Contents:

1. Introduction
2. What is Needed
3. Basic Steps
4. Tips For Web Site Building

Introduction:

Creating a web page may be easier than people think. The personal web space is an area where a user can show pictures, provide information, post a resume, or even sell products! This guide should explain everything needed to get started.

What is Needed:

• Personal web space:
  The personal web space should be provided by the ISP (Internet service provider). When the space is set up the user should be given the following information. Make sure to write everything down!
  • Username
    This may or may not be the same as the primary email address.
  • Password
  • Host Name
  • URL 
    
• HTML Editing Software:
  If proficient in HTML, the pages can be written in any text program, such as WordPad or Notepad. If new to HTML, or don't know any HTML software at all, there are some programs that can help to create a web page.
  
  
  • Microsoft Expression Web
  • HTMLKit
  • Adobe Contribute 4
  • Coffee Cup HTML Editor
  • Arachnophilia
  
  (Note: These listings are provided as a resource for our customers. These listings are not an endorsement of a product. We do not support these products) 
  
• 
  
• FTP Software:  
  FTP (File Transfer Protocol) software is what transports the finished web pages from the computer to the web. There are various programs available which can perform this function.
  • Core FTP Lite (Windows)
  • Fetch (Macintosh)

  (Note: These listings are provided as a resource for our customers. These listings are not an endorsement of a product. We do not support these products)

• Also Useful: Picture Editing Software
  It is a good idea, if the site will have a lot of images, to keep them to a consistent size. Picture editing software can help resize large, or oddly shaped photos.

Basic Steps:

• Step 1:
  Verify that everything needed to create the web space is on hand. Check the list above to make sure everything needed is available.
  
• Step 2:
  Create the content. HTML can be used to write the code for the site, or use a WYSIWYG HTML editing program to do it. (WYSIWYG stands for "What you see is what you get " which means a graphical interface is used instead of text)
  
  *Important Note*
  
  The home page, or the first page everyone sees when they go to the site MUST be named index.html. This is very important to remember, because without a file named index.html uploaded to there web space, the site will not show!
  
  For information on HTML, check our Basic HTML Guide, or these other helpful resources:
  
  • WebMonkey
  • W3schools
  • Webdesign
    
• Step 3:
  Configure the FTP Software. When the FTP software opens for the first time, it should ask the user to enter the information needed to connect to the web space. It is very important to get spelling and capitalization correct or the program won't be able to access the site.
  
• Step 4:
  Upload to the web site. When uploading, make sure to upload the file index.html. This file will need to be in the main directory and not in a folder. Also make sure to upload any images used on the site or they will not display.
  
  For detailed information on uploading using Core FTP Lite check out our Uploading Walk-Thru Guide
  
• Step 5:
  View the web page. To access the page, use the URL given by the ISP (Internet service provider). If the page does not display, links do not work, or images do not display, check out this Troubleshooting Guides for assistance.

Tips For Building Your web site:

• Keep it simple
  The most common mistake that most people make is trying to be too fancy. Every single bell and whistle available is not needed to produce a good web site. The user should figure out what he or she is trying to do with the site first, then think about how to best present the design.
  
• Do use images
  Images make a web site interesting and fun to look at.
  
• Keep images to a consistent size
  Don't use images that are extremely large as it may slow down a user's browser or even lock up the computer. It's also a good idea to not use images that are so tiny that they are impossible to see.
  
• Do not display too many images on one page
  The more images on a page, the longer the page takes to load. It's a good idea to have as few images as possible. If posting photos for others to look at it may be a good idea to use thumbnails (a smaller version) of the images. Visitors to the site can click the thumbnail if they want to see the larger version.
  
  There are a few programs that can help with thumbnail creation.
  
  • EZthumbs
  • Etrusoft
    
• Refrain from over-using animated images
  Animated images can slow browsers, distract viewers and alienate users of the site. They can also clash inharmoniously with each other and the design. It is generally considered good practice, if animated images are used, to only have one or 2 per page and to keep them small.
  
• Do use spell check
  Spelling and grammar are important if the user wants to be understood!
  
• Do use short, easily spelled, all lower case file & image names.
  Spelling and capitalization is everything when trying to call an image, file, or link on a web page. The more files and images on the site, the more important this becomes.
  
• For more information on web design check out the following links:
  
  • Web Hosting Wit
  • WebMonkey
  • W3schools