FIRST OFF.... WHY ?
OK. You know you want to build yourself a web-something. That brings up the 1st question. “ What kind of site do I want ?” Well a website is a website, right ? Technicly yes, but I see a difference between a website and a webpage.
Webpages are similar to a business card where a website is more like a resume’ with a coverpage. Most indiduals building a site to show Grandma pictures of the newborn will build a webpage.
PLAN, PLAN, and PLAN SOME MORE
Next step is planning ! Realize what you you want out of the site. Are you offering a product, are you merely showing the world where to find you and your services, or are you wanting to provide information? Planning is a key to putting together a winning website.
What do you want you site to look like ? Well if you are considering putting one together, you are sure to have seen something that has insired you. Surf the web for a while and get an idea what you may like. Just get ideas for your layout. We are not going to steal anyones site, just get ideas. After you are fairly sure of the look. Get a piece of paper and pencil and draw it out like a floorplan - see how it looks on paper. Great ! You like it... Let’s move on.
NOTEPAD vs. FRONTPAGE
How good is your HTML ? Well I know it pretty well, but I am not going to waste precious hours that I could spend with my daughter typing and typing, so I join the band of millions of others and use “A PROGRAM” While some will critisize the us of “PROGRAMS”, I have never understood why they don’t use “PROGRAMS” . Well the are several GREAT HTML Generators on the market. I am sure you have heard of Frontpage and Dreamweaver. There are others, but these are the most popular because of the ease of use and affordability. Try learning the program you select as well as HTML ( There are some good websites and great books on the market to help in this ) The big problem with just using the templates that these programs offer is simple : Your site won’t stand out very well. There will be tons of others that look just like it.
GRAPHICS, CUTE EFFECTS, AND CONTENT
These are not all the same. Graphics, as long as they are not overused, compliment any site no matter what the subject matter is. Some note about web graphics and pictures. Not everything you see on everyones site is fair game. Some people spend lots of time creating these for their own sites and do not want everyone “Stealing” them. There are plenty of Royalty Free Graphics readily available online. Take a look at the small clipart selection we offer : or check out our resource directory ( http://www.lecktronix.com/directory/Web_Art ) for links to such sites. CUTE EFFECTS .... Just that .... CUTE. For a personal website, these are fine. But on a business site - NOPE.
CONTENT. You need this, content is the most under-rated aspect of putting together a winning website. You can have the coolest or smoothest website online, but if there is nothing to do, read, or buy. There is no reason to be there. Pictures of Jennifer at age 4 is more than enough content for the proud fathers personal site. GOOD LUCK - I HOPE THIS HELPS.
Look for more articles soon.
About the Author...
Chris Leckness is a veteran with over 8 years online. Chris is the creator and former owner of PLANETFREEBIE.COM. He now shares website knowledge and resources at his new site ”Lecktronix Website 101” http://www.lecktronix.com. Chris does not claim to be a writer, but he tries to get his words out there somehow.
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