How do I create a web site?

 

 

 

There are many programs that you can use to help you develop a web site. Some of these programs are very costly while others are packaged for free within other programs you may already have on your computer. The type of program you choose to create your web site will depend on how much computer knowledge you possess and how much time you are willing to commit.

Although daunting at first, it is highly recommended that you take time out to learn at least the basics of HTML (hypertext markup language) before using any program to build a web site. Although there are many programs you can use that require zero knowledge of HTML, it is still a good idea to understand the basics in case something goes wrong. The programs that require no knowledge of HTML are referred to as WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) programs. Another words, you don't write any code. You merely type in the information and insert the picture or audio files as you want it to appear on the page. Popular examples of WYSIWYG programs are FrontPage, Microsoft Word, Corel WordPerfect, Netscape Composer, and Dreamweaver. All of these programs allow you to look at the code but require no knowledge of it to build the page.

Why bother to learn HTML?

If there are so many programs that don't require the use of HTML code, why bother to learn it? The answer is simple. Although you can build a page without understanding the code, if something goes wrong you may not understand how to fix a simple problem. What could go wrong? The most common errors occur when you change a picture, audio file, or upload a new web page. Some of these WYSIWYG programs will link your web page to the picture or file located on your computer's hard drive. When you preview your web page on your computer, it looks fantastic. When you open your web page on the internet, the picture doesn't show up. What's wrong?

First you need to understand how files are uploaded to the internet. When you upload your web page to the internet, it is actually transferred to a larger computer referred to as a server. When you open your web site, the file is retrieved from this server. Therefore, if your web page is pointing to your hard drive for the file it is pointing to the wrong place! You need to be able to fix the HTML code so that the web page will point to the server instead. This may sound very complicated but really isn't. With only a few hours study, you can learn the basics of HTML and be able to fix small problems like these. A highly recommended book for beginners is "Teach Yourself Visually HTML". The "Visually" books are not any more complicated that a picture book with very detailed color pictures. Almost any bookstore carries these books or you can order them through the internet.

Things to Consider

Creating a web site is not difficult but it can be time consuming if your aren't organized. Before opening your web page editor, take time to design your web site on paper. Drawing your web site out can help you organize the site so that it will be easier for visitors to find what they are looking for. In addition, it can save you hours of frustration. With a blank sheet of paper in hand, complete the following items:

• Choose a background color (or image), text color, and font. Make sure that the colors are complimentary and are not straining on the eyes. San-sarif fonts are recommended since they are easier to read on a web page.
• Define the purpose of the web site
• Create an outline of your topic with sections and subsections (i.e., cars can be classified by model, age, make, color). Each of these sections and subsections will be a separate web page
• Determine how visitors will navigate your web site (i.e., will they click on buttons, words, or pictures)
• Draw a flowchart that depicts the information above. This will give you a mental picture of your web site and help you stay organized during development

 

Looking at the flowchart above, it is easy to see how many web pages need to be created and what navigation links need to be on each page. For instance, on the "Main Page", there will be at least three navigation links: Portfolios, Web Pages, and Tutorials. On the "Portfolios" page, there would be four navigation links: Main Page, Design, Development, and Distribution. Outlining your web site before development begins will result in a much more professional and organized appearance.

Recommended Programs for Web Site Development

Here are just a few recommended programs for beginning teachers. Some of these programs have a much higher learning curve than others (especially Dreamweaver). One word of caution before you choose FrontPage, you should consult your school's instructional technologist. FrontPage extensions are required to view these web pages and not all school systems have these extensions installed.

• HTML (free)
• Microsoft Word
• Corel WordPerfect
• FrontPage
• Netscape Composer (free)
• Dreamweaver