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		How To Design a Website For Your Business A step-by-step tutorial... Selecting Site Design Software Software makes it all come together
1. Setting the Stage 2. Select a Host 3. Register a Name 4. Choose Software 5. Plan Your Site 6. HTML Basics 7. Create Content 8. Upload Your Site 9. Promoting Your Site		I've said it before and I think it's worth saying again... Designing your site is not brain surgery. Designing your site is *not* about knowing complicated math formulas or memorizing 3,356 lines of code. Webmasters like me are more than happy to let the guys and gals in white coats do the hard stuff. We just want our website to do what we envision in our heads, right?

Well, that's why we use software. The guys in white coats build it, and we use it. It's a great arrangement.

Before diving into the software, let's look at...


HOW A WEBSITE WORKS

At the root level, a website is nothing more than text files, programs that perform using files, and pictures. There are various other parts you can throw in, but we're not looking to compete with Yahoo, right? So we'll stick with the stuff needed to build a great looking site for any small business.

Now then, your website is married to a browser at the user's end. And the browser insists on reading files written in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). This language is simply an arrangement of characters and symbols found on any keyboard. With just a few hours of study, you can learn everything you need to know to build your first site.

Really, you say? Do I HAVE to know HTML?

Well, yes and no.


BASIC HTML KNOWLEDGE IS A PLUS

Knowing some basic HTML is a plus. While there are programs designed by the guys in white coats which do it all for you, there *can* be problems with a web page which can be fixed in seconds if you know the code. Otherwise, you could be scratching your head for hours looking for the solution.

Great online sources that teach HTML and are worthy of a bookmark are Newbie Club, Page Resource and How Stuff Works.

SITE DESIGN SOFTWARE

There are different breeds of site design software, also know as authoring software or HTML editors, which require varying degrees of actual HTML coding (writing) on your part.

With full knowledge of HTML you could use a text editor such as NotePad. I've been known to use a text editor for special projects, but on the whole they are not a good choice if you're just starting out.

Next up on the list are HTML editors. These critters make it easier to code your web page. They come in different degrees of sophistication and versatility. Some of these editors can be a good choice as long as you've studied up on your HTML.

By now we should be in agreement that knowing HTML is a plus, right?

But, even without any know-how on your part you can design a site using a WYSIWYG - What You See Is What You Get. This means you can layout your page on the screen and that's the way it will look on the Web.

But just in case there's a hiccup in the plumbing, you've got some HTML knowledge to fix any leak.

Right? Right!

For a modest price these are some solid programs that give professional results and are multi-featured in scope. My choices are Microsoft FrontPage, HotDog, and CoffeeCup.

If want to start out with the choice of many seasoned webmasters, you should check out Dreamweaver. It's a bit pricey, but for good reason.

For the beginning webmaster, WYSIWYG site building doesn't get any easier than with SiteBuildIt or Website Wizard.

If your budget is tight, you can always go with free authoring software. Free is good. But free can have some limitations - such as little or no support, and skimpy on the extra cool stuff you'll find in bought programs. Nonetheless, my choice in the free department is FirstPage.

To add interesting and task specific features to your site, check out the specialty tools in the right-hand column of this page. You can use software to create a header for your pages, automatically build a sales letter, process paypal payments securely, or even automatically signup subscribers to your ezine.

Have a look at any of the programs I've mentioned so far and give 'em a spin. If none of them suit your fancy, you can check out CNET for a look at many authoring programs of all types and prices.

GRAPHICS FOR YOUR SITE

A great place to get high quality, royalty-free photos and graphics is iStockPhoto. You'll find a large selection and the price is very cheap. Free graphics can be found by using a search engine and scouring the Web, though you might find this to be a labor intensive task. You often find less than professional grade graphics, and there are often restrictions on the use of free images.


DO YOU NEED A GRAPHICS PROGRAM?

That all depends on your site. Image editing software allows you to edit and create buttons, banners, photos, animation, and the like. Special image editing software is something I consider to be optional since there are so many available graphics on the Web which don't need further editing.

You'll find that one of the most common image editing tasks is reducing the size of an image file. A large image file (not physical picture size, rather large byte size) slows down the load time of your page. You can solve this problem easily with NetMechanic's free service:
http://www.netmechanic.com/

If you find the need for advanced image editing, try out Paint Shop Pro. It's sophisticated enough for most users and reasonably priced for all the features you get:
http://www.jasc.com

There you have it. Get busy and have loads of fun playing around with your new toys!

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