|
|
|
|
Earning an Online IncomeBuilding the Site Building a site can be challenging. But there are some very nice packages out there, these days. I hate taking the time to learn new stuff (I just want to get done what I am trying to do), so I still use Microsoft FrontPage, an outdated and abandoned site building program from long ago. I'm able to make it work for me, and that's what counts. I also have Microsoft's Expression Web, but don't always use it. I am using it to build and maintain this site. Many Popular Options Dreamweaver is current and popular WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) html editor. CoffeeCup.com has a very nice selection of tools. In fact, most hosting providers these days include some kind of site-building software. Knowing html code is the best way, plus the JavaScript, etc. to do basic sites. Php and other ways of building more dynamic sites is certainly worthwhile. Joomla, an entire system of open code, is popular. Like I said, I just want to keep it simple, so I still do mine with FrontPage, fine tuning the code as I go. If you are only wanting to create and maintain a blog, then you might really like WordPress (www.wordpress.org). For one, it's free. And it is one of the very best options out there. Many templates (appearance options) available, lots of great features and updated on a regular basis with good support. You can also add Google to your blog fairly easily. If You Plan to Earn Income Regardless of the kind of website you prefer or the editor you use, when you build the page, keep Google ads (or another ad system) in mind. By visiting Google AdSense, you can get the basic sizes you will want to use. It costs nothing to sign up with Google, so you can start learning how to set up your code any time. Google gives recommendations as to positioning on the pages. Trial and error is also a good teacher. I like to visit competing sites that give me ideas. I look at how other people doing the same kind of site have arranged their pages, and how they go about offering their products. Once I build a page that works very well, I save a version of that page as a template for future pages. That way, I can build new pages a lot faster, changing out the bits of content that need changing, while keeping all the other stuff. Google, or whatever ad network you use, will take care of actually placing and changing ads, once the basic code is in place. This is a general outline of what's involved. Other details can be found all over the Internet. These days, you can always find a few forums for nearly every kind of software and site building approach. It's a good idea to research the possibilities. See what kind of support you can find for the type of site and methods you want to use. In the end, of course, you will simply need to make a choice and take the plunge. Don't be discouraged if you make some mistakes along the way. Most of us do. Just try to figure out where you went wrong and learn from the experience. Some Important Things to Consider If you build a site for income or to support some other method of income, you are actually building your business as you work on the site. Make it look as good as you possibly can. You may not prove to be a creative genius. Web building may not be your special gift, but you can avoid a few obvious mistakes: Don't use horrible, glaring colors. Don't forget to link all the pages together so that visitors can navigate the site with ease. Don't build a site of nothing but ads. Don't use pop-ups to "bring attention" to important points. Don't forget to restrict the width of text on pages. These days, a lot of attention id being given to creating pages that adjust to the browsers window, with text and images that flow all over the place. The problem is that monitors are getting bigger and wider. A certain amount of fluid motion is probably a good thing. But people are still people. None of us enjoy trying to read a line of text that goes on and on before it finally breaks. Make your page width, or at least the text portion, easy to read.
Again, visit sites that are popular and user-friendly. See how they are solving problems that we all need to solve. When you see something that really works, or that really looks good, then do your page the same way. Have fun and stay busy. The more you help others, the more you will find that your own needs are also being met.
|
|
|
Copyright 2009 by Jim Sutton All graphics and other contents on this site are copyrighted material and may not be used without the express written permission of the author. For permissions and other information, contact webmaster. |
