County Kildare Community Network

EASYsites

An EASYsite is a website that is easy to update. An EASYsite is a website that is part of Kildare Communitys Network's Community Publishing System. We will set up your website for you, and host it for free on kildare.ie. We will then show you how you can easily update your website yourself by using a web based admin system.

This system is available for community groups including schools, sports clubs, voluntary groups, and individuals, in County Kildare. We have listed the types of community groups for which a Kildare.ie EASYsite is an ideal community publishing system. To use the system, at least one member of your community group needs to become a member of Kildare.ie EASYsites. Over 40 groups and individuals in Co. Kildare already have an EASYsite and this number continues to grow. See a list of our current Kildare.ie EASYsites here.

We will create the website for you and will put some of your content into the website to get you started. Then, any member of the community group can update the website. Each member of the group who wants to update the website will become a Kildare.ie EASYsite member and will be given a username and password so they can login to update the site. A workshop will be provided, free of charge, to any member of the group who has become a Kildare.ie EASYsite member and wants to update their website.

Yes, you can decide the look and feel of your website (colours, fonts, navigation style, layout) or you can let us assist you. We can modify your sites theme so that it is representative of your organisation. If your group already has a crest or logo, we will incorporate this into the design of your website or we can create a simple logo or header for the website if required. Before we create your website we will ask you if you have any preferences for how the website should look.

If a member of your group has experience with web design, we can give this EASYsite member, access to the website themes, but most EASYsite members control the content of the website, while we design the look and feel.

An EASYsite is the most cost effective way to get your community site published to the web. The cost of an EASYsite depends on the package you choose. The packages and their costs are listed below.

The website is easy to update. You do not need to understand HTML or how web editing software works to update the site. You will be given a username and password that will allow you to login to the admin section of your website. Then you can easily update the site by filling in online forms with your content. If you have any questions about how to update the site just email community@kildare.ie with your question.

You will need the following to update your website;

• Internet Access - available at your local library
• The web address of the login page - contact community@kildare.ie if you forget this address or check your quickstart guide
• A username and password to login - contact community@kildare.ie if you forget your username or password
• Training and/or your quickstart guide - both are free of charge. You can download the quickstart guide here or email community@kildare.ie  for assistance.

It is very easy to get your site updated, even if it has not been active for a long while. Just login to the admin system and start to update your site. If you want the site to be redesigned  or want some training to refresh your knowledge just email community@kildare.ie.

Yes - but you might need some help.

The website is easy to update but you will find it easier if you have used the internet and email regularly and if you have used a word processing package like Microsoft Word. You might like to do some basic computer training before you try to update the site or attend training on how to update the site.

Computer training is available through the libraries Introduction to Computers Courses - check your local library branch website for details. Computer training is also available at the Adult Basic and Community Education Centre in Naas including the Computers for the Terrified course run by the Community Education Service.

Once you are comfortable with computers, we can provide a workshop on how to update your website. In the meantime, we can keep your website updated for you, just send your content to community@kildare.ie.

A EASYsite workshop is available, free of charge to individuals or community groups in Co. Kildare. The workshop takes between 1-2 hours and is available during office hours and in the evening also. The day, time, and location of training will be organised once your EASYsite is set up. Training can take place on site, at your school or community group meeting place, providing there is internet access available at that location.

During the workshop, your instructor will guide you through every aspect of updating your website, from logging in, to adding links, text content and images. At the end of workshop, members can ask any question they might have about their website.

Each participant in the workshop will be provided with a printed quickstart guide and other tip sheets which will help them to use the EASYsite system. These are also available in the technical support section of the EASYsites website.

In the days and weeks after the workshop, each participant should practice adding content to the website. If you have any problems or questions at this stage just email community@kildare.ie or telephone 045 980 483.

Yes, email us at community@kildare.ie to organise a demonstration of the EASYsites system. We can visit your group to demonstrate the system or you can visit us in Naas, Co. Kildare.