It's sometimes nice to have a website implemented for you, rather than trying to learn as you go with a copy of Mozilla composer and a book on web design, although it's fun to learn.
If you need any help with your website, send an email, webdesign@blibbleblobble.co.uk , and see if we can arrange something
Hosting
See a site such as GlobalGold for website hosting, which can is typically £5-10 per month
Domain names
Pick a domain name that's not already registered. You can have a local name, which tells people which country you're in, or special types of names for companies, organisations, schools, etc., or just choose a generic dot-com if you can't decide. Don't ask me for ideas though, I picked blibbleblobble.co.uk
Site mockups
Split your website idea into 5-7 logical sections; this will form the main design of your website. Sketch a navigation bar with those 5-7 names on, to see how the site looks
Colour design
We can paint with colour, where others would have to resort to graphics! You can splash colour anywhere on the website, so choose a main colour, a text colour, and a contrast colour that you like. See styles for some of my colours
Preparation
Write the introductory text to your website. Write an introduction to each main section. Then just start jotting down notes and sketches on what you want to include and where
Page outlines
Creating the pages themselves is the fairly simple part. This is what's in those HTML books you saw at the supermarket... You can still improve the site a lot by getting it right though
Navigation bars
If you have PHP enabled on your website, navigation bars are nice and easy.If you don't, they can easily get out of date. Ask whoever's going to be hosting your website if they support PHP.
Page footers
What's at the bottom of each page? Contact details? A link to your guestbook? A link back to the main page?
Writing
When all the page-outlines are in and working, it's time to start putting your introductory text into the pages. Once that's done, it'll start to look like a proper website.
Data import
Got anything to publish? Your bookmarks [favorites] list? A product list? A directory full of photos? It's useful to spend some time thinking about how best to import them, so that it's easy to maintain later when you want to change things
Contact details
How will you be contactable as the author of the website? Most people use email, and you get a lot of useful comments on a good website, but it needs to have a robust set of spam-filters, and probably a different email address to the one your family use to contact you.
Luckily, your domain name will probably come with an infinite number of email addresses (anything@yourdomain.com), so plenty to choose from
Photo albums
News of the day
Comments and guestbook
Community websites
For creating very powerful websites, with user-accounts, polls,discussions, shared calendars etc., you can't go far wrong with one of the website in a box systems. They're all free downloads, and easy to setup, and you get a website which can function as a community for many people to share news, data, comments, etc.
Well, that's that. Creating your website. If you want to post someone a tatty sketch and get a shiny new website back, then email me to ask about webdesign. If you think the list above sounds manageable, then go for it, and do the design yourself.
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