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Creating Your First Website? Your Options
Creating your own website is great fun! But how is it done? Well, there are five main options, read this carefully and choose which one you think is best for you!
Use software you already have:
You may not know this, but you can actually use Microsoft Word to create webpages! This is great, since you can save yourself the cost of buying expensive new software. Just create your document as you would do normally, and then just select "Save As" from the File menu. A new window will open, choose where you want to save your page, give it a name and then select "Webpage" from the drop- down box next to "Save As Type". Click save and thats it - you have a webpage ready to be uploaded to your host's servers! For more information, check out this simple tutorial on creating webpages with Word.
The downside is that since Word isn't really a proper webdesign application, you'll find it impossible to create anything like a "professional" site, but if you only need something very simple, it'll do just fine. Also, the quality of code that Word produces is very poor, so unless your website is reasonably plain, it will be slow to load.
Use an Online Sitebuilder:
There are number of website on the internet which give you all the tools you need to build and host your website ready to use in one place. For a beginner these sites are great, since they're aimed at people wanting a quick, easy way to build a website without spending ages learning all the technical ins and outs. Most of them offer a large range of "template" designs along with a simple "what-you-see-is-what-you- get" editor with which you can personalise the design with your own logos and content. Once you're done personalising, just click save and the site is ready and online - easy. You can also update your website whenever you want as well, and since the fees are on a low monthly subscription basis you can avoid paying the heavy upfront costs that you would have if you hired a designer or bought specialist software. However, some of them run ads on your website and only offer a limited range of advanced features; which may be frustrating to more advanced users. We strongly recommend you try 2Clicks (see link below), they have a great range of templates and features, don't run ads on your site and offer excellent value for money.
Buy specialist web design software:
There are a number of specialist web design applications which are used by the professionals to create their websites. By far the best (in my humble opinion) is Macromedia's Dreamweaver. These powerful software packages install on your computer and run offline like any of the office applications. Since they're specially designed for website building, the range of features and functions is very impressive and allow you to do just about anything you could want with much greater ease and simplicity that if you are trying to work with something like Word. However, they don't come cheap; last time I checked, Dreamweaver cost something like $400. Also, since they're not aimed at beginners, you may find them a little complicated to start with. But if you're planning on creating and managing several websites then this could be an option worth considering.
Hire a professional web designer:
Sure hiring a professional isn't the cheap option, but it is almost certainly the surest way to get a really high-quality result (unless of course you hire a really bad designer of course!). But how to choose someone? Well I would recommend that you choose someone reasonably local. Offshoring is great, but it makes the job of monitoring their progress a lot more difficult, and there's nothing quite like having someone you can meet with face to face to discuss the project, or who's there for you on the end of the phone when you need help. It also makes organising payments more simple as well as holding them responsible if it all goes wrong! Always check someone's portfolio carefully. Have they done projects like yours in the past, and would you be happy to recieve a site like their previous ones if you hired them? Ask your friends if they can recommend someone.
Deciding how much you are prepared to pay for a professional is a difficult question. Everyone offers a different level of service, and the quality of the final product will vary significalty depending on who you hire. Whatever you do; get multiple quotes!! And compare them on price, quality and service. I would also strongly advice against choosing the cheapest person/company automatically - it could prove to be a very false economy in the long term!
Learn to program in html:
Since most pages are written in a code/language called HTML, you can create your own websites by directly writting in this language. Its certainly a lot easier than learning Russian, but it will take a good week at least to get to grips even just the very basics. Assuming you enjoy technical challenges! A good book can be a great help.
If you are really serious about building websites like a pro, learning to hard code websites directly in html is an option worth considering. That said, many professional webdesigners don't know much about hard coding html themselves - with professional software like dreamweaver there isn't too much need for it. However, learning to program in html is definitely the cheapest way to build your own website, plus it can be a great learning experience!
To code in html all you need software-wise is a simple piece of software like notepad, which comes free with windows. You literally just type the code into a new notepad document, click save, upload it to a webserver and thats it! If you're looking for a good html tutorial, check out the NCSA beginner's guide to HTML.
Steven is part of London Web Designer Cleartide's team in charge of managing Create A Website and 2Clicks.com - the easiest way to build a website - They specialise in web design, development and strategy.
Converting Print Advertising For Use On The Web - A How-To
Contrary to the beliefs of some, advertising for web and print are very different. Converting print ads for use on the web is very tricky. What has been very successful on paper may have no impact at all on the screen. When I am asked "How do I convert my print ads to web?" my answer is simple: don't! Web and print are so vastly different that I believe you should never build your web pages based on a print ad.
How Does Your Website Measure Up?
Does your website make a good first impression? Is the navigation intuitive? Is the content appropriate for your audience? You've had your website up and running for a while now but you've always had a nagging suspicion that your website is lacking effectiveness and you just can't put your finger on it. You've dabbled with colors, added/removed images re-written the text but it still feels as if everything just isn't working together. Wouldn't it be nice if you had a way to sort things out? Well now you do!
What to Ask Your Web Designer
If you need a web designer, but have no clue about the typical web design process, I am quite certain that you must be feeling a bit overwhelmed about what to expect. As web designers, we oftentimes have a myriad of roles to fill when working with their clients, but as the client, you always have a right to know the complete design process up front. Let's talk a bit about what questions you may want to ask a potential design firm before they get started on your website.
Designing Your Web Site For ALL Browsers
Let's face it. Building a web site that browses consistently on multiple platforms and multiple browsers is not always as easy as we would like.
Business Opportunity for Graphic Designers
As a graphic designer, you are sitting on a gold mine. You have a skill other people do not have, and you can use that skill to earn a good living.
Small Business Website Design - How to Get Professional Results on a Shoestring Budget
Just because you are a small business with an even smaller website design budget, does not mean that you cannot have a professional looking website and presence on the web. All it means is you will have to do some of the work yourself instead of paying some design firm to do it for you. Amazingly enough, self designed pages from small business owners who did their research frequently end up being better and more focused than professionally designed pages. Consider the following suggestions when designing your own website.
Event Planning Must Include An Event Website
As part of your event planning you should seriously consider registering a special event domain. That should in fact be the first step for your planning of any event.
My Top Ten List Of Extremely Annoying Web Page Design Elements!
Easy navigation and usability are one of the most important aspects of creating a "user friendly" website. However, there are still a "plethora" of web-sites out there that are, to be politically correct, "functionally challenged." Does your website keep people captivated, or does it send them fleeing as soon as they get to the first page? Do you offend your visitors by employing these ten web design faux pau's?
How To Design A Web Site
I'm not a professional web site designer and openly admit there is a lot that I don't know. But if you're a beginner I probably know more than you do, so listen up.
Cheap Website Design In Birmingham
Due to the large number of people offering website design services in Birmingham, there is always a bargain to be found.
Getting Along With Your Web Designer
You're all ready to get started creating your web presence and you've found a skilled web designer to build your website for you. Do you know what he needs from you to do an efficient job? Good web design requires cooperation between the architect and the user to create a product that will serve its intended function, and you don't have to be an internet expert to do your part. There are a number of things you can do when working with a web designer during the building and maintenance phases to smooth communications, reduce confusion, get work done faster, and get the results you want.
Using Server Side Includes to Simplify Your Web Design
An "include" file is a piece of code that can be put into a seperate file -- for example -- your navigation bar -- and then "included" in a number of other pages. This has the very useful advantage of allowing you to retain consistency over a very large number of pages, and then make changes to all of those pages by just changing the include file.
Website promotion Ideas: 10 Web Site Add-Ons To Increase Your Traffic
If you're not getting a lot of traffic to your website anymore, must implement these Website promotion ideas immediately.
Ten Design Mistakes to Avoid
Avoid these mistakes and your site will be steps ahead of your competition.
Design vs Content: Who is KING?
Well it is not Elvis, that's for sure.
Graphic Design Using Color
Color is everywhere and conveys a message even if we don't realize it. While this message can vary by culture it pays to know what colors "say" in your own corner of the universe, and even what color means to your target market.
Your Web Site Is A Wonderland: What Picassos Art Taught Me About Persuasive Design
Whenever singer John Mayer sings his romantic song, "Your Body is a Wonderland", I can't help but think of web sites and usability. As a usability consultant, I see the devotion to his lover, and the time he spent uncovering every detail of her being, as the way most web site designers think we approach their web sites. When the lyrics arrive at "Take all your big plans; And break 'em; This is bound to be a while", I start giggling. It makes me think of Amazon.com. I'll explain why.
Are You A Bill Clinton Webmaster?
One of the most frequent questions I get asked about my ebook, Don't Get Banned BY The Search Engines, is whether I amended it to include post-Florida Google. "Florida" is the code name that search engine optimizer wizards gave to a November, 2003, shakeup at Google that left many webmasters covering themselves up with makeshift fig leaves while dangling upside down above the proverbial crocodile moat.
Content is Crucial!
Content is undoubtedly the most important element of a website. It is the defining factor for a website, that which catches the interest of your visitors and keeps them hooked to your site.
Affordable Web Design In Birmingham
If you have a business, big or small you may be thinking of getting yourself a website.