| The internet has become an integral part of our lives. | | | | Definition", or, DTD, and it informs the web browsers |
| Everyday more and more websites are going online. | | | | which version of (X)HTML you are using in order to |
| With the advent of online sitebuilders included with | | | | process it. The DOCTYPE must appear at the very |
| many hosting packages, anyone can easily create a | | | | top of every webpage that you design. You can |
| web presence and feel comfortable knowing that the | | | | check W3C's webpage here at for a list of |
| WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor | | | | recommended DOCTYPE's. |
| is pretty simple to learn. You don't need to know | | | | 5. COPYRIGHT INFO. You can find out all about the |
| how to write HTML because the sitebuilding software | | | | copyright laws here at but what it basically boils |
| generally has a word processing type of interface | | | | down to is - if you didn't write it, you will need |
| and all you need to do is pop things in here and | | | | approval of the person who did in order to use it |
| there. But soon you'll realize that there are many | | | | within your website, or there could be real problems |
| limitations to what you can and can't do. If you're | | | | for you with copyright infringements. It's against the |
| satisfied with these limitations, then nothing anyone | | | | law to take what someone else wrote and pass it |
| says will matter. | | | | off as your own. This goes for everything from |
| Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is freedom. | | | | photo's, clip art, designs, website templates to articles |
| Freedom to create a website exactly the way you | | | | and website content. |
| want it to look and perform the way you want it to | | | | 6. CONTENT. I'm sure you've heard the statement |
| perform. Of course, there's more to web design than | | | | that "Content Is King". What this means is that |
| writing HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) code | | | | whatever you write within your website (the |
| and putting pretty pictures on a webpage. It takes | | | | content), not only does it have to be original but it |
| time, skill and patience to master the concepts | | | | should possess a number of your keywords and key |
| needed in order to create an effective website. | | | | phrases. These keywords and key phrases should fit |
| I've listed at least nine items that I feel you must | | | | in within the content and make sense with whatever |
| know a little bit about before seriously embarking on | | | | it is you're writing about. This content will not only |
| designing a website. They aren't listed in any | | | | explain to any visitor what you're website is all about, |
| particular order of importance as each web designer | | | | it will be used by the search engine's that rate how |
| has his/her own opinion as to the importance of each | | | | important your content is in relation to the keywords |
| one. | | | | listed. |
| | | | 7. LINKS. Links within your website are important, |
| 1. HTML. One must learn the HTML language, which is | | | | whether you're linking to other websites or other |
| not difficult, but nevertheless a necessity, since this is | | | | websites are linking to you. However, with Google's |
| the only way that the browsers (i.e. Internet | | | | new update "Jagger", Google is placing more |
| Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Netscape, Opera, etc.) will be | | | | importance on credibility and added-value, rather than |
| able decipher the code in order to view a webpage. | | | | the amount of links you have. Google continues to |
| There are numerous places to learn HTML for free | | | | change their algorithms by which websites are rated |
| on the internet. The one place I would recommend | | | | and it's becoming almost comical that many a website |
| would be to go to the W3C website. Here is where | | | | owner must scramble to figure out the best way to |
| all the standards are written. You can find them | | | | make changes in order to either keep their high |
| located here | | | | rankings or even get noticed. It will be interesting to |
| 2. CSS. It would be a big advantage for you to learn | | | | watch what happens here. |
| CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). CSS gives you total | | | | 8. VALIDATION. There is much to be said about |
| control over the style and layout of your webpages. | | | | being validated. There are some web designers that |
| By learning CSS, you would only need to edit one file | | | | feel it's not important, but know that I feel that it's |
| in order to make some changes in all of your pages. | | | | extremely important. What exactly does 'being |
| You wouldn't have to go into each webpage | | | | validated' mean? Simply put, it means that the coding |
| separately to change fonts, or background colors and | | | | of your website has passed the test in utilizing the |
| images. It's really kind of neat when you think about | | | | W3C conformance standards by which web |
| how much you can do with the inclusion of just one | | | | documents have been written. It places no value on |
| or two lines. I like to call it my 'magic file' because | | | | the content, just the HTML or XHTML structure. |
| that's what it does...it performs magic instantly! | | | | There is also a validation service for passing the CSS |
| 3. TITLES, META TAGS and KEYWORDS. There has | | | | (Cascading Style Sheet) conformance standards. Both |
| been volumes written about these items. But for my | | | | of these services are provided for free by the W3C |
| purpose here, I will just mention what each are and | | | | (World Wide Web Consortium). |
| where they're located. Suffice it to say that knowing | | | | 9. SEO. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the |
| a bit about each one will only enhance your learning | | | | key factor by which your website will be rated by |
| experience in designing an effective webpage. Every | | | | Google, MSN, Yahoo or any of the other search |
| webpage or HTML document must have a title. The | | | | engines. Quite simply it's optimizing your website for |
| title should be representative of what your website | | | | the search engines to notice you. Again, the |
| is about. It is located between the "head" and " | | | | importance is placed on content. There are many |
| head" area at the top of your document. HTML tags | | | | SEO companies that promise high rankings, or worse, |
| which describe the content of a webpage and utilized | | | | they promise you number one ranking if you hire |
| by search engines are called META Tags. They | | | | them to optimize your website. Be wary of anyone |
| provide useful information to the search engines such | | | | that makes those statements. Know that there is no |
| as Author, Copyright, Description, Expirations, | | | | possible way for them to make such promises |
| Language, Keywords and Robots. There are others | | | | because there is no way to know how a website will |
| but those are the basic ones used. One of the more | | | | rank. You can submit your own URL to some of the |
| important META Tag used is the Keyword META | | | | major search engines yourself at no cost. Now |
| Tag. This is where you put your specific keywords | | | | whether or not you get noticed is another story |
| and key phrases. The keywords you choose which | | | | entirely, but know that eventually your website will |
| best describes your webpage is what the search | | | | be indexed by the various robot programs that most |
| engines look for. They also notice how often these | | | | search engines use anyhow. |
| keywords and key phrases are used within the | | | | In summary, there is much to consider when |
| webpage. One must be careful how the keywords | | | | designing a website. It's not an easy task and the |
| are used because too many and it's considered | | | | importance of the items I've listed should not be |
| spamming the search engines, too few and they | | | | ignored. It also takes a bit of ingenuity and |
| aren't even noticed. | | | | creativeness in addition to the semantics, but with |
| 4. DOCTYPE. DOCTYPE is short for "Document Type | | | | practice, patience and knowledge, it can be done. |