Build Your Own Web Site

If you were building a house, you would need something to build it with—wood, nails and drywall, for example. Building a Web site is the same in that respect. You need something—words, images, animations—to assemble.

Materials

If you completed steps one: Develop a Web Site Plan and two: Write a Plan, you already know exactly what your Web site needs in order to achieve your goal. First, we looked at creating Web graphics and writing for the Web. Next, we’ll look at how to put it all together with some design tips.

Construction

Then, we’ll review the programming and tools you need to make the content function on the Web:

HTML Editors

An HTML editor is a software program that allows you to create and edit code using HTML and other programming languages.
Flash

Adobe Flash is an authoring program that allows you to add animation and interactivity to your Web pages.
Programming

You’re creating your own Web site, and you already have your graphics and text. Take the next step learning about and using some of the many programming languages available.
User-Generated Content

It's easy to add discussion boards, blogs and reviews to your Web site or create your own online community. Use your user-generated content to engage visitors and increase your visibility.
Online Video

Google's $1.65 billion acquisition of YouTube made it official: Online video is the next frontier in digital media. Currently 53% of adults say they watch videos online, according to an October 2006 Forrester Research study, and that number is expected to grow.
Database

Information and records can make your Web site a useful tool for visitors. Adding a database lets visitors access the information they need.
Shopping Carts

If you’re not selling your products and services online, you’re missing an opportunity to reach millions of customers. You can set up an online store, track customers’ orders and create catalogs using shopping cart software.
Payment Services

To collect payment from customers on your ecommerce Web site, you need to establish secure payment services.
Online Security

With the threat of hackers, spammers, identity thieves and sensitive information being made public, online security has become more important than ever before. Learn how to keep your customers and your business safe.

Finishing Touches

Even though you’ve launched your Web site, it remains a work in progress. There are always ways to make your site perform better. Learn how small changes can make a big difference in your Web site after it’s launched.

Design Tips

Unless you're a professional Web designer, you don’t want a Web site that looks like you designed it yourself. Pay attention to these tips from the pros as you work on your own Web site design.

Ten Web Design Trends to Avoid
Increase your Web site traffic and boost your image by eliminating these 10 Web design trends that need to be retired.

Load Times

If visitors to your Web site have to wait 30 seconds or more for it to come up on their browsers, you could be losing up to half of them.

Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Media-rich Web sites can enhance the user experience by using a content delivery network to speed page load times.
Ten Ways to Make Your Web Site Load Faster
Web site visitors won’t wait around for heavy Web pages to load. Keep visitors from clicking away and provide them with a better user experience by following these 10 tips for faster-loading Web pages.

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