Building Your First Web Page

Class #1

We are typing in "Notepad" (found in Windows Accessories) Return to Class Index
Action (Planning Stage):   Example:
Please take a few moments before you build each new web page to stop and consider:

 

  • Why?
  • What?
  • Who?

 

   Why do I want to have this page of information visible to everyone?

What do I hope to accomplish?

  • Is this for promoting my business or myself.
  • Am I going to ask someone to buy something?
  • Am I looking for employment?
  • Can the site be self sustaining?
  • Will this be a sales tool or a marketing/promotional Site?

Who is going to view this page?

  • A family history page would certainly have a different look or feel to it compared to the technical details of a new product.
  • Will my audience have all the newest bells and whistles on their computer or should I just stay very basic in my page design.
How?

The How will depend on:

  • Why?
  • What?
  • Who?

That decision will be based on creativity and the best use of company dollars.

   You will be able to build basic pages yourself once you understand the basics.

If the site is for your business you may:

  • have one of your staff built the pages
  • seek out a professional web developer.

How and where will you budget for this project:

  • Can you afford to hire someone permanently?
  • Can you take someone off his or her current assignment?
  • Would it be better to have someone else get the site up and then do the updates in-house? ("Pay as you go?")
Action (Computer Stage):   Results:
Set up a Project File:
  • Set up new directory on your hard drive (in our examples we call it "testpage".
  • All our work should be saved to that file:

Software Needed:

We will be using "notepad". It's available under "Accessories" from your "Start" menu. It's Free!

For now, don't go buy a web page editor until you have a little more knowledge of how you will proceed.

Save all work in ACSII text format and saved with extension ".htm"

Example: testpage.htm

   "testpage" and any or all subdirectories
  • can be transferred to the Internet together.
  • should not have any broken or lost links between pages

Note: Any site of more than one page will usually have a separate "graphics" sub-directory/file. A separate graphics file allows your pages to load faster, take up less room, and by changing one file it changes all pages that use that graphic. (for example: the company logo)

Software:

There are many different editors available.

  • Hot Dog
  • Spider
  • Hot Metal Pro
  • Front Page

Most office "suites" also have programs included. Since HTML is <tag> based, any text editor will work.

By saving your work with the ending ".htm", you will be able to see it from you browser.
Questions?

Ask: John Henderson

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