Archive for August, 2008
8 Steps To Web Site Designing
When designing a website there are 8 main steps you should always follow and understand. When you come to understand these 8 steps you will begin to start enjoying web site designing.
So, let’s get started at web site designing:
1. Layout – the layout of your site is important, it is important to keep your background white and lettering black this makes it easier to read for your visitors.
2. User Friendly – your site also needs to be user friendly, this simply means that when someone comes to your website, they will be able to find things easily without having to second guess links and buttons.
3. Content – the foundation of your website and success is your content, you need to take extra credit when it comes to writing content for your web site designing. Also try to keep it interesting and informative to keep your customers coming back to learn more. You should always have a way for people to opt into for a free report or ebook so you can capture their information and start building a list.
4. Search Engine Optimization – it is important that your site be search engine friendly by using keyword research and implementing keywords in appropriate places.
5. Meta Tags – these tags are invisible to the normal viewer but are essential to helping you rank with search engines. It is important you know what your meta tags are and using them wisely
6. Domain name – choosing a domain name can mean the difference between success or failure with your website. Choosing the wrong domain name can definitely hurt you. For example, if you were web site designing for dogs you wouldn’t want a domain name referring to cars.
7. Sitemap – putting a sitemap on your web site is always a good idea, as it helps with search engines to find you. It also can make finding things on your site easier for your customers. You can do this a few different ways, you can list all your pages on your sitemap, or you can put some articles relating to your website, either way it is a good idea to put a sitemap on your website.
8. Support – if your website will have customers you need to consider setting up a professional support system so customers can easily contact you or your staff with their questions, both before a sale and after a sale.
Keeping these 8 steps in mind while designing your website you will be on your way to having a good web site designing technique. One of the things I’ve learned is to keep your simple and clean, don’t get carried away with putting a bunch of banners and flashy things up, it only distracts your visitors from doing what they came to your site to do, either buy from you or sign up for your service or product.
So keep it simple and clean!
You can learn all the basics step by step on How to build a websiteYou can view products and resources to help you with your webside designing
As always please leave your comments or questions below, Happy designing!
Tags: how to build a website, web site design, website, website designRelated posts
Web Hosting – Do You Need it
When it comes to deciding to putting a website online, there are things that most don’t seem to think about. Web Hosting is one of them. In order to have a website you must have it hosted. Now what does this really mean?
Think of it in these terms – getting web hosting is the small as renting a home or apartment. Your new website needs to live somewhere
You are basicly paying for your hosting the same way you pay your rent or mortgage each month. It is a necessity.
Web hosting, just like any apartment or house, you can get it with all the bells and whistles or with nothing at all.
It doesn’t matter at all how big or small your website will be or become, you Must have web hosting. This also gives you your own email address associated with your domain name.
In my other post/article I talked about the 6 features of hosting and what to look for, but the most important thing you must make sure your web hosting provider has is tech support. You are going to need it. Even if you know a lot about hosting and the programming end, there are times when things are just out of your control and you must speak with them.
The most important thing you need to do is research, not all web hosting companies are same and offer the same support or features. As most hosting companies do offer email addresses, and ftp access, some actually do not give you access to a cpanel or provide the greatest support.
On the web today more and more people are turning to Blogs, and for good reasons, if you wish to have a blog on your website you need to make sure that you have access to your cpanel where you can install your blog free.
I for one have been around for a long time now and have had many web hosting providers, I still find Hostgator to one of the best online. They have outstanding support, one time I had an issue with them at 10pm PST and I called them, (they are 3 hours ahead of me) you know what, a real live person answered the phone, and within minutes fixed my problem 
I strongly recommend too that you avoid the free hosting companies out there, they just aren’t reliable and there is usually no support available for you. Also, as you build your website and need more bandwidth or space, they don’t provide it unless you upgrade and start paying for it. Why do this when you can just get good reliable web hosting to start out with.
In close, just remember that if you want your website to be live online where others can find you then consider getting web hosting that you can count on.
Laura
from Laurasbasicstowebdesign
Tags: hostgator, HOSTING, web design, web hosting, website