You've got a concept for a business, are excited about putting
it out on the Internet, know a little bit about computers and
the Internet, but know nothing about building a web site, or
web design.
You can still be highly successful and save money by doing the
job yourself so long as you've got the willingness to learn and
the time to spend on the project. It can be fun . and it should
be.
The contents of this article will greatly improve your knowledge
of web design without causing you to feel overwhelmed. Keep this
article as a reference point, check off each part as you go through
the process of development, and, in due time, you will have an
effective web site for marketing the information, product, or
service you wish to provide to your customers.
Domain Name
Keep it short and relevant to your business. Do not get
frustrated trying to lock down a domain name by settling on
anything to get you web space. You will soon realize that every
word on your web site has relevancy to its success. Register for
no less than two years. Serious businesses don't renew yearly.
You have to show that you're going to be sticking around.
Web Hosting
Don't mess around with small time web hosting. Affiliate
yourself with a reputable company that provides top-notch
service, as the rewards with regards to security and support
are worth the extra dollar.
Web Site Construction
The basis by which people choose to build their web site is at
their discretion. Microsoft FrontPage is a worthy choice for
those of you who are new to web development and starting from
scratch. Instead of reading books to learn about web design and
development, you may be much better off using Google, MSN, or
Yahoo to find the answers to your questions. Use "quotations"
around your question in a search bar to get more specific
answers.
Layout
Building your web site on a template is a fine way to start,
but you may want to learn how to build from nothing. The mistakes
that you may make along the way will prove invaluable. It is
strongly recommended that you go with Tables instead of Frames,
and if you don't have a clue what either means, just do a little
reading about the two on the Internet before you start building.
Resolution
It would be a safe bet to keep your web site at no more than 750
pixels wide, regardless of the fact that more and more people are
going to 1024x768. If your site is geared towards older folk,
then you can count on the majority being at 800x600 for easier
reading. You don't want to alienate your visitors by having them
scroll to see the whole page. Be sure to check that your web
site pages show up the same in all browsers.
The Intro
Never ever put "Under Construction" or any other type of phrase
that says that you are incomplete on your web site. Your site is
young... it is never incomplete. Try to refrain from saying
"Welcome to ...". You should think of your web space as being
real estate. The space you use up with unnecessary text is a
waste of advertising.
The Text
Keywords, their place on a web page, whether they are bolded or
not, and the number of times each word appears on a web page are
factors that determine how high you end up in search results.
HTML Tags
Before I say anything further, don't get freaked out by HTML
code. It not as hard as it looks. Again, do a little reading on
the Internet . this time about Meta Tags and Keywords. You will
have to make sure that your Title, Description, and Keyword Meta
Tags are bang on with the text on each web page you build. You
can use many free Tag Analyzers found on the Internet to check
relevancies.
Graphics
Graphics increase load time and looks. There's a fine line
between too little and too much. Use customers, not friends
and family to gauge what is appropriate for the way your web
site will look.
Random Tips
You may need to read a little to learn how to implement some
of these tips, but nonetheless, they are here for your
consideration to improve the placement of your web site in
search results:
Make sure your <title> is right below the <head> in
the HTML code Use one or two keywords in an ALT Tag to describe
your images. Get links pointing at you from sites sharing similar content.
About the Author
Austin Culley, Chief Operating Officer for
Oil-Net.Com Inc.
