small business homepage from a brief on your own practice WordPress site. It's marked against a clear 12-point checklist: it works on a phone, the form sends, the headings are right, and more.

    75 minutes, live

What you'll need

  • A computer with a modern browser (Windows, Mac or Chromebook with a full browser)
  • A domain name and entry-level hosting. Lesson 1.5 shows you how to choose; we never take a commission
  • No paid plugins. Everything in this course uses free tools, including WooCommerce

Your teacher

I'm Shaz, a UK web designer with over 20 years of experience. Through my agency, E-web UK, I build and maintain WordPress sites for businesses every week. I'll answer your questions, review your capstone, and if you book one-to-one lessons, you'll be working with me directly.

More about Shaz

Ready to start?

Send an enquiry and we'll reply within one working day with the next class dates and how to enrol.

Beginner course

£499£999sale price

Everything on this page, with 12 months' access, updates and your personal tutoring hours.

Enquire about this course

All three

£1,499or 3 x £500

Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced together, saving £598 on buying them one by one.

See the bundle

Guarantee

30days money back

If it's not right for you, email within 30 days for a refund, less any tutoring time you have used. No forms, no awkward questions.

Refund policy

Questions about this course

Anything else? Send me a message or book a 30-minute taster lesson.

Do I need Elementor Pro?

No. The whole course uses the free version of Elementor with the free Hello Biz theme and Hello Plus, including the header and footer. You only need Pro for the Intermediate course.

How much will hosting and a domain cost?

That depends on the host you pick, so I teach you how to choose rather than pushing one. Lesson 1.5 gives you a checklist, and you can practise for free on your own computer with Local before you pay for anything.

I'm not technical. Will I keep up?

The course assumes you can use a browser and that's it. Lessons are short, every step is shown on screen, and if you get stuck you can ask a question or book a one-to-one lesson.

Is this up to date with Elementor 4?

Yes. It's recorded on the Elementor 4 editor that new sites use by default. Each module starts with a note of the versions used, and lessons are re-recorded when Elementor changes something important.

How do the 2 hours of tutoring work?

Book them from your student dashboard as two 1-hour or four 30-minute sessions over Zoom or Google Meet, whenever you need them, within 12 months of buying. Most people use one session halfway through and one before going live. You keep the recordings.

How is the course assessed?

By a practical assessment of the site you build, marked by your tutor against a published rubric, and a final multiple-choice exam. Pass both and you get your certificate. If something needs more work you can fix it and resubmit.

How long do I have access?

For 12 months from the day you buy, including every update made in that time. Your 2 hours of tutoring are valid for the same 12 months.

What if I get stuck?

Ask a question under the lesson and I'll reply, usually within one working day. If you'd rather talk it through, book a one-to-one lesson and share your screen.

Can I get a refund?

Yes. If you're not happy, email within 30 days of buying for a full refund. See the refund policy for details.

Start tonight. Finish with a live site.

£499 (usually £999), with 6 hours of live classes, 2 hours of one-to-one time and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Enquire about this course Or look at Intermediate