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CONSTRUCTING WEBPAGES...
The Basics...
The Web is invading a significant part of our lives. At work, the Web serves as an advertising medium, as a communication tool, and even as a message centre. At home, the Web has become integral to our offices, television sets and homework time.
WebPages are constructed using a code language known as HTML. HyperText Markup Language is a system of codes that you use to create active documents. To create Web Pages only requires a basic knowledge of HTML. With the appropriate software, and a little know-how, anyone can make their own website.
HTML is used to create all the pages that exist on the Internet. Put in very simple terms HTML is a way of generating a page of a book electronically. It is interpreted by a web browser so that words and pictures can be displayed on your computer screen. In fact a website could almost be described as an online book.
The first page of a website is always called index.htm, this is the page the browser will display when it visits you site. With this in mind you should perhaps try and capture the nature of your website on the index page and have links to additional pages from there. The extension ".htm" must be used for all web pages so that the browser knows it is an HTML page.
There are two main parts to HTML. Text that is held within angle brackets and text that is not held within angle brackets. Just in case you are wondering what an angle bracket is they are the > and < brackets.
Any text incorporating these angle brackets is called an HTML TAG, this means it is part of the HTML language. Anything else is the text that is going to be displayed by the browser.
For first time HTML programmers, all that is needed are two basic tools: an HTML editor and a Web Browser.
- An HTML editor is the program you use to create and save HTML documents.
- A Web Browser is the program used to view and test HTML documents (i.e. Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator).
In general, HTML editors fall into two categories:
- TEXT, or code-based, which allow a user to see HTML code as the documents are created (e.g. Textpad).
- WYSIWIG, "What You See is What you Get", which show the results of code similarly to the way it will appear in a browser, as the document is formatted (e.g. Microsoft's FrontPage).
The Next Step...
The life cycle of an HTML document includes developing, publishing, testing and maintaining it - whether its ultimate home is an office Intranet or the vast expanse of the World Wide Web.
Once you have created your initial documents, and are happy with them, the next step is to upload them to the Internet. This involves the use of an ISP (Internet Service Provider). Generally, ISP's (such as Freenetname.co.uk) provide individual subscribers - as opposed to business subscribers - with access to the Internet, to e-mail, and to a small amount of space on a Web server.
Once you have access to Web space the final stage of creating your website is to upload the documents using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) application, such as Terrapin FTP or Cute FTP. These are programs that allows you to add, delete, rename and move files about in your web space. Although the specific folders will depend on the server set-up, you will generally need to know:
- FTP Server address
- Your specific userid
- Your account Password
- The folder on the server you will use
It doesn't end there...
Once your Web site is up and running, it will require maintenance. Maintaining HTML documents is the process of updating and revising existing pages, adding new pages, and deleting outdated pages. Regularly maintaining HTML documents is essential if you want visitors to keep returning to your site.
Making money through your website...
Affiliate Marketing is when one Web site (an affiliate) promotes another Web site's products or services (a merchant) in exchange for a commission. The merchant provides ads for the affiliate to place on their Website, and if an ad (which links to the merchant's website) results in a sale, a sign up or a click, then voila! the affiliate earns a commission!
The best part about it for affiliates is that it's free and easy; you refer your Web site visitors to something they like, somebody else does the hard work of providing the product or service, you simply take the money and run! You won't get rich, but you may make some pocket money.
In addition, if you are not currently affiliated with both AllPosters.com and Amazon.co.uk, it is highly recommended that you do so now!
Amazon.co.uk offers one of the oldest and most well known affiliate programs. Their huge selection of items and great reputation can complement most any web site. They pay on a quarterly basis 5%-15% commission and my experience with them has been quite good.
AllPosters.com is the best affiliate program I have ever been a member of. They offer an amazing selection of posters and some of the absolute best commission rates I have ever seen, from 15%-20% with a second tier of 5% on all sub-affiliates you recruit. They are an excellent company that is growing very fast, and offer excellent support to their affiliates. They have never been late on a cheque in the time I have been working with them or ignored an email and I plan on staying with them for much longer.
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Website by Luke Wallwin 2006
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