|
|
| Web Design Information |
|
|
|
|
Do-It-Yourself Web Design for Home-Based Businesses
Home-based businesses need a strong web presence to combat the inflated advertising and marketing budgets of their larger competitors, but establishing that presence through a professionally designed and developed web site may not be an affordable option. In many cases, the only cost-effective way to get the web site you want for your business is to do it yourself. Even if you are not experienced in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), you can find helpful programs which will assist you in your design efforts. Trust me, it is not as difficult as it may seem to be. Here are a few tips for finding software to meet your small or home-based business's needs. 1) Know Your Options When it comes to web site creation software, there are three types to choose from: text editors, HTML editors, and WYSIWYG editors. Text editors, which are basically any word processing program such as Word or Notepad, require extensive HTML knowledge. NoteTab Light (Freeware) HTML editors are much like text editors except they include additional features to aid inexperienced users, such as color-coded tags and pre-prepared CGI and Java scripts. If you have little or no experience with HTML, WYSIWYG editor is a better choice. HTML Kit (Freeware) Web-O-Rama (Donationware) WYSIWYG, which stands for What You See is What You Get, programs like FrontPage or DreamWeaver allow you to design the pages' appearance without writing code. You pick what you want and the program automatically generates the code. Macromedia Dreamweaver ($399) (Recommended) NetObjects Fusion ($149.95) 2) Look for the Features You Need When you start browsing for web site software, you'll want to look for a few key features, such as ready-made templates, wizards (they make many tasks easier and quicker), auto-backup, and pre-built code. Remember to also keep in mind your own level of HTML experience. If you are inexperienced, then you will want plenty of templates and wizards to help you along. Likewise, if you feel comfortable working with code, then you may want to choose programs without all of the bells, whistles, and help since they will cost you less. 3) Do Some Research Never buy a program, especially not one for business, without trying it out first. Most of these programs have demos or free trials available on their manufacturers' web sites. You can also check with sites such as CNET.com or Epinions to get an idea of which programs are being recommended by users. Check with popular computer magazines for their experts' input as well. All of this research will give you a good idea of which programs to explore and which to avoid when you are making your final buying decision. 4) Keep in Mind Your Budget Depending on which type of web design program you choose, your costs will vary dramatically. Text editors, for example, are often already on your computer. Notepad, a feature of Windows, makes a very usable text editor and will cost you nothing extra. HTML editors, on the other hand, can cost anywhere from $30 to $100 while WYSIWYGs are priced between $70 to $500 and up. Well-known brands, such as Adobe and MacroMedia, will cost more but the quality of their programs and the stability of their company make them a better choice than the inexpensive software from unknown vendors. Also, be sure to look for programs that offer free or reduced price upgrades so you continue to get the most from your software without paying full price again every two or three years. With these tips, you should have no trouble finding an HTML program that fits your needs and your experience level so you can create your own professional-looking web site without draining your business's budget. -----SIDE BAR----- Vishal P. Rao is the owner of: http://www.work-at-home-forum.com/ An online community of people who work at home.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Force Your Visitors to Order Immediately! This may comes as a surprise to you but, if you're using popups on your website (which you should), then chances are you're using them all wrong. Almost everybody is. Give Your Web Wite Visitors What They Really Want - Information! Surfing the internet is basically an information-fest! From intellectual discussions to the bizarre...people surf the internet for information more than products or services. Through sites that offer information -sales are generated indirectly which is perfect. By offering valuable information to your visitors, you start a marketing relationship just by creating value in your website. Dos and Donts in Web Design - part 1 (design) Do use a consistent look and feel Your site should stand out as a whole. Use the same look and feel for all the pages at your site. This way your visitors have a sense of recognition when they visit various pages. Using stylesheets makes it much easier to maintain the look and feel of numerous pages. Ten Tips For Your Web Site Home Page 1. Loading time: Testament To Testimonials We have all seen websites showcasing their testimonials either spread strategically throughout the site or all together on their own glorious page. They're there with the intent of leading us toward that high dollar purchase or convincing us of something's legitimacy. Sometimes we read them and sometimes we won't. Sometimes we believe them and sometimes we don't. Well, are they really worth all the time and effort? Congratulations! You?ve Gotten Visitors To Your Site! Now, Can They Find What Theyre Looking For? As search engine marketers, we spend an enormous amount of time trying to get targeted traffic to our site. But, once those visitors get to our site, can they find what they're looking for? If not, guess what? We've lost a customer. Immutable Laws Of Effective Navigation - Part 1 The first immutable law of effective navigation: It's gotta be readily available. HTML - A Website Language Explained - For Over 35s This is a very perfunctory look at the website code HTML, for those who never did any kind of Computer Studies at school and have never had the need or opportunity to look 'under the skirt' of your average website. There's nothing that an experienced webmaster will find here that's not very basic, but for those who have just begun to discover the 'website' and especially those venturing into... maybe starting one of their own, here's a basic understanding to pique the interest and possibly kick-start the learning process. 3 Simple Ways To Dramatically Improve Your Website Before you start worrying about marketing your website on the internet it always pays dividends to look at the website itself and get the fundamentals right before looking to shout about it from the virtual mountain-tops. The Most Important Question To Ask About Your Web Site! When you design a website how do you start ? Designing Professional Web Pages If your Web site doesn't project a professional and polished image to your visitors, your credibility and that of your products and services will suffer. Image is everything -- especially online where your competitor is only one mouse click away! Moving Things Around How often, men, have you come home to find the living room furniture in different places? Your wife said she was ready for something different, so she moved some things around. It may have been inconvenient at first, but deep inside it felt good to have things a little different at home. Maybe by moving the couch over there it made the room seem bigger. By moving the TV over on that wall gave the room a sense of coziness. Ten Design Mistakes to Avoid Avoid these mistakes and your site will be steps ahead of your competition. Does Your Homepage Work? All websites have a homepage. It is the most important page of your site. It acts as the main gateway to the entire site. Most of your prospective customers will enter through it. Its vital to get it right. You dont want them to just turn around and go away again. Click Here See, works every time. Seriously now, for some reason people keep leaving your website and you can't figure out why. Try putting a "Click Here" button at the bottom of your page that does not specify where it will redirect your customer to. This link should lead to a more interesting page; one that you feel should not be missed. It is amazing that people fall for this, no matter how bored they are on your site, with a "Click Here" button; chances are many people will push it just to see what happens. Some people even get a little deceptive and play mind games by putting a "Don't Click Here" button on their page. OF COURSE you'll click a "Don't Click Here," it is human nature. Your Graphics- Are They Really Working For You? (Making Your Graphics Work For You) Creating A Quality Web Site Design! In this article, I will attempt to cover the basics of creating a great quality web design template for your site. Now it's a known fact that the layout or "eye candy" as I put it will determine whether your visitors will stay more than 15 seconds or they will just become another statistic. Web Templates: Replacing Designers? I've seen articles (and websites) that suggest you can buy a website template and skip the expense of hiring a professional website designer. Recently, I read several testimonials from the very satisfied customers of a website template vendor that mentioned how quickly they were able to get their sites done. The template vendor commented that he/she had known people to complete their websites in around two hours. 10 Tips for Killer Website Design Does website design make a difference in how long people will visit your website or if they'll stay and shop? You bet. You've seen the websites that scream "bad idea" and you know those folks are losing potential customers to their ineffective website design. Whether you are an internet newbie or an experienced marketer, you should understand that good website design is part of the success equation. So Much About META Tags! I've written about META tags in the past, and I thought I'd help you expand your search engine optimization efforts and increase your web hits.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2005 |