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PageOur Design Professionals are experts at Database Development and Online Marketing
Web Site Design 101
Building a Web Site
Building a web site, can be challenging, frustrating and rewarding all at the same time. If you are in the process of either building a new web site, or re-designing an existing web site, you will probably agree that it can be difficult. There are many online resources that can help you to build that first web site, or to add new features to your site. Here are a few sites that may help you out on your quest:
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Web Monkey |
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15 Seconds |
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Advanced Html for Beginners |
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Flash Kit |
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Javascripts |
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Photoshop Lover |
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Search Engine Watch |
There are also many popular technologies that you will want to look into regarding your web site. Do you want animation? Do you want to use Cascading Style Sheets? What browsers do you want to be compatible with? Do you need a database? Do you need server side programming?
If you plan to sell products, then you will definitely want to visit Web Monkey, and do some serious research databases and how they work. Web Monkey can be an invaluable resource that can help you to learn about how to configure your database, setup tables, fields, and connect to it from your web server.
Macromedia's Flash is the most popular web animation software in use today. If you have seen moving pictures or moving text on the internet, it was probably created using Flash Software. This software should be used by a professional, to get the most out of it.
Waiting for web pages to load, can be the biggest mistake that a novice web designer can make. The software is out there to help you make beautiful web sites, with flowing graphics, eye catching animation, and javascript to add just enough of a professional appeal to wow any visitor. BUT!!! always remember...that not everyone has a cable or dsl connection. Most people are still connection to the internet using 56k modems.
You must design your site so that NO PAGE TAKES MORE THAN 7 SECONDS TO LOAD!!!
The best solution would be load times that are less than 5 seconds, but this may not always be possible. Just remember to always keep it simple and informative. People use the internet to gather information. If the want to see a movie or be wow'd by graphics, they'll go to the movies or flip on the TV set.
Learn More our Los Angeles web site Design
Building a Web Site (Continued)
Once you get an idea about what you technology or features you want on your site, you'll need to start the process of building the site. There are many different HTML editors that you can use to build your pages, and there are differences to all of them. The two most popular HTML editors are Macromedia's Dreamweaver and Microsoft's Frontpage. No matter which software you decide is best for you, remember that browser compatibility is a major issue for any web site that you design.
Unfortunately HTML has not yet been standardized, so web pages will look different in different browsers. There are good programming techniques that can be applied to make the pages look the same in different browsers that. Don't forget to also check the different versions for the browsers. Most people are currently using Netscape 4 or higher and Microsoft Explorer 4 or higher. You probably will be wasting your time if you check your browser compatibility back further than that.
If you are planning to provide content that frequently changes, whether it is products or information, you will certainly want to setup your web site using a database. You can check our article discussing Database Design 101 to learn more about using a database with your web site. If you are more experience with databases, but want to know more about the services that we can offer, move forward to our SQL Programming article.
Most web hosting companies provide database servers and you simply need to sign up with the proper account to gain access. Once you have accessibility to an online database, you will need to use a server side programming language such as ASP, JSP, or PHP to display the data on your web pages. This type of web site design can become quite complex and you may require professional assistance when your web site reaches this size.
Don't get overwhelmed about your web site, and the site design. If you have design questions, please don't hesitate to visit our contact us page. If you are building your own site or want to find out about the services we offer, please visit our Contact Us page and we will be glad to help you.
Remember, when building a web site, it is never done. If you are a
homeowner, equate it to working in the yard, or cleaning the house. There
is always....always....ALWAYS...something that can be done. And similar
to improving your house, a web site can provide similar benefits such as
increased wealth.
