Building Web Sites All-in-One For Dummies® (3 page)

Introduction

Web sites can be very complex or very simple. When you're building a site, you have many decisions to make, all dependent on the needs of a particular project. This can be overwhelming, but don't fret — you have
Building Web Sites All-in-One For Dummies,
2nd Edition, to help you. It's so comprehensive and so flexible that it will help you in all aspects of Web design, from the initial planning phases to testing and publishing your masterpiece.

This book can help you take on the role of project manager, graphic designer, developer, or multimedia designer, and it has information about interacting with different specialists on larger or more complex projects. So whether you're undertaking your first Web design project or are a veteran taking on a Web design team, this book is for you.

About This Book

Here are some of the things you can do using this book:

• Plan your Web site project.

• Assemble and manage a Web team.

• Create layouts, graphics, navigation menus, and Web pages from scratch.

• Optimize graphic elements for your Web pages.

• Work with HTML and CSS to create and maintain your pages.

• Create HTML forms.

• Add multimedia content such as Flash movies and video clips.

• Integrate e-commerce into your Web site project.

• Maintain and promote a Web site.

• Explore server-side and client-side code.

Foolish Assumptions

We have, perhaps foolishly, made a few assumptions about our readers. We expect that you have basic computer skills (either Windows or Mac) and a basic understanding of how to use a browser and the Internet. The authors and publisher of this book assume you're a bright, intelligent person who wants to learn but doesn't have the time to read a book from cover to cover. We assume you'll find the information you need by perusing the index and then you'll cut to the chase and read that section.

If you don't have any prior knowledge of HTML, CSS, or graphics software, that's okay; we give you the basics here. We do assume that you have more than a passing interest in Web design. In fact, this book is geared for Web designers, or anyone with aspirations of becoming a Web designer. If you don't have any prior experience with Web design or managing Web site projects, that's okay, too. This book starts at the beginning before moving into more advanced topics.

Conventions Used in This Book

By
conventions,
we simply mean a set of rules we've employed in this book to present information to you consistently. When you see a term
italicized,
look for its definition, which we've included so that you know what things mean in the context of Web site construction. Sometimes, we give you information to enter on-screen; in this case, we've
bolded
what you need to type. We've placed Web site addresses and e-mail addresses in
monofont
so that they stand out from regular text. Code appears in its own font, set off from the rest of the text, like this:

Never mind the furthermore, the plea is self-defense.

When we present complex information with copious amounts of code, we present examples and then dissect the code. Blocks of code are neatly bundled into a listing, which looks like this:

Listing Intro-1: Everything You Wanted to Know about Code, but Were Afraid to Ask

Throughout the book, you'll find icons such as Technical Stuff, Tips, Warnings, and Remember. These little tidbits are cold, hard facts we found out the hard way. We sprinkle this information liberally so you won't fall into the same chuckholes we did, or worse, end up with egg on your face.

What You Don't Have to Read

We've structured this book
modularly
— that is, it's designed so that you can easily find just the information you need — so you don't have to read whatever doesn't pertain to your task at hand. We include sidebars here and there throughout the book that contain interesting information that isn't necessarily integral to the discussion at hand; feel free to skip over these. You also don't have to read the paragraphs next to the Technical Stuff icons, which parse out uber-techie tidbits (which might or might not be your cup of tea).

How This Book Is Organized

Building Web Sites All-in-One For Dummies,
2nd Edition,
is split into nine minibooks. You don't have to read them sequentially, you don't have to look at every minibook, you don't have to review each chapter, and you don't even have to read all the sections in any particular chapter. (Of course, you can if you want to; it's a good read.) The Table of Contents and the Index can help you quickly find whatever information you need. In this section, we briefly describe what each minibook contains.

Book I: Preparations

This minibook covers all the things you need to do before you start actually creating a Web site. The topics of planning, managing your project, flying solo on a project, and assembling and managing a Web design team are all covered here. We've also included information about creating a site that portrays the client and her organization in a flattering light while providing visitors with content that keeps them coming back for more.

Book II: Site Design

Site design is about the nuts and bolts of how a site works and about making the visual aspects work within the technical needs — this minibook helps you make these two worlds come together. In short, if you're looking for information about creating layouts and planning site structure, implementing appropriate design, and collecting and using feedback, you'll want to read this minibook.

Book III: Site Construction

Book III takes you into the hands-on creation of your site. The minibook begins with an overview of the tools and materials necessary for Web design; other chapters introduce you to graphics and Web design software before delving into the details of preparing a site to go live. Book II is about being an architect and designer; Book III is about being the crew that gets the job done.

Book IV: Web Graphics

A Web site without graphics is text, which won't keep a visitor interested for very long. Book IV begins with a section on finding inspiration. After you're inspired, it's off to the races with information on how to create graphics in Photoshop and Fireworks.

Book V: Multimedia

Book V shows you how to add multimedia content to your designs. We start out by showing you how to incorporate Flash elements into your designs. If your client wants music or other joyful noise on her Web site, read Chapter 2 of this minibook. If it's full-motion video your client is after, we show you how to add it in Chapter 3 of this minibook. If your client has copious amounts of images to display in a short amount of space, check out Chapter 4, where we show you how to add a
tres-cool
slide show to a Web site.

Book VI: Audience Interaction

Web sites come in many flavors. If your client has the need to give and receive information via the World Wide Web, this minibook is your Rx for Web interactivity. If your client's site needs forms, see Chapter 1. In the latter chapters of this book we also show you how to incorporate additional interactivity, such as databases and pages that change depending on the needs of the visitors. We end this book with an introduction to other forms of interactivity, such as blogs, forums, and other such delights.

Book VII: E-Commerce

If your client wants to take his local, bricks-and-mortar business worldwide, we show you how to accomplish this feat in Book VII. E-commerce is indeed complex, but we do our best to simplify it for you. First, we explore basic concepts such as credit card packages, secure Web sites, and PayPal. Then, we move on to the technological and legal considerations of an e-commerce Web site. Last but not least, we show you what you need to consider when building and maintaining an e-commerce site.

Book VIII: Site Management

If you build it, they will come.
Not.
The only way to get people to flock to a Web site in droves is to promote it. We begin this book by exploring methods you can use to promote a site and get it recognized by the search engines. Of course, after the site has a steady stream of visitors, you or your client will need to maintain the site. And if the site really catches on, your client will probably need you to revise or redesign the site. We show you how to maintain and expand a Web site in Chapters 2 and 3 of this minibook.

Book IX: Case Studies

The final minibook of this lofty tome is four chapters of case studies. We learn a lot by surfing the Net and dissecting what's good, bad, and downright ugly about what's out there. You can too. To give you an idea of what goes into planning and then creating a site, we explore the needs of four different clients and the resulting Web sites.

Icons Used in This Book

For Dummies
books are known for those helpful icons that point you in the direction of really great information. In this section, we briefly describe each icon used in this book.

The Tip icon points out helpful information that is likely to make your job easier.

This icon marks an interesting and useful fact — something that you might want to remember for later use.

The Warning icon highlights lurking danger. With this icon, we're telling you to pay attention and proceed with caution.

When you see this icon, you know that there's techie stuff nearby. If you're not feeling very techie, you can skip this info.

Where to Go from Here

While the book is written so that more experienced Web designers can skip around to the parts they need, novice users probably need to start with Book I, which gives a good foundation of building Web sites, before proceeding to the other books. If you're one of those experienced designers, scour the index for the material you need and then read those sections.

Experience is the best teacher. After immersing yourself in those topics you want to know more about, launch your favorite HTML editor and begin noodling with designs you've previously created, and tweak them, using the information from this book. And if — like the plumber with leaky faucets — your personal Web site was designed around the turn of the century, by all means spiff it up using the techniques we show you.