Seven Steps for Designing New Webpages

Seven Steps for Designing New Webpages

Are you getting ready to start a new web project? Or are you planning to create new pages for your current website? If so this article is for you. Here are seven quick steps to help you get started on the right foot.

The first thing you will want to do if you are starting a new website is decide what you want to your site to do and then construct a blueprint. If you are just getting started then you can find a really good tutorial over at http://webmonkey.wired.com/webmonkey/design/site_building/tutorials/tutorial1.html

OK. Is your blueprint ready! Great! Let’s get this show on the road.

STEP ONE - Create A Template For Your Website
The very first thing you want to do is establish the look and feel of your site so you can keep it consistent on all the webpages. Just imagine the headache of building 30 pages of content and then remembering something you should have included in your design or realizing that the look and feel just doesn’t fit the theme of your site. Ouch!

So, save yourself that headache and look at a few websites that are similar to what you want to do. You could even visit websites that offer ready-made-templates for you to use like http://www.freewebtemplates.com/ or http://freesitetemplates.com/

STEP TWO - Outline The Items That Will Change On Each Page
Go through your webpage template and make note of the things that will change on each page. You will use this as your building checklist.

STEP THREE - Create Your Storyboard
Take your ideas from the previous step and create your storyboard in a text editor. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Filename: Write the name you intend to give this file ( e.g., my-first-page.html) The best thing you can do here is to give it the same name as the keyword you are targeting for this particular page.

Title: This is what will appear at the very top of your visitor’s browser. This should be between 60 to 80 characters long. Do not forget to weave your main keyword into the title at least once.

Keywords: These are the keywords that will appear in your meta-tag description. Type your main keyword first and then add in about four more similar keywords or phrases. Try to keep this under a hundred characters.

Description: Type a description of what this page is about in way that will grab a potential visitor’s attention. Keep this about 150 characters long. Do not forget to weave in your keyword here.

Body: This is where you will actually type the content for this particular page. Try to weave your keyword in naturally once every couple of paragraphs if possible. Add links to the web pages you want you visitors to see. Decide where your graphics will go as well as any ads you will place on your page to make money.

Wrap-up: This is where you put your call to action for whatever you want your visitor to do...whether that be to click on your affiliate link...buy your product...or sign up for your e-zine. Do not forget to add a link back to your home page.

STEP FOUR - Create Your New Page
Now that you know what your page will look like and what is going to be on it…go ahead and open your favorite HTML editor. Open your template for this site as well as the document you just created in the previous step.

STEP FIVE - Copy And Paste
All you have to do now is simply copy the text you created in your storyboard and paste it into your webpage template. Once you are done and are satisfied with how it looks you are ready for…

STEP SIX – Save The File And…

STEP SEVEN – Upload The File to Your Host

Presto! You are well on your way to building yourself a successful website. Now all you have to do is market it, and get those visitors to come ‘clicking’ in by the droves.

=====================
Ian Del Carmen is an online business professional running his main site at http://www.ianDelCarmen.com. His other sites include http://TheOnlineBusinessProfessional.com, http://MobileEbooks.net, http://InfoProductLaboratory.com, and many more...
=====================