Log in to GoDaddy → My Products → Managed Hosting for WordPress → Manage All → click your technerd.com site → click File Manager.

If you don’t see File Manager: in WordPress go to Plugins → Add New → search “File Manager” → install the one by mndpsingh287 → Activate. Then go to WP File Manager in your left menu.

In File Manager navigate to:

public_html → wp-content → themes

You should see folders for astra and maybe twentytwentyfour.

Click New Folder and name it exactly:

technerd-child

Open that new folder. Create a sub-folder inside it called js (for future use). Your structure should be:

wp-content/
  themes/
    technerd-child/
      js/

Inside the technerd-child folder, click Upload. Upload the file technerd-style.css from your computer. After uploading, right-click it → Rename → change name to:

style.css

Still inside technerd-child, upload technerd-wordpress-functions.php. Rename it to:

functions.php

In WordPress go to: Appearance → Themes. You should now see “Technerd” as an available theme. Click Activate.

Your site now has the dark design (#0c0c0c background, #e8943a amber) applied to every page including BuddyPress groups, profiles, and the activity feed.

Navigate to public_html/ (the root). There is already an .htaccess file there — download and back it up first. Then open it in File Manager’s editor and paste the contents of technerd-htaccess.txt at the very end of the file. Save.

Navigate to public_html/wp-config.php. Open it in the editor. Find the line:

/* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */

Paste the contents of technerd-wp-config-additions.php above that line. Save.

Pages → Add New. Title: Home. Add Custom HTML block. Paste entire file. Publish.

Then: Settings → Reading → “Your homepage displays” → A static page → Homepage: Home → Save. This makes it your front page.

Pages → find your existing About page → Edit → delete the existing plain-text content block → add Custom HTML block → paste entire file → Update.

Contains: mission statement, values grid, origin story, stats bar, and CTA.

Pages → Add New. Title: Advertise. Add Custom HTML block. Paste entire file. Publish.

Contains: pricing tiers ($149/$249/$399/mo), community reach stats, FAQ accordion, mailto CTA buttons to ads@technerd.com.

Add to your navigation: Appearance → Menus → Main Menu → Custom Links → URL: /advertise/ → Add to Menu → Save.

Pages → find your existing Community Guidelines page → Edit → delete plain-text content → add Custom HTML block → paste entire file → Update.

Contains: 6 expandable accordion sections (click to open), enforcement steps, contact note.

BuddyPress, bbPress, all 6 plugins, Astra theme, 10 groups, 5 core pages, navigation, footer — all complete.

Nameservers pointed, 21 countries blocked, Full Strict SSL, Always HTTPS, HSTS — all active.

GA4 connected via Site Kit, daily backups to Google Drive, AdSense application submitted.

Upload style.css and functions.php to wp-content/themes/technerd-child/. Activate theme in Appearance → Themes. This applies the dark Technerd design to the entire site.

Homepage, About, Advertise, Community Guidelines. Takes about 20 minutes total.

Settings → Reading → Your homepage displays → A static page → Homepage: Home → Save Changes.

Appearance → Menus → Main Menu → Custom Links → URL: /advertise/ → Link Text: Advertise → Add to Menu → Save.

Log into google.com/adsense and check status. Should change from “Getting ready” to “Ready” within 1–14 days. Once approved, configure ad placements in Advanced Ads plugin.

Target: 50 members posting before pitching advertisers. Continue outreach on Reddit (r/welding, r/DIY, r/gardening, r/electricians, r/carpentry), Facebook groups, and personal contacts. Welcome every new member personally.

Once you have 50+ members posting, email a welding supply company, tool brand, or gardening retailer:

Subject: Advertise to [X] active welders on Technerd.com

Hi [Name],

I run Technerd.com — a free community of [X] tradespeople
including [X] active welders. I have a sponsored group
placement available for $149/month that puts your brand
directly in front of people actively asking questions about
welding equipment, consumables, and technique.

Interested? Happy to share traffic data.

James — technerd.com