Beginning the Website—Part 3 of 6
Posted By Charlotte Boyett-Compo on March 12, 2010
Charlotte Boyett-Compo, WindLegends (tm)
by Charlotte Boyett-Compo
1st Turning Point Staff Columnist
Copyright © 2010 Charlotte Boyett-Compo
With a webhost chosen, there are two things to consider before actually signing up for the service: How long has the host been online and what is its reputation? Ask around to find out what other authors have to say about the host. If satisfied with what is learned, sign up for a paid webpage.
Why paid? No advertising banners!
There is nothing more annoying and screams unprofessional than some advertiser’s banner flashing above an author’s personal webpage. Why promote someone else’s website? Focusing the reader’s attention entirely on the author’s webpage is crucial. Invest in purchasing the host’s services and chalk it up as part of doing business.
Step Three: The Host and Its Services
Many hosts offer free domains with their service. This is also a crucial point. An author needs a dedicated domain name that will be part of his brand on the internet. Most authors prefer to use their own name. Remember, whatever domain name you get will more than likely need to be renewed yearly. If a domain name is purchased outside the host service, I would recommend using either Go Daddy or Name.com. Cost is approximately $7 to $8 a year. Not a lot to pay for a dedicated domain name no one else can take. (Note: be sure to renew your domain on time if you don’t want it sold to a Russian porn site! If it expires, the author may never be able to get the name back.) I recommend going with a host who will make it easy to renew the domain name each year. As of this writing, Justhost.com offers free domains for life, as well as unlimited email accounts. That is something to consider when setting up a webpage if an author doesn’t already have an email account using his name.
Also make sure that whichever host is chosen has FREE expert phone support should a problem arise.
Step Four: Choosing the Background and Font Color.
Most hosts provide a point and click site builder with various templates from which to choose. For a beginning author who is unfamiliar with html coding and would rather not bother learning it, this will suffice. Bear in mind that other authors might have the same basic template, the same background, the exact same header graphics and layout. While that may not be a deal breaker for most authors, there is a lot to be said for originality and uniqueness. If the author is copasetic with having a variation of something someone else has, that is his choice. Personally, I prefer having a webpage that stands out from everything else on the web. While the following is also a basic template, the choices of graphics, background and background color, font color, and layout is like my first webpage ten years ago—the possibilities are as varied as the author’s taste in such.
First things first. Find a background you like. My choice of backgrounds come from two sources: Absolute Background Textures Archive and EOS Development, but there is a vast assortment of places from which to upload backgrounds. You can Google webpage backgrounds and take your pick. Choose something that readers will find tasteful and pleasing to the eye. Garish colors and busy designs will take attention from the text and may cause the reader to leave the webpage without ever having read what is on it.
After a background has been chosen, pick a font color that will compliment it. Find the color chart and the html codes needed at Computer Hope.com. Note: If Pixeur is not already installed on the author’s computer, find it at Veign.com. It is free, simple to use and an invaluable utility for picking colors from other websites and obtaining the html code for that color.
Choose several striking backgrounds.
Go into the file maker of the webhost (I’m using Hostmonster) and upload the backgrounds into the public_html folder on the left side tree of the file manager page. Once uploaded, click on “new page.” Name it index.html, then save. Scroll down to index.html. WITH YOUR RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON, click on the index.html name. There will be several choices. LEFT click on “edit.” That will open a blank page just waiting to be filled!
Next month, I’ll cover the following topic: Building the first page.
To view previous articles in this series, check out:
Catch the Windby Charlotte Boyett-CompoISBN: 9781419921896 Riezell Guardian Major Dominia Alamaine has heard about the celebrated sexual prowess of Jaeger Rosakaris The an Tuirc prince’s manhood is legendary and she’s anxious not only to see for herself what all the fuss is about but to experience it firsthand. But the mating doesn’t quite go as she plans. Her love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude won’t work this time for Fate throws a monkey wrench in the gears by bonding the two as eternal mates. Jaeger isn’t that upset about the bonding. As a matter of fact, he’s rather pleased with the situation. Domi is a gorgeous woman with a laser-hot body, sultry lips, and a mind as sharp as an assassin’s dagger. With her at his side, he won’t mind taking over the rule of his home world even though his mother has very lethal plans of her own for the woman he wants to be his bride. Though love has hit Jaeger hard, it will be hatred that will ruin his young life and make it a living hell. |
 Catch the Wind by Charlotte Boyett-Compo |
Charlee,
This is a great article and contains many useful sites for us folk to use. Readability is a key to a successful website and you have hit the right note about color, fonts, background. Thanks for another excellent article. I will certainly make use of some of the sites you have referenced.
Hi Charlee:
You’re batting a thousand. This is another vauable article loaded with ideas and links. Thank you.
I am loving this series, and I like how the articles are all linked so we can refer back easily. Thanks for more food for thought.