The easiest is to find a sharp web designer, pay your money, and tell them what you want. But that probably isn't the answer you were looking for was it? If you're like me and love the challenge, I recommend the following steps:
1.) Get your self a couple of pads of paper and several pens. (Yeah, you have to kill a couple of trees.
2.) Sit down in front of your computer and start surfing. The best place to get ideas is from the people who have aready spent the hours doing what you are about to do.
3.) Take notes! Write down the addresses of the sites you like. This will help to refer back to them. (I didn't when I started and spent many hours scratching my head saying "now where did I see that...") It will also help when you add links back to their pages.
4.) Buy some books. It is always a good idea to have a reference book to look back at when you need a little help. (See the list to the right for the books I use.)
5.) Start schetching out your site. Jot down notes about directories you'll need, file names, images you want to use, etc...
6.) Now the fun part, STEAL, STEAL, STEAL! That's right, start grabbing code. Most sites are pretty good about letting you take their code. Many even offer .zip files for you to down load. They say it's for the "effort to create a better web". I say it's because they're proud of their creations and want to share it with the world. I make this determination because they almost always ask "Please link back to my site". Anyway, If you have a good editor like I do, (Frontpage 98), you can click edit from your browser and "viola", you have the code in all it's splender. Also most browers have a "View Source" option where you can pull it up in a text editor such as notepad, and save it as anything you like.
7.) Start picking out your graphics. There are several places that have graphics for you to use. Many are free if "You link back to..." There are also many cool tools out there to create your own. (I use Corel Draw & Microsofts Image Composer and GIF Animator.) DON'T STEAL someones hard work without permission. I've done it, and now after spending the hours it takes to make somthing look really cool, feel bad for doing so. Stick to the free ones or create your own.
8.) Now the hard part. Put it together. Web design is not a sience. It's art. It will take trial and error. Then when you finally get it right, you'll run across another site that's better than yours, and start all over. If you do get it right the first time, YOU ARE GIFTED! Quick the job you are currently doing and start working on a cure for Cancer.
9.) When you have your creation ready to show the world, you need to find a host. Depending how serious you are, (or how cheap you are), will determine where to go. Find a search engine such as yahoo.com, and type "web hosting". They range in price and benefits from "free" to "Oh my!" Most of the free ones are pretty good but usually want you to put their advertising on your pages (like the ones on this page from Fortune City). If you are new at this, go for a free host. It's a great way to learn and won't cost you an arm and a leg.
10.) After that, the possibilities are endless. You will likely update your pages many times, redesign them, and basically spend hours glued to the screen.
Good luck
D
(By the way, if you don't want to go through all that work, let me know. I've designed a few pages and would love to make one for you. E-mail me at [email protected] )
Oh yea, if you want to read this again, just click "Refresh" or "Reload" :-)
