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How to Make a Web Page
 

I have heard time and again about the information overload faced by new comers to Web design. Things aren't as simple today as they were in the good old days just a couple of years ago. To help, I have narrowed the process down into three basic steps and selected some of the best tutorials on the Web for each step. So let's get started. Follow this step-by-step approach and you'll be online in no time!

  1. Set Up the Pages
  2. Add Graphics
  3. Move Your Site to the Web

1. Set Up the Pages

Learn HTML

The first step is to learn HTML. HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language and that's all it is - not a programming language but a simple formatting language that tells the browser how to lay out the Web page. There are two parts to the page. The HEAD tag contains information about the page, such as title, meta tag data, and author information. The BODY contains the page layout instructions - text formatting, color designation, and element positioning. Understanding how HTML works and what its limitations are will help you design cleaner, faster-loading, and more compatible pages. Code the HTML in any text editor and save the file with a .htm or .html extension. Open in your browser to see what you have built.

Here are some outstanding tutorials to help you build a strong foundation for your Web design skills.

Consider Design

Study the layout and navigation of sites that you like. Look for sites that are easy to navigate as well as pleasing in design. Consider what makes these sites work and use this information in designing the layout of your own site. Try laying out your site on paper - first a page layout, then a flow chart or diagram of the various pages and how they will be linked together.

Here are a few of my favorite design resources.

After your pages are ready, be sure that your visitors will see what you want them to see. At a minimum, view your pages using different versions of Netscape and IE and with your monitor set to different resolutions.

Choose an Editor (optional)

After you are comfortable with HTML, you may want to try using an editor. Without a doubt they make life easier. There are two basic types of editors - text or code based editors and WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors. Here are a few good, inexpensive editors for beginners.

Want more power? My recommendations:

Check the following resource categories for more editor-related resources:

 2. Add Graphics

The graphics you use will have a decided impact on the quality of your site. If your graphics look bad, your site will be unappealing. If your graphics are too large, your download time will suffer.

These tutorials will help you master the basics to creating Web-friendly graphics.

3. Move Your Site to the Web

Finally, it's time to show your site to the world!

Choose a Hosting Service

All hosting companies are not created equal. A little information and research will help you find the right home for your site.

Move Your Site to the Server

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and is simply a method of moving files from one computer to another. Tools available today make moving files an easy task. Some editors include utilities for publishing or uploading Web pages to a server. FrontPage users will want to use the FrontPage Explorer to publish their sites. Others should explore utilities called FTP clients (clients are software that reside on the client computer - your computer).

  • Getting Started with FTP
    Information on what FTP is and how to configure your software. From Hiway Technologies.
  • FTP Clients
    Comparison chart and reviews of the seven hottest FTP clients on the Web. From Builder.com.
  • More FTP Resources
    Additional FTP software and information.

Announce Your Site to the World

Now your site is site up and running, you'll want the world to see it. To get started, submit your pages to the major search engines and directories. Start by learning how the search engines work and what the criteria is for listing your site with each. Before submitting, make sure your pages are ready. Meta, good content, and titles are very important. Take time to learn what techniques will help your ranking and which ones may cause you to be banned from a search engine.

 

Websites that provide tools to build your own Free website

Upsides  -    Not necessary to use complex computer language - wizard does this for you - just
                     point & click!

-    They are mostly Free!!

-          A good way of learning

 

Downside -   Your site may be littered with adverts

-          Not so flexible

-          Restricted web space generally

-          Sometimes only free for a limited period???

 

FreeHomePage  http://www.freehomepage.com/
Good Site - You can use a wizard or use Dreamweaver or other FTP software - Not too many adverts - A good intermediate choice

 

MoonFruit   http://www.moonfruit.com/

Very simple and easy, step by step wizard to build Flash-Based site - make a very smart (but a little slow!!) website in 20 minutes

 

GeoCities  http://www.geocities.com/
GeoCities provides free Personal Home Pages in one of the twenty-four themed communities to anyone with Web access. Free Personal Home Page Program You get a free webpage with 11 megabytes of space, subdirectories to help you organize your files, a full set of tools, technical support and the finest sense of community in cyberspace.

 

Angelfire   http://www.angelfire.com/
Free web pages to any and everyone.  Its free. You get up to 5MB of disk space to use absolutely free. It's easy. Angelfire's Web Shell makes creating a page, publishing your page to the internet and managing your site quick and simple.Just register, create and publish!   You will also be listed in Angelfire's home page directory, where any one on the Internet can browse or search for your page. Edit from anywhere. Keep your web site always up-to-date,wherever you are...but lots of adverts!!

 

Find others at:

 

http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Web_Design_and_Development/Hosting/Free/Personal/

 

Excellent Tips Resource at:

 

http://webdesign.about.com/mbody.htm

 Build web pages from your Microsoft Office Software.

 Word 2003 - Open your document, choose Save As, then Save as type: Web Page (htm, html)

 

 

Note: The extension on the file changes from .doc to .htm - If you have graphics in your word document another folder will be created with your image and/or xml files within - You MUST upload this along with your htm file for your web page to work properly!!

 

Powerpoint 2003 - The same method above applies

Excel 2003 - As Above also

Publisher 2003 - As above but you also have the option of changing the layout yourself as opposed to the "clunky" wizard (Ed's Note: I don't like wizards much but I may go and see Lord of the Rings!!)

 For the more intrepid..

 1. Build your website using commercial off-the-shelf software:

 Dreamweaver MX

FrontPage 2003

 

...are the 2 most popular professional applications.at a cost!!

 

2. Buy your own domain and host on an Internet Service Provider of your choice:

 

Domain i.e. www.nigelnudds.co.uk will cost approx. £10 to £40 per year to register

Hosting can cost anything from £4 to anywhere up to £50 per month depending on the features/web space/bandwidth you choose

 

There are many variables!!!!!!

 

If you would like this file sent to you, so you can click on the many different resource links please email me at: nigelnudds@hotmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Last Update: Wednesday 12 April, 2006 18:06
  This site is Designed and Maintained by Nige