Web Designs Beginner Website Concepts
- What is a domain name?
- How much does it cost to register a domain name?
- Where should I register my domain name?
- What is a web host?
- How much do web hosting services cost?
- How do I choose a web host provider?
- Compare web hosting services
Build Your Own Website
Design the Website
In the design phase, you begin to outline what the actual website will look like. There are several steps to takeduring the design phase.
Create a Site Map
A Site map is an outline of your website. Put together a draft site map for your website. For example, a basic 5-page website might include the following site map:
Home page
Our Services
Request a Brochure
About Us
Contact Us
Make a Draft of Your Content
“Content” is any element used to make up your website… text (also called copy), photos, graphics, videos, forms.
What will you say on each of the web pages identified in your site map? What images or photos will you display on each page? Will you create forms for users to contact you or submit a brochure request?
Create a draft document that contains all the “content” for each page. Do you have photos available to use? Do you need to display a chart or graph to visually balance your text? Are there facts you need to gather or perform additional research?
Insider Tip:
You can use software such as Adobe Fireworks or Photoshop to resize, crop, or enhance your photos. You can also create basic graphics.
As you create your content document, you may decide to revise your site map by adding or removing web pages. That’s fine. It’s all part of the process.
Decide on the Overall Look & Feel
Once you have a solid site map and good working draft of your content document, you can start to establish your visual design requirements.
- Are there particular colors you want to use on your website? (ie pastels, vibrant colors, colors that complement your logo)
- What type of feeling / impression do you want to convey to site visitors? (ie professional, informal, fun, cutting edge, creative)
- What type of graphical assets will you need and how will you get these? (ie rotating flash banner, how-to video, photo galleries)
Finalize the Site navigation
Using your site map as a guideline, start to determine what type of site navigation you will use. If you only have a few pages, you may want your navigation to be across the top of your site. If you have a lot of page or several levels of pages, you may want the site navigation to be along the left side of the page. If you want your site to be more creative or non-traditional, you can use a more creative layout for your navigation.
Sketch Out the Pages
Sketch out what you want your web pages to look like. Your pages should be consistent so site visitors can easily navigate your website.
Insider Tip:
Save the home page for last. If you spend time on your lower-level pages first, and finalize what info appears where, your home page will likely come together with greater ease. Just remember… the home page provides visitors with a first impression. So you want to make sure the home page fits within the goals you identified during the define phase.
Name your website
Decide what you want to call your website. The name of your website is called the Domain Name. Once you decide, you will have to check to see if the website name is available. You can search for availability using a site such as GoDaddy.com.
Enter a domain name below to check availability:
Once you have found a good domain name, register it. To learn more about domain names, visit our Domain Names section.
Insider Tip: You may want to wait to register your domain name when you select a web hosting provider. Web hosts will often register you domain name for free when you sign up for their service.
Next: Develop the Website