Archive for June, 2010

Website Creation Basics for Beginners: Two Common Terms Defined

Posted on June 20th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments »

Want to create your own website but not sure what all the jargon means? If you’re a website creation beginner and feel a little intimidated about the whole process, you are not alone. Learning the jargon and figuring out what you need to get started will make it seem much less daunting. There are two basics terms that you should be familiar with before beginning the process.

Domain Name

The domain name is not only the name of your website but it’s also the website’s address. For example, Google is a very popular search engine whose name is not only Google, but whose website address is also google.com. Domain names should be researched and selected carefully because they will help define your site. The names need to be registered and paid for, usually on an annual basis. There are countless registrars (sites where you can register your domain name) available, just pick the right one for you. One priority is generally service, and another is price. A couple of the more popular and familiar registrars are godaddy.com, networksolutions.com, and namecheap.com. Check out these and some other registrars’ sites to get familiar with the process and choose one you feel comfortable with.

Web Host

A web host is a company that houses the internet files that you store on your site that are what make up your site. A web host is the only way for your web site to exist. Web site hosting is generally paid for monthly and can often be provided by the same company as your domain name registrar. Shop around for the best service and price just as with a registrar. The host you choose will have a lot to do with the complexity of your site and what you want to offer. Certain hosts will be better able and equipped to deal with different types of sites. Make sure you ask a lot of questions and feel comfortable with your choice.

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Things to Consider for Your Website Design

Posted on June 7th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments »

Your website represents you and your business. An appealing design will set the tone for your visitors and help identify you and your brand. Your website should be easy to read and easy to navigate. There are some design basics to consider when creating your site.

Page Style

All of your pages should have the same basic style. The only exception would be your home page and it should vary only slightly. Having a different design on the home page while keeping the primary style of the site will help identify it as the home page vs. and informational or product page.

Brand Recognition

Your company name and logo or brand should appear on every page. The most common location for the logo is the upper left hand corner of the page. On the home page the location can differ and the image can be larger, but the logo and company name should be the same throughout the site.

Navigation Location

Make sure your users can find the navigation tools. Don’t get creative when placing the navigation links within your site. Keeping it universal helps users know where to go. Most sites put the navigation horizontally on the top of the page or on the left hand side of the page. These are the most common locations and it’s what internet users are used to.

Fonts

Using creative fonts may seem like a good idea to set yourself apart, but you want users to have an easy time reading your text. Times New Roman, Helvetica and Arial are the most commonly used fonts and are the easiest to read. Use one of these for the majority of your text for ease of reading. If you decide you want to use other more creative fonts, do so sparingly and in areas where there isn’t a lot of text to read, such as headings.

Images

Select your images carefully! They take up a lot of space and can often take time to download. Make sure your images are crisp and clear and are relevant to the subject matter and the page content.

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