A "template" is simply a design format which you can apply to all (or most) of the pages in your web site. The first advantage of using a "template" system is that it allows you to make your most important design decisions at the beginning, and then just focus on content. The second advantage is that it allows you to quickly create new pages based on your standard design.
The disadvantage is that many template-based websites look homogenized and seem to lack a unique character. Designers who sell templates tend to use the same formats over and over again, insert the same generic images, and use the same techniques.
Just as important, templates are often not ready-to-go right out of the box. They almost always need modification, and often modifying a professionally prepared template is difficult because the designer will have used techniques you may not fully understand or are specific to the tools he or she used to create it.
So it is preferable not to think of a web template as the kind of thing you buy from an online template store. Rather just think of it as a basic page format that can be used over and over again. The best template is therefore one that uses "standard" techniques that can be modified without the use of specialized tools or programs (like Front Page or Dreamweaver).
Creating a Basic Template
If you are not familiar with web design, try working with a "bare bones" template to begin with. There are two ways you can go. You can work with basic html and tables, or you can create your basic template with CSS. Since CSS is rapidly becoming the new standard, it is probably better to begin with CSS -- especially if you have not yet become used to constructing web pages with tables.
CSS stands for "Cascading Style Sheets", but at the beginning it is not important to understand what that means. What is important is to understand that CSS allows you to create a set of formatting parameters in a "style sheet" (a seperate file) which you then can very easily apply to your individual pages. In other words, you seperate the "style" from the "content".
A simple style sheet can contain just three or four design elements. Here is an example which you are free to copy (right click and "Save target as" to a location on your hard drive, then change its name to "sample-1.css".)
style sheet sample (be sure to change its name to "sample-1.css").
This template contains a definition for the body text, a header component (with a background image), a "navbar", and a definition for two headline styles, h1 and h2.
Now that you have a style sheet you can begin building your web site by creating a basic home page. style sheet sample which embeds the style sheet referred to in the previous paragraph. You can get the html code by just opening the page in a browser window, looking at the "Source" code, and saving the resulting file on your hard drive as, for instance, "sample-1.html".
Now you should have two files in the same location on your hard drive -- "sample-1.css" and "sample-1.html". You can get the image file by just right clicking on the image in the sample page and saving it to the same location on your hard drive.
Your second step will be to create the pages referenced in the "navbar", so make sure you think of names for these pages before proceeding (e.g., howitworks.html, products.html, about.html, sitemap.html, contact.html). Then build your hyperlinks into the navbar. (Look at the code of the sample file to see how it is done.)
Once you have your basic home page with links, this then becomes your template. Just save it as "howitworks.html", "products.html", etc., and make the changes to the specific pages.
The result (once you upload it all to your host server) will be a basic, functional website containing a number of properly interlinked pages. It will also be search engine friendly because the design is not cluttered with scripts, and the most important elements are clearly laid out at the top of the page.
For more web design tips and techniques see the style sheet sample.
Rick Hendershot is a marketing consultant, writer, and internet publisher who lives in Conestogo, Ontario, Canada. He publishes several websites and blogs, including style sheet sample. This network provides an inexpensive way to advertise your website, and get as many as 100 low cost links.
Chicago limo Skokie ..This article may come as a surprise to you.Especially since... Read More
The icons in an application are the soul of the... Read More
Every day internet marketers are inundated with the latest fad... Read More
1. Who needs an artists website?Not everyone! If you are... Read More
You've thought about it and you're ready to go. You're... Read More
Read the title of this article over a couple of... Read More
Designing a website is hard job, and requires you to... Read More
Learning how to convert visitors to your web site into... Read More
Website Design Usability Tips1. Getting to know about audience membersYou... Read More
What are websites? Are they sales tools for vendors and... Read More
You have good traffic, but low client sign ups and... Read More
Are you in a dilemma whether to create a mini... Read More
Graphics are fun, but if you put in too many... Read More
Every now and then, I receive a link exchange request... Read More
1. Repackage your web site content in to different products... Read More
You have an idea for a website and you are... Read More
1. DO NOT use excessive graphics or banner images on... Read More
Does website design make a difference in how long people... Read More
Out there in the WWW there are thousands sites using... Read More
Most people will agree there is nothing more annoying than... Read More
Since I made the switch 6 months ago to a... Read More
In my web surfing adventures, I've found a few site... Read More
One product, one long web page: this kind of web... Read More
Many people today are tired of the Microsoft software that... Read More
Before you take a road trip it is usually a... Read More
limo O'Hare Bonfield ..As the Internet blooms at an alarming rate, so as... Read More
1. Don't load your web site with a lot of... Read More
The great debate: how much copy you should have on... Read More
Don't knock it; "Keep It Simple, Stupid" is a great... Read More
If you're running a website or online business, your number... Read More
Designing your own successful web page can seem difficult and... Read More
Sooner or later every small or medium business owner realizes... Read More
If you've just finished building your new website (or revamping... Read More
The landing page or entry page of your visitors is... Read More
Almost everything is available on the web? products, services, e-books,... Read More
In my last article entitled, Maximizing The True Value Of... Read More
This is my second article on maximising web site viewability.... Read More
Easy navigation and usability are one of the most important... Read More
If you think it's simply a case of who will... Read More
Read the title of this article over a couple of... Read More
Making a successful online business can be a long and... Read More
Let's face it. Buying products and services from the Internet... Read More
What is the relationship between Marketing and Web designing? How... Read More
In today's age of fast food and high-speed Internet, a... Read More
This is a very perfunctory look at the website code... Read More
We've all seen them. Poorly designed web sites that make... Read More
If you have a business, big or small you may... Read More
Your web site is the key to your success on... Read More
Creating your own website is great fun! But how is... Read More
For most people graphic design does not come easy. Unfortunately... Read More
Web Design |