Chapter 6: Create Your Site
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Ok, now for the part you've been waiting for... How to actually create your site. There are three ways to go about this: Code-free methods, downloadable templates and working from scratch.
Regardless of which way you choose to create your site, be sure to always keep a backup of your latest version in at least two places. You wouldn't want to lose all your hard work, would you?
This is the method to use if you're phobic about anything that remotely appears to be HTML. Before you decide that you fit this description, be aware that the scariest thing about HTML is that it sounds so gosh darn technical.
If you can get past the acronym and look at the basics, you'll see that it's really quite simple. But if even the basics are too much for you just now, it's time to go code-free. Many free web hosts provide online webpage generators.
Downloadable templates are pre-designed webpages. You just change the text and customize the title and meta tags.
If you have a WYSIWYG editor to open the template in, you may be able to get by without knowing HTML.
For other templates, especially those with built-in JavaScripts, you'll need to know what basic HTML tags mean, as well as how to read JavaScript. Again, this is much less scarey or mind taxing than you'd think.
Click here for a list of free templates.
Congratulations! You're jumping right in. Don't overwhelm yourself. Start simple, with basic HTML. Learn a little about the ins and out of building websites.
Don't worry if you don't understand everything right away. After you feel comfortable making pages with HTML, you can slowly add in things like cascading style sheets and JavaScript.
Or not. You don't have to know these things to create a perfectly functional and attractive website.
You can learn to create your own graphics or you can choose from the thousands of public domain graphics available for free.
There are two ways to work with HTML documents. One way is using a "text editor". In this case, you're working directly with the code.
The other way is to use a WYSIWYG (pronounced "wizzywig") editor. WYSIWYG stands for "what you see is what you get".
Our recommendation is to learn to work with both. Sometimes, you really need to see what you're creating visually. Other times, your WYSIWYG editor just can't seem to get something right, and you have to go to the code directly to fix it.
For your text editor, we recommend NoteTab. It comes in free and professional versions. The former top two providers of WYSIWYG editors, Macromedia and Adobe, have merged under the Adobe name, and provide a range of products to suit a variety of needs. However, buying the latest versions can be expensive.
If you're strapped for cash, you may want to look for an older version at an online auction instead (scroll down for listings).
If even old versions are too much, you can look for freeware WYSIWYG editors here. They're not quite on the same level as Dreamweaver, but if you're broke, you're broke.
