Hey everyone! I hope you're having a great day or night. I've been assigned to create a simple website for a small family-run childcare business. The site will have standard pages like an enrolment form, contact information, insurance details, and childcare certificates. I also want to include an 'About Us' section and a range of downloadable documents including policies and procedures.
In the long run, I'd like to set up a backend where staff can handle administrative tasks like updating child files, sending enrolment forms via our business email, managing payroll, tracking attendance, and filing documents. I have some experience with basic HTML and Python, a degree in networking, and I can handle VM and LXC setups, as well as SSL certificates and domain purchases. Recently, I earned my AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, so I've got a little bit of cloud experience.
However, I'm not very familiar with tools like WordPress, AWS Lightsail, tech stacks, or backend development.
So my question is, what's the best way for me to get started on building this site in a secure manner, while also keeping in mind future backend expansion and advanced features?
2 Answers
I’d recommend using WordPress since it’s super user-friendly for projects like this. Just head over to WordPress.org, download it, and you can pair it with any shared hosting provider—installation only takes a few minutes! The trickiest part is probably picking the right theme and plugins for your site, but I’m sure you’ll handle that fine. Good luck!
WordPress is definitely the way to go for something like this. You can find a great theme by searching for 'child care WordPress themes,' which will give you a solid base to start from. Plus, there are handy classroom management plugins that can help with the extra features you mentioned. Just a heads-up—if data security is a big concern (and it should be with sensitive info), it might be worth exploring third-party management solutions for those complex functionalities.
Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll keep security in mind, especially when dealing with personal data. I plan to fully assess what information needs to be stored and for how long before taking any major steps. I’d even consider hiring a professional to handle the design and testing later on!
I looked into plugins a bit and found that they’re like adding special features to your site. Just be cautious because there can be issues with plugin conflicts or compatibility—definitely something to watch out for!