If you're feeling left out of the mad scramble to establish a presence on the Internet, relax — you're not alone. And it's not too late.
Despite the hype, many small businesses, clubs, and families still don't have Web sites. And, even if you already have a site, you're not alone if you're still trying to figure out how to make it better or more profitable, or you've come to the realization that it's time to redesign.
These days, it seems that every TV commercial, movie trailer, magazine insert, and grocery store bulletin board warns that any serious business owner needs to have a Web site, and most families, clubs, and even pet snakes do, too.
Although that's increasingly true, building a presence on the Internet isn't something you should do just because everyone else is doing it, and it isn't all bad if you've waited this long to make the Web a priority. Too many people have raced to put up Web sites without taking the time to consider how the Web fits in with their other goals and how they can best take advantage of what the Web has to offer.
If you've waited until now, you may even be better off because the Internet has matured, its audience has matured (it isn't populated solely by teenagers and academics anymore), and building a Web site has become easier than ever. If you're ready for a redesign of your first site, you have the advantage of being able to benefit from your own and everyone else's mistakes.
This book is designed to help you progress through the entire process of creating a site, from registering a domain name, to creating a compelling design, to attracting just the right audience.
But you don't have to read this book from cover to cover, and you certainly don't have to memorize it. Web Sites Do-It-Yourself For Dummies was written to help you find the answers you need when you need them. Consider this book a quick guide and a reference you can return to. Each part stands alone, giving you easy answers to specific questions and step-by-step instructions for common tasks. If you want to find out how to choose a hosting service, optimize images, or add video to your site, just jump right in and go directly to the section that most interests you. And don't worry about spilling coffee on the pages if you bring the book to breakfast — I promise it won't complain!
I designed this book using what I consider the best technologies for someone who wants to create their own, custom Web site. If you picked up this book, I assume that you're not an advanced programmer and that you don't want to hire a team of expensive Web consultants. You want to do it yourself.
To help you create the best site you can without your having to invest a million dollars, or a million hours, I based the step-by-step tasks in each chapter on the technologies that I think offer all the features you need yet are relatively easy to figure out with a little guidance. For images, you find instructions for using Photoshop Elements, a popular and competitively priced image program that you can use to create, edit, and optimize images so that they download quickly. If you already have Adobe Photoshop, you can use that program instead; the instructions work for both programs. For the pages of your site, you find step-by-step instructions for Adobe Dreamweaver, as well as a variety of templates you can download for free to go along with this book so you can create a professionally designed Web site quickly. If you want to use other programs or services, you find alternatives in handy sidebars near the relevant step-by-step tasks. For example, if you want to use Microsoft Expression Web instead of Adobe Dreamweaver, no problem, you'll find templates on the companion Web site that will work with both programs and instructions for using both.
To help you get the most from this book, I created a special section at my Digital Family Web site with files and templates you can download and use as you follow along with the step-by-step tasks. You also find a FAQ (frequently asked questions), links, additional resources, and updates. To get all these goodies, just enter the following address in your Web browser:
www.digitalfamily.com/diy
You need a password to get into this protected site, but if you have this book with you when you log on, you have everything you need to answer a simple question on the Web site and gain access right away.
After you are authorized to enter the Web site, you'll find instructions for downloading the images and templates, which give you a head start in creating a full-fledged site of your own. Along with this book, you get a collection of templates designed to create an online profile, an artist portfolio, a business site, and a family or hobby site. And, you can customize the look and feel of all these templates to use them to create any type of site for your corner of the Web.
Throughout this book, you find references to the Web site and the templates and other goodies that go with the step-by-step tasks.
Keeping things consistent makes them easier to understand. In this book, those consistent elements are conventions. Notice how the word conventions is in italics? That's a convention I use frequently. I put new terms in italics and then define them so that you know what they mean.
When I type URLs (Web addresses) or e-mail addresses within regular paragraph text, they look like this: www.jcwarner.com. Sometimes, however, I set off a URL on its own line, like this:
www.jcwarner.com
That's so you can easily spot URLs on a page if you want to type them into your browser to visit a site. I also assume that your Web browser doesn't require the introductory http:// for Web addresses. If you use an older browser, remember to type this part before the address. (Also make sure to include that part of the address when you're creating links.)
Even though programs like Dreamweaver make knowing the HTML code unnecessary, you may want to wade into the HTML waters occasionally. When I include HTML, such as the following code to link a URL to a Web page, I set off the HTML in the same monofont type as I use for URLs:
<A HREF="http://www.jcwarner.com">Janine's Web Site</A>
When I introduce you to a new set of features, such as options in a dialog box, I set these items apart with bullets so that you can see that they're all related. When I want you to follow instructions, I use numbered steps to walk you through the process.
Although this book is designed to help you create a professional-looking Web site, I don't assume that you're a pro — at least not yet. In keeping with the philosophy behind the For Dummies series, this easy-to-use guide is designed for readers with a wide range of experience. Being interested in Web design and wanting to create a Web site is the key, but that desire is all I expect from you.
To ease you through the learning curve associated with any new program, I organized Web Sites Do-It-Yourself For Dummies, 2nd Edition, to be a complete reference. This section provides a breakdown of the four parts of the book and what you can find in each one.
Part I: Laying the Groundwork
Part I gets you started in creating a Web site and helps you lay a solid foundation for your site. In Chapter 1, I introduce you to the many ways you can create a Web site to help you find the best template, technology, and software you'll need for your project. In Chapter 2, I walk you through the planning process, which can save you a lot of time in the long run. In Chapter 3, you find out how to register a domain name, and I give you tips for selecting the best Web server hosting service. And then in Chapter 4, I introduce you to just enough Web technologies, including HTML, CSS to give you a head start on your Web site.
Part II: Putting the Pages Together
In Chapter 5, I move on to graphics, with an introduction to creating graphics for the Web, an overview of the differences in formats (GIF, JPEG, and PNG files), and a selection of tips for optimizing images so that they download quickly. In Chapter 6, you find an introduction to Dreamweaver, and in Chapters 7, 8, and 9, you get step-by-step instructions for personalizing the many templates that come with this book. In Chapter 10, you discover the Dreamweaver testing and publishing features so that you can publish your pages to the Internet as soon as you're ready.
Part III: Going Web 2.0
In Part III, I go beyond basic Web design, by giving you instructions for creating a blog in Chapter 11 and for recording and publishing a podcast in Chapter 12. In Chapter 13, you find a review of the many audio, video, and animation formats and instructions for how to add multimedia to your Web site. In Chapter 14, I "show you the money" with instructions for including advertising and affiliates on your pages as well as for adding e-commerce options to sell products and services.
Part IV: The Part of Tens
Chapter 15 includes ten cool Web services that can help you add advanced features to your site without having to know how to program. Finally, Chapter 16 features ten ways to promote your site, because after you do all the work of creating an outstanding Web site, you want to make sure to attract a good audience.
Note
This icon reminds you of an important concept or procedure that you should store away in your memory banks for later use.
Tip
This icon indicates a tip or technique that can save you time and money — and headaches — later.
Warning
This icon warns you of any potential pitfalls — and gives you the all-important information on how to avoid them.