BUILD
A TEMPLATE
Now that you have the majority of the site thought out, it's
time to build a template for designing the pages. The advantage of making a
template is that the pages stay consistent as you build them. Now comes the time
to think about backgrounds, colors, navigation links, logos or main graphics,
etc.
Backgrounds: Pick a background which doesn't distract
from the text. Plain white is still the best in my opinion.
Navigation is usually one of four methods: Frames navigation
bar, top navigation links, left navigation links, bottom navigation links. You
also need to think of graphical navigation buttons vs. text hyperlinks. Each has
advantages and disadvantages. If you aren't going to use frames (and I
wouldn't), you may want to play with your navigation links in a blank "what
if" page to work out the look (view it in multiple browsers). Then, copy it
into the template when you're done.
Colors: Colors need to compliment one another. You
should also stay consistent from page to page with link colors, graphic colors,
background colors, etc. I would stay away from harsh, bright colors, especially
for text.
Logos or graphics: Make sure the graphics match the
purpose and help convey the overall theme of the site. Stay away from animated
graphics initially. You can always add them later if they help the purpose.
FILE/FOLDER
ORDER
Something most web design tips do not address is how you want
to organize your files. There are a couple of standard methods:
-
Free for all: Everything (HTML, GIFs, JPEGs) gets put
in one folder. This works for small sites but becomes an organization
nightmare for larger sites.
-
Images/Pages separate: HTML pages go in one folder
with graphics in a subfolder.
-
Sections in own folders: Each section gets its own
folder with its own graphics folders.
This may seem a little ridiculous to be discussing, but when you have 120 pages
and 500 graphics all in the same folder, you'll wonder why you didn't think of
it from the start. After you have all those pages built, changing the
file/folder order is a huge pain in the behind.
BUILD
IT
Now, and only now,
can you really start thinking about building your site. Be very sure that you
look at your purpose and objectives while you build it. As you add elements ask
yourself, "Does this match my purpose and help me meet my objectives?"
Good luck!
Take advantage of our free resources,
knowledge and experience in the best home based business opportunities on
the Internet.