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Intermediate, Blue run Build

Build fast static sites that cost little to run and almost never break

Learn when to step beyond WordPress, convert existing sites to static, build with Astro, and deploy from GitHub to Netlify or Cloudflare with your own domain. Includes 2 hours of 1:1 tutoring with a working UK developer.

Recording now. Join the waitlist and you will hear first, with an early-bird price.

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8Modules
48Lessons
7.5 hoursVideo
2Hours of 1:1 included
IntermediateLevel
Full courseCapstone, exam and certificate

Sound familiar?

Plenty of small business websites are five or six pages that hardly change, yet they run on a full WordPress install with a database, a stack of plugins, monthly hosting and regular updates. That means more to secure, more to pay for and more that can go wrong. A static site can be faster, safer and cheaper, but most tutorials assume you already know Git, the command line and DNS. This course does not.

What you'll build

A hand-built multi-page static site, a converted WordPress site, and an Astro site with a blog, all deployed from GitHub, with a working contact form, a custom domain, solid SEO and an editing workflow you can hand to a client.

By the end you'll be able to

  • Decide honestly when a static site beats WordPress and when it does not, and explain the trade-offs to a client.
  • Build a multi-page static website by hand with shared styles, clean structure and good performance.
  • Convert an existing WordPress site to static HTML, including links, assets, redirects and forms.
  • Add forms and other "dynamic" features to a static site without PHP, using form services and third-party embeds.
  • Build a small site with Astro using layouts, components and Markdown content.
  • Use Git and GitHub to version your work and deploy automatically on every push.
  • Deploy to Netlify or Cloudflare, connect a custom domain and configure DNS and HTTPS.
  • Handle SEO for static sites (sitemaps, metadata, redirects, structured data) and set up an editing workflow a client can live with.

Capstone project

Finish with something real

Build it on your own site, or a practice brief if you do not have one, and submit it for personal written feedback from Shaz. Pass the capstone and the final exam to earn your certificate.

Who it's for

  • Small business owner. has a five-page brochure site on WordPress that she rarely changes, pays for hosting and plugin renewals, and worries about updates and security. She wants something faster and cheaper to run.
  • Career changer / aspiring freelancer. wants a second string to his bow: fast, low-maintenance sites he can offer clients who do not need WordPress, and real Git and deployment skills employers expect.
  • Marketer with an inherited site. looks after a campaign or landing page site that needs to load quickly and score well in Core Web Vitals, and wants to understand modern deployment.
  • Hobbyist. wants a personal site or club site that costs nothing to host and that he fully understands.

Who it's not for

  • People who need an online shop, membership area or booking system built in. WordPress (see the EARN path) is usually the better fit.
  • Complete beginners with no HTML or CSS (start with HTML and CSS for Elementor Users).
  • Experienced developers already deploying JavaScript frameworks through CI pipelines.

Curriculum

8 modules and 48 short lessons, about 7.5 hours of video. Every module ends with a quick quiz and an exercise on your own site.

01When static beats WordPress (and when it does not)6 lessons, 54 mins

Understand what a static site is and make a sound, honest recommendation for a given project.

  1. What "static" really means9 min
  2. The benefits: speed, security, cost10 min
  3. The trade-offs10 min
  4. The static toolbox8 min
  5. Hosting landscape in 202610 min
  6. Talking to clients about static7 min
02Building a static site by hand6 lessons, 58 mins

Build a clean, fast, multi-page static site from scratch.

  1. Project structure9 min
  2. A shared stylesheet and design tokens10 min
  3. Header, navigation and footer11 min
  4. Images and performance11 min
  5. Local preview and testing8 min
  6. Performance checks9 min
03Converting a WordPress site to static6 lessons, 57 mins

Turn an existing WordPress site into a working static copy without losing pages, assets or rankings.

  1. Is this site a good candidate?8 min
  2. Export options11 min
  3. Cleaning the output11 min
  4. Assets, fonts and third-party scripts9 min
  5. URLs and redirects10 min
  6. Testing before switching over8 min
04Forms and dynamic features without PHP6 lessons, 56 mins

Add contact forms and other interactive features to a static site reliably and lawfully.

  1. How form services work8 min
  2. Netlify Forms10 min
  3. Formspree, Web3Forms and similar10 min
  4. Spam protection and validation9 min
  5. Privacy, consent and UK GDPR9 min
  6. Other dynamic features10 min
05Astro basics6 lessons, 62 mins

Build a small, fast site with Astro using layouts, components and Markdown content.

  1. Why use a static site generator8 min
  2. Installing Node and creating a project10 min
  3. Pages, layouts and components12 min
  4. Styling in Astro9 min
  5. Markdown and content collections12 min
  6. Images, fonts and building for production11 min
06Git and GitHub6 lessons, 58 mins

Version your work safely and use GitHub as the home for every site you build.

  1. Why version control matters8 min
  2. The command line without fear10 min
  3. Your first repository11 min
  4. GitHub and pushing10 min
  5. Branches and undoing mistakes11 min
  6. GitHub Desktop and VS Code Git tools8 min
07Deploying, custom domains and DNS6 lessons, 61 mins

Put a site live with automatic deploys, a custom domain and HTTPS.

  1. Deploying to Netlify from GitHub11 min
  2. Deploying to Cloudflare11 min
  3. GitHub Pages for simple sites7 min
  4. DNS explained simply12 min
  5. Connecting a custom domain11 min
  6. Redirects, headers and caching9 min
08SEO, analytics and client editing workflows6 lessons, 58 mins

Launch a static site that ranks, measures what matters and can be kept up to date by you or the client.

  1. On-page SEO for static sites10 min
  2. Sitemaps, robots.txt and Search Console10 min
  3. Structured data9 min
  4. Privacy-friendly analytics8 min
  5. Editing workflows for clients12 min
  6. Handover, maintenance and pricing9 min

Lesson lengths are estimates and may change slightly when the course is recorded. Every lesson is re-recorded or annotated when the tools change, free for everyone with an active course.

Everything included

  • 8 modules, 48 video lessons, about 7.5 hours
  • 2 hours of 1:1 live tutoring with Shaz (use within 12 months)
  • Starter templates, a conversion checklist, DNS cheat sheet and client handover template
  • Capstone project with personal written feedback
  • Certificate of completion
  • 12 months' access, with updates as tools change
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Before you start

Basic HTML and CSS (HTML and CSS for Elementor Users or equivalent). Comfortable installing software on your computer. No command-line experience needed; it is taught from scratch.

Your tutor: Shaz

I'm Shaz, a UK web designer with over 20 years of experience. Through my agency, E-web UK, I build and look after WordPress sites for businesses every week. I'll answer your questions, review your work, and your included one-to-one tutoring is with me directly.

More about Shaz

Be first in when it opens

This course is being recorded now. Waitlist members hear first and get an early-bird price.

Fast Static Sites

£429£858launch sale price

Leave your email and you will hear first when it opens, with an early-bird price for the waitlist.

Extra 1:1 time

£60an hour, packs from £275

Your course includes personal tutoring. Need more? Book extra one-to-one lessons on your own site, with 10% off packs for course students.

1:1 lessons

Guarantee

30days money back

Try the course for 30 days. If it is not right for you, email us for a full refund. No forms, no fuss.

Refund policy

Questions about this course

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

Is hosting really free?

Netlify, Cloudflare and GitHub Pages all offer free tiers that can comfortably host a typical small brochure site. Each has limits and terms, which change from time to time, so the course shows you how to check them. You will usually still pay for a domain name.

I have never used the command line or Git. Can I do this?

Yes. Module 6 teaches Git from the very first command, and we show visual tools such as GitHub Desktop if you prefer clicking to typing.

Will converting my WordPress site hurt my Google rankings?

Not if it is done carefully. Keeping the same URLs, redirecting anything that changes and keeping your content and metadata intact are covered step by step in Modules 3 and 8.

How will my clients update their site?

Module 8 covers the options, from you making edits on a care plan to friendly Git-based editors that let clients change text and images without touching code.

Do I need to know JavaScript for Astro?

No more than the basics. Astro components look very like HTML, and the course only uses small amounts of JavaScript.

How does the 1:1 tutoring work?

You get 2 hours of live video sessions with Shaz, booked in 30 or 60-minute slots, within 12 months of purchase. Many students use it to move a real site, including DNS and email, with someone experienced alongside them.

Free guides on this topic

Start with these, then take the course when you want it in order, with help.

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Get on the list. Start first.

This course is being recorded now. Join the waitlist and you will be first to hear when it opens, at the £429 sale price (usually £858).

Join the waitlist See the Build path