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 Beginner
 Intermediate
 Advanced
Planning Your
Web Site - involves a four phase
approach — setting your strategy, developing your design, technical production,
and implementation. To be effective, work them in order. Otherwise you will
end up with a disjointed hodgepodge of broken dreams and unfulfilled
aspirations.
HTML Basics - Hypertext Markup is the
language of the World Wide Web. It is also what you will need to learn if
you want to join us here. It isn't difficult so far as programming goes,
it's nicely structured, and it's your ticket to fun, education, and perhaps
even wealth. We'll begin with the basic "tags", progress to some
of the intermediate techniques like formatting, and finish with samples
of multimedia construction. So put on your thinking caps, get ready to take
notes, and welcome to the world of HTML.
HTML Advanced Topics - If you think
you're ready to move on, we've prepared instruction for some of the more
esoteric HTML constructs. Take a look at our tutorials on tables, forms,
frames, and Cascading Style Sheets. We warn you though, if you really pay
attention, you might just become an expert.
Dynamic HTML - Web page designers have
traditionally used frames and tables to control elements' placement, but
this still doesn't allow for absolute control of the elements on the page
because the page size changes as users reshape their browser windows.
Dynamic HTML promises to change all that. DHTML is an extension of (or
addition to) HTML --- that gives Web page designers absolute control over
elements' coordinates on a page, and also opens the door for the addition
of new multimedia elements. The mouseover change of the DHTML graphic above
is a simple example of what you can learn to do yourself. Come on in.
Web Graphics - Undoubtedly the most time
consuming task in building web pages, at least for us anyway, creating
graphics can also be one of the most enjoyable activities you undertake.
You are limited only by your creativity, and perhaps your software budget, but
remember that graphics play a vital role in catching your visitor's eye. From
3D rendering to animation effects, stimulating your viewer's
imagination will keep them coming back.
Layout and Design - Boldly stepping into
territory where we have no business, you'll find advice for the
no-talent artist (been there, done that), enhancements for readability with
margins and page alignment, as well as some examples of color spectrum do's and
don'ts. What will these guys think of next?
Web Site Promotion - Those who wait for the
world to surf in will eventually give up, or die waiting.
Your Internet efforts are only beginning with the launch of your perfect web site.
On the Net as in the traditional marketing world, if no one knows you exist they
will not come to visit. Establishing a reputation takes as much effort in cyberspace
as it does in real life. Strategies and techniques are different, but for both,
it is an ongoing, evolving process. Here are some online promotion basics to get
your Web site noticed and keep it visible.
Digital Photography - The ability to take
photographs and store them electronically without the use of film. This is
becoming quite popular as more and more people get PC's and the technology
improves. So why is digital photography interesting? Instant gratification --
images can be seen on the camera, seconds after being taken. No film or
processing costs -- pictures are stored electronically in the camera's memory.
Flexibility in producing prints -- manipulate images on your PC to get the
effect and picture you want. Smaller, cheaper and more versatile than a
darkroom -- a PC and printer takes up little room, doesn't smell of chemicals
and doesn't require you to black out the room (unless you're looking at pics
of your high school reunion!)
Desktop Publishing - From design to print,
to Web or other media, DTP encompasses all the components and techniques we have
learned to this point. It requires imagination, patience, and training.
There are many
different software packages available for DTP, some for illustration and
drawing, others for painting and photo-editing, and others for 'page-layout'.
Which one you use depends upon the kind of document you are creating, and
also on personal preferences. Usually individual 'elements' are created in
a program best suited to them, then all these elements are arranged together
in a 'page-layout' program. We'll put a ribbon around it for your here.
If you are having difficulties
with your regular web hosting company, you may look into one that specializes in
php hosting. Where some
internet marketing company standards require small
PHP includes for tracking or logging, they do not affect the
web design, but may hinder
performance if 'heavy.' Web site owners need more than just
domain hosting but rarely need an
entire web server
or dedicated hosting.
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