Getting Started

Standing up your new Website is as easy as 1-2-3

What WordPress will NOT do for your Class, Chapter or Parent Club

  • Event Management (use USNA.com, eventbrite, 123signup, paypal, etc)
  • Membership administration (classes & chapters – use USNA.com)
  • Merchandising

How to get Started on the WordPress Networks

0. Learn a little bit about where you are going.

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions about transitioning your existing site to this network.

1. Choose your subdomain name

Your subdomain is the leading part of the URL address for your class, chapter or parent club site.  Classesyour subdomain is the four digit year of your class.  Chapters: your subdomain should normally be the name of your chapter as listed in Shipmate Magazine.

Choose a subdomain which the chapter or parents club leadership feels is logical, easy for your prospective members to guess, easy to remember and easy to type.  Something like annapolis.usnachapters.net or norcal.usnaparents.net.  Superadmins can always change your subdomain name later (a 15 second task) should you ever need to change it.  The big downside of changing your subdomain is losing your search engine optimization for a few days, and testing has shown that some posts and media links may get lost in the change.

 

2. Tell us you want to join the network

Contact the site superadmin and provide the superadmin with the following information:

  • chosen subdomain name
  • your email address (you can change this later) where the keys to your new site will be sent.

The superadmin will create your site. And unless you specify otherwise, the superadmin will import a basic “out of box” ready to go site that you only need to edit and append.  The site superadmin will need about 5-10 minutes to get your site fully ready for you to take over and start editing.

The network website will shoot you two emails.  These go out immediately and before the superadmin has an opportunity to complete setting up your site.  Note: it’s possible that the emails sent from the system will be caught in your spam filter!

The email from WordPress will direct you to change your password, best if you ignore this email, it is unnecessary and will confuse.  The other email sent on behalf of the network admin contains instructions on how to complete setting up your site.  Your username will be the same as your subdomain name.  This is default.

To log into your site, you should visit the subdomain log in url provided in the instruction email, not the password reset email.  yoursubdomain.usnaxxxxxxxs.net.  If you attempt to log in on the top level, you will reach an error page with a link to your subdomain site.

3.  Let the Alumni Association know your new web address once you are good to go live

So the staff can update information on the class & chapter shipmate columns and online references to your organization’s website.

Please also let the Superadmin know so you site can be included in the index of the WordPress network sites.  This index also alerts search engines of your new site address.