Web Source Web Design Tips - Selecting the Perfect Background for Your Website

When selecting a background for your website, make sure youselect a background that will compliment your text anddesign. Tips for design:- Busy backgrounds make text difficult to read and draw the attention away from the text. - Always be consistent with your background theme on each page of your site. - Colors affect your mood and will have an affect on your visitors as well. Bright colors such as yellow and orange, cause you to become more cheerful or happy, while colors such as blue and purple have a calming effect. Dark colors such as brown and black have a depressing effect. A good rule of thumb would be to select colors based upon the type of effect you're trying to achieve.The appearance of your website can mean the differencebetween your success and failure.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shelley Loweryslowery@web-source.netTip provided by: Web Source: Your Guide to Professional web design and Development. http://www.web-source.net

ADD GRAPHICS TO YOUR WEBSITE - without losing your mind!

We've heard it over and over again - adding graphics to a website is a GOOD thing. They can generally make your sitemore appealing, illustrate points or products, and providecreative icons for people to click through for moreinformation.So you are developing a website, and you really wantto add cool graphics. But how?Well, you can run out and buy a bunch of expensive graphicsprograms and 'dummies' books to learn how to use them.Or you can sign up for courses, on or off-line, for variousamounts of money. But you'll probably be old and gray by thetime you sort through all the mumbo-jumbo you'll need tosort through, or you'll be stressed to the max, and theopportunity your website originally presented will belong- gone.Adding graphic images to your site should be easy and fun.It is possible to:- find graphics you can use at little or no cost; or- jazz up your own pictures or graphicsThrow the mumbo-jumbo commands, books, and classrooms outthe window. If you just want to find graphics or photos youcan use, start by doing a search on your favorite searchengine(s) for 'royalty-free graphics.' You'll probably bekept busy for quite awhile chasing down the links you'llfind. Many of the sites that provide these graphics alsoinclude instructions or coding to add them directly to yoursite - so you don't have to be a rocket scientist to jazzup your web pages, after all!Here's a few things to remember when creating web graphics:1. Don't Sacrifice Speed For The Price Of QualityYour main webpage should be under 40 KB in size for graphicintensive pages. Since a graphic file usually downloadsslower than a normal text file (i.e. html page), you have toensure that your graphics are small, fast at loadingand visually appealing at the same time.2. Graphics Should Be Appropriate, Not Just Look GoodOne mistake a lot of web developers and Internet marketersmake is putting "cute" online graphics or photos on awebsite just because they look good. This is a greattechnique if the images are relevant, irrelevant imageplacement just creates slower loading pages.3. Don't Use Graphics When You Can Use TextOne logo, no matter how small, could take up to 5 secondsto load on a website. While this may not seem like a greatlength of time, it could mean the difference betweenlosing an impatient customer or getting the sale.If your logos or graphics are based on simple fonts, thenwhy use a graphic when one line of HTML code can producethe same text effect? And it'll take 1/100th of the timeto load that one line of HTML as opposed to the graphic.You can also learn - quickly and easily - how to 'jazz up'your own photos or images to add them to your site. Forexample, if you just need to prepare your GIF or JPG images for the web by compressing them so that they will loadfaster, check out the free, ready-to-use "image cruncher"utilities at http://computer-newbies.com/beveldevil/.This software is really simple to use. It requires noknowledge of computers and it has a fast learning curve.This is just one example of the information that'savailable on the web. With all the free and inexpensiveonline resources available to budding web designers, there'sno excuse not to have a site that's jazzed up just the wayyou want it to be - without having to get a universitydegree or spend six months profit to do it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rick Hunter has more tools for new graphic designersat his website, http://computer-newbies.com/ezgraphics/

Some Guidelines For Website Design

by: Angela Oliver

You have a great product. You also have a great company image and marketing model. Now it is time to implement all your plans and bring together a website. You know very little about websites. Finding websites that have failed is easier than shooting fish in a barrel. Many people come into the internet business with the notion that if they are on the web, they are guaranteed to make money. Not so. The internet market is flooded these days, and in order to get noticed, there is a way to do things.
So, your first idea for a website is one with lots of things that move, flash, talk, or whatever. Most people think this is the best way to draw attention to their website. It draws attention, but if no one knows what your company is, they won’t find the website this way. It also can be a little annoying to visitors. Websites must be picked up by the search engines in order for people to start finding them. However, search engines do not like all those elements because in the search engines view it is the equivalent of a novel, when all they are looking for is a one page report. Granted, once you are a large established business like a television network or a shopping corporation, people will come to your site no matter what, and search engines lessen the penalty for using lots of heavy files.
Now you think you want the easy way out and want to go with a template website. Templates are a cheap and quick way to get a website live on the internet. There are different types of templates, but the ones you want to stay away from are those which are nothing but images. These websites are created in a photo editor so that all the components of the site like buttons, information, and descriptions are all just pictures of text, and not actual text. Search engines use programs that review your website to read what it’s all about. If all they see are image files, it doesn’t really tell them anything about the website. You also run into the same problem of presenting a book rather than a piece of paper. Images are large files, while pure text is not. It is in fact quite small in comparison.
So you realize you are going to have to put some work into the site to have it look how you want, and also be functional for search engines looking at it. Text is very important. All your buttons should be text. All your descriptions and company information should be text. Choose a layout that is easy to navigate with menus to locate all pages within the site. Also important is a site map. A site map will help you keep your site organized and it will help the search engines when they come to visit your site.
Choose a search engine optimization company that will help review your site. They can pick out things you may not notice. For example, design editors can help clean up html code and find any spelling errors. They can also help you choose the best web site design elements that will make your site look how you want, and also make it search engine friendly.
About The Author
Angela Oliver
This article was written by Angela Oliver for Web Submission Services as an informational piece for website owners. Please visit Web Submission Services for more information about web site design, http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com/web-design-search-engine-optimization.htm, and search engine optimization, http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com/optimization-service.htm.

Web Source Web Design Tips - Highlighting Free for All Links

You can use the code below to highlight your link in some free for all sites. This code will not work on all free for all sites, but if you scroll down the page and see some links already highlighted, you'll know it works. Instead of typing in your web address, place the code below, with your web address, into the free for all form.http://www.yourdomain.com/" STYLE="background:yellow; color:blackYou can change the colors to whatever you'd like, but keepin mind, the text must be visible on the background color.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shelley Loweryslowery@web-source.netTip provided by: Web Source: Your Guide to Professional Web Design and Development. http://www.web-source.net

Web Source Web Design Tips - Using META Tags for Search Engine Indexing

Meta tags are used to give detailed instructions, inregard to a web page, to the Search Engines and browsers.You can provide the Search Engines with a description of your web page and the most relevant "keywords" for your web site by adding the following META tags between the and tags of your HTML.
When selecting your keywords, it is best to list them withina phrase. Try to concentrate on only a few keyword phrasesthroughout your text.Example:dog grooming techniques,groomers,tips,pet supplies,animal care,Try to select keyword phrases that your potential visitormay type in while at a Search Engine.The keywords above will cover a wide variety of queries:dogdog groomingdog groomersgrooming techniquesdog grooming techniquesdog groomer techniquesdog grooming tipsdog groomer tipsgrooming tipsdog caredog supplies animal carepet carepet suppliespet groomingpet groomersanimal groominganimal groomersgrooming suppliesdog grooming suppliespet grooming suppliesTry not to repeat your META keywords more than three times.To cover the many different ways your potential visitor maytype in their search terms, type your META keywords in a fewdifferent styles.Example:
tips,pet supplies,animal care,Dog Grooming Techniques,Groomers,Tips,Pet Supplies,Animal Care,DOG GROOMING TECHNIQUES,GROOMERS,TIPS,PET SUPPLIES
About the author,ANIMAL CARE"

Shelley Loweryslowery@web-source.netTip provided by: Web Source: Your Guide to Professional Web Design and Development. http://www.web-source.net

Designing Above the Fold

The most value part of any web page is that part which is shown in your browser before the need to scroll. This is generally known as "above the fold." Arguably, you have just 10 seconds to grab your visitors' attention. That doesn't seem long, but as the brain can absorb thousands and thousands bits of information per second...10 seconds is long enough to get your message across! The "above the fold" part of a web page (especially of the home page) is the most valuable real estate you have on your web site. The first fold of your web site needs to communicate the biggest benefit you have to offer your visitors. This is often referred to as your Unique Selling Point or "USP". However, 7 out of 10 web sites are poorly designed above the fold. Here are the 4 top pitfalls that drive visitor's away. 1. Flashing banners 2. Too many links 3. No clear USP 4. Time consuming flash animation So what should you do to capture the attention of your visitor? Here are the things you should include above the fold. 1. Spell out your USPAnswer the visitor's biggest question, "what's in it for me?" Use a main headline and supplement it with a secondary headline. Communicate benefits, benefits and more benefits to the visitor. You should use a H1 or H2 tag for the main headline and H3 for the supplementary headline. Is your USP to save the visitor money? Offer a guarantee? Make live easier? Help the visitor to earn an income? When you are working out your USP and benefits...remember the difference bewteen "benefits" and "features." If you have a product that is reliable - that is a feature. The benefit would be peace of mind or lower maintainence cost. 2. Opt-in Email address or BookmarkIf you offer your visitor the chance to bookmark or opt-in to a newsletter or request more information then place the links into the "above the fold." You should do this for every page. You have worked so hard to build and promote your website and now you are attracting traffic, but if you can get an email address or allow your visitor to bookmark you, you will increase your chance to continue promoting to visitors after they have left your web site 3. NavigationI am sure some smart alecs will say your navigation should never be above the fold, forcing visitors to scroll down and read your copy. I could not agree less. You should have your navigation above the fold, giving your visitor full control. Ideally, place your navigation bar somewhere on the top or left hand-side of every page. When visitors first arrive at your site, they should be able to find what they want quickly. Don't frustrate them with quirky and quacky titles either. Use titles that convey benefits like, "Special Offers" or "Savings" or that are generally understood. 4. Professional DesignAvoid banners and flashy animation. Not only does it consume real estate, but it will slow the page download...a cardinal sin. Keep it simple. Each page on your website should download in 15 seconds or less on a standard 56-bit modem. Even if you are promoting affiliate programs banners have a generally poor conversion rate. It is 10 times better to sell in context with text or product links. Besides selling straight off the home page has little credibility. ConclusionRemember the 10 second rule and design to communicate your USP and biggest benefits in headlines. Present the chance to opt-in or bookmark your page. Give your visitors the chance to navigate around your site and avoid flashy animation. Use the above the fold part of your web page shrewdly. Keep it simple and offer clean and effective web design. That is the way hold your visitors for longer. ==================== Rich Vicar has been providing search engine placement solutions since 1998. He is expert in submitting your web site in an ethical, efficient and effective manner. http://www.glenfox.com contact@glenfox.com ====================
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rich Vicar has been providing search engine placement solutions since 1998. He is expert in submitting your web site in an ethical, efficient and effective manner. He is also a public speaker and writes on search engine placement.

Build a Simple Website in a Weekend

Why haven't you built your website yet? Too expensive? Too complicated? Too time-consuming? Here are some tips on how to create it (cheaply) in a weekend.

While it seems that everyone and his dog (or cat) has a website, there a plenty of people out there that never got around to creating one, even though they could profit from it. Many people feel that they are not technically gifted enough, and that building a website would cost too much time or money.
The following, therefore, is not for the seasoned web designer, but for all those artists, crafters, freelancers and small business owners who want a website, but have all thoses excuses why they have not managed to get one yet.
What if you could set up your own website in one weekend, without having to engage in any HTML programming? Here is how:
1. Get a host. Your website has to be hosted somewhere. The options are free website communities (such as http://www.tripod.lycos.com/ or http://geocities.yahoo.com/), your own ISP (internet service provider), which might offer you a personal website, or a paid host (of which there many, you can find a list of popular hosts at http://www.websitehostdirectory.com/). I would stay away from the free offers, as these include ads and do not provide you with a professional image (though both Tripod and Geocities also offer paid ad-free options, sometimes with your own domain name) (1 hour)
2. Get a domain name. This is optional, but having a URL such as www.zebrabreeder.com (which was still available as I wrote this article:-) is more memorable than www.geocities.com/zebrabreeder. The other advantage is that you can take your domain name with you, if you ever switch ISPs. Just be warned that many of the “good” and obvious names have already been taken, so you have to show some creativity. You can find a list of domain name registrars at http://www.internic.net/alpha.html. The easiest way would be to buy your domain name and web hosting from the same company, and there are many sites that offer all these services, such as www.godaddy.com. (1 hour)
3. Decide on a layout. Once you registered a domain and obtained a host, it is time to think about the layout of your site. Get some pen and paper and started drawing. What do you want on your homepage (which should be named index.html)? How many sub-pages will there be (for example for various goods or services you offer)? What kind of visual theme do you want? What kind of graphics and pictures should you include? Make these decisions before actually designing your site. (3 hours)
4. Design your site. Many of the hosts mentioned in step 1 offer tools that let you choose pre-made designs and just fill in your own information. This makes it very easy, but may also restrict what you can do. Another way would be to use Netscape Composer, which is a free tool and part of Netscape 7.2 (you can download it at (http://browser.netscape.com/ns8/download/archive.jsp). Composer lets you use a word-processor like interface and contains a nifty “Publish” function to upload your pages. Of course you can also buy programs such as MS FrontPage. Your website will not win any design awards, but it will get your information out. (8 hours)5. Check your site. Before uploading it, you should check spelling and grammar and see that every page has at least a link back to your homepage. (1 hour)6. Upload your page. Now you actually have to get your content to the web. Your host will have information on how to do this. You basically need a destination, a username and a password to upload the files. (30 minutes)7. Publicize your website. Do not expect people to rush to your website. How would they even know about it? There are many services that will submit your website to “hundreds” of directories for a fee, but you can submit it yourself (for free) to the ones that really matter: http://www.google.com/addurl/?continue=/addurl http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request Add your URL to the signature line of your outgoing e-mails, put it on your business card and on all other business-related communications. (30 minutes)8. Don’t let your site go stale. Remember that content is king. You can start your website in a short time, but you have to keep adding to it. Why not write an article in an area of your expertise? Use the expertise you have in your field to make your website unique. Remember, fresh content will help search engines find you and will induce visitors to come back to your site.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pamela Bruce lives in Austin, TX. She is the owner of Love Beads Unlimited and sells the sterling silver and Swarovski crystal bead jewelry she designs and creates both in her Etsy shop (http://lovebeadsunlimited.etsy.com) and on her website (built with Netscape Composer) at http://www.lovebeadsunlimited.com, where you can also download the free e-book "A Consumer's Guide to Buying Bead Jewelry Online".

Building Your First Web Site

Having your own domain name and your own web site can do alot for your business. It gives you a definite web presence andmakes your business more credible.Ok, you know all that, but how do you go about the process ofbuilding one? Where do you start?First off, you are going to have to accept a couple of facts. Unlessyou want to pay someone else to build your site for you, you aregoing to have to deal with HTML. Other things you may want todo on your site may require you to deal with Java Script's and CGIscripts as well.Now, I may make a few people mad here, but avoid the free websites that require you to use their own menu driven site builder and do not allow you access to the actual HTML code of your site.These don't allow you to add java or cgi scripts, force you intousing their methods of taking orders from your site, and restrictyour site set up. You have to use their themes for color anddesign, you won't learn HTML ever, and you will never really beindependent.Now that I've said that, consider your own goals, time, andinvestment. The free sites can be helpful, but you will be limited.However, for many of us, free is the only option to begin with.HTML is essential, though. Depending on your goals, time, andmoney, you do have a couple of options. There are user friendlyprograms like Microsoft's Front Page that don't require you tolook at actual HTML code for the most part. However, it's goingto cost you more than other HTML editors will. The cheapest I'veseen it go for is $129.Other editors like the Coffee Cup HTML Editor work in theHTML code, but they do most all of the coding for you. This is agreat program that comes with a 30 day free trial. Then costs $49to register and keep. http://www.coffeecup.comThere are a multitude of other HTML editors available, includingsome free ones. Search for them at:http://download.cnet.com/downloads andhttp://www.zdnet.comNone that I've found are as easy to work with as Front Page andthe Coffee Cup editor for those starting out, nor do they have asmany options. However, there are many more than I have spenttime looking over.Another factor to consider is your web hosting. Some come withan HTML editor on the site for you to use. That will depend onwho you choose to host with, of course, but most of these are justbasic editors that require you to know how to work with thecode. Some do have menu driven site builders you can use thatdo the coding for you, but again those are basic and you will belimited in what you can do.As with most things, you get what you pay for. Consider yourtime, what you have to invest, and what your goals are. If youwant to do anything beyond just basic text and pictures, you'll bebetter off to buy a good HTML editor.Whatever you do, if you plan on making a good web site, youneed to learn at least some HTML. Here are a couple of sites thatoffer tutorials to get you started.http://reallybig.com/category.php3?catid=63http://www.bignosebird.com/ Scroll down to the 'For Those JustStarting' Section.One other great way to learn is by making a very simple page in anhtml editor and then looking through the code. Look at aparticular section of your page, then examine how the code makesthat section. What <> tags do what? makes boldlettering,
makes a paragraph, makes a break inthe text without starting a new paragraph. Often, just by knowingwhat a few tags do and then looking at what else is there will teachyou about how the code works.The better editors like Front Page do pretty much everything foryou. However, knowing at least a little about the code can helpyou identify problems.Often, items you'll want to add to your site will be available foryou by copying and pasting the actual HTML code onto your site.Here's a tip. If you do that, and it doesn't work, it's probablybecause the code didn't copy over right. At least with Front Page,you have to copy the code from it's source, paste it into a texteditor like Notepad, and then recopy it before the HTML willtransfer over correctly.Here is probably the best suggestion I can give youfor building your first web site, and it's something I've learned thehard way. Stay simple. It's better to have a simple site thateverything works on than to try to do too much beyond yourabilities and end up with problems.Start simple, learn more, and work your way up. Get an HTMLeditor and work in it BEFORE you purchase web hosting. There'sno point in paying for a spot on the web before you have thecapability to fill it.Consider what you want out of your web site and search for whatwill help you meet those goals. Don't be afraid of HTML. I'ddare say 99.9% of the web sites you see out there were made bypeople that don't know anymore about it than the next guy does.They have just practiced with their HTML editors and kept at ituntil they got the results they wanted.Learn first, start simple, then expand. You can have your ownweb site, just take it one step at a time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joe Bingham, Editor of the NetPlay NewslettersSubscribe to 1 of 3 Quality NetPlay Ezines, See which one fits you at:http://www.netplaynewsletters.comPublish a Pre-Written Ezine As YOUR Own -- Easy, Great Benefitshttp://www.netplaynewsletters.com/publisher.html