Once you finish planning your web site (see previous article), you are ready to start building. These are the things you'll need to do:
1. Work out your design concept & build template.
2. Scan/create/edit graphics.
3. Input code, text, and graphics into your template.
4. Upload your site.
5. Test your site.
----Your design concept
The way your site appears to first-time and continuing users is important to the overall impression you'll make on your site's visitors. When I am working on a web site, I usually start out "on paper" by sketching out different designs. Remember to keep in mind that you'll need to include navigation buttons/links, room for headers and footers, room for the text, as well as any additional features you decide you might need. Once you have figured out the layout for your homepage, you are ready to start building!
One tip to remember when considering your design: Not all web browsers are equal. Although the most common web browsers (Netscape Communicator & MS Explorer) have been consistently updated by their respective companies, not everyone uses the most up-to-date versions. This means that not everyone's web browser will accommodate JavaScript, frames, and other features that you might want to include on your web site. This doesn't mean, however, that you should avoid features like frames or JavaScript in your site. Just be aware of some users' browser limitations.
----Your site's graphics
Part of the beauty of the web is that you can combine text and graphics in attractive and useful ways. The graphics you use can make or break your site, so create them carefully. Some tips to consider when creating graphics:
** The size and resolution of computer screens varies, and you won't be able to build a single page to suit everyone's needs. The best you can do is to try to reach the greatest common denominator. My suggestion is to work to build your graphics to accommodate an 800x600 monitor.
** Most people surf the web over a modem--56K/V.90 being the fastest modems available. While this speed allows for a faster connection than was available only a few years ago, it still takes a long time for large files (like graphics) to download. To minimize this problem, make sure you set your graphics' resolutions at 72 dpi (this is the highest that most computer monitors are able to resolve) to keep the size of those graphics files to a minimum.
