SMALL BUSINESS WEB SERVICES Internet Consulting San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma

WebTips

TOOLS

You need 3 types of software:

1. HTML Editor
  Recommendation for beginners: Netscape Composer
  Recommendation for intermediate: Macromedia Dreamweaver
2. Graphics/image Editor to edit or create JPG and GIF image files - Recommendation for beginners: Paint Shop Pro or MS Imaging for Windows (comes with Windows 98)
  Recommendation for intermediate: Photoshop
3. FTP software for file transfers to publish pages - Recommendation: WS_FTP)

All you need to do is create is HTML pages with TEXT, GRAPHICS (JPG or GIF files) and LINKS.

DO NOT bother with any Java, JavaScript, CGI, Perl, Shockwave, or any other code initially.

HTML

First browse some HTML beginner's guides.
Just to learn a little bit about HTML.

Try one of the many programs that let you design webpages without knowing HTML.

Recommendation:Macromedia Dreamweaver.

Start here:
Welcome to Web 101

Then surf here:
http://www.netsurge.com/trillian/webbie.htm

http://www.htmlgoodies.com/primers.html

After you read a little about HTML go to any web page you like. Choose one that does not look too fancy!

Netscape Communicator is a free browser program that includes the Netscape Composer, a simple HTML design tool. Here you don't really need to know too much about HTML!

Open the website in your Netscape browser. Go to the pull down menu and choose FILE - EDIT. This will open the page in Netscape Composer. Now play with it in Composer. Save it on your hard drive. Switch things around. Change the images and test. Have fun!

Need something a bit more powerful? Dreamweaver is a powerful website editor from Macromedia, but it is very well designed and the basics can be learned in a few days!

TEXT

Most of the content of your website is probably going to be text.

Small Bits of Text
Type them in directly into your html editor.

Chunks of Text
Cut and paste from any text editor into your html editor.

Text Files
MS Word 97 can save document (doc) files in html format.

There is a free add-on for MS Word 95 and Word 2.0 called the Internet Assistant that can also do this. It is available as a free download - either from Microsoft or here). Read more about IA.

Formatting Text
If you want to format your text in html you can try sticking it into TABLES (a basic html function).

Netscape Communicator has an icon with a table grid that lets you automatically insert tables.

WEB HOST

You need a WEB SERVER to host your site. No need for hardware, just sign up with one of the many providers.

Get your web hosting from Kahl Consultants!

We offer high quality web hosting at very reasonable rates. Look here!

Are you paying an ISP for internet access? Then chances are good that they are offering you free web space - just contact them and ask.

There even are plenty free web hosts! http://www.freewebspace.net/ has a pretty compremensive list - take your pick.

Get your own domain name as well.

Contact Kahl Consultants to register a domain name for only $19 per year. This includes DOMAIN FORWARDING to any other website (for example the free web space from your ISP).

FTP

Once you have a web server you will need FTP (file transfer protocol) software to upload and download files to your server.

WS_FTP is great FTP shareware. You can download it for free. Use it to login to your web server and download and upload files to your website.

Your FTP software needs this information from your ISP or web host:

username
password
FTP server name

Link to Target on same HTML Page

Create a TARGET. Then create a LINK that takes you to this target. In HTML a target looks like this:

Netscape Composer has an icon with a blue circle and a red arrow that lets you automatically create targets.

IN HTML your link will look like this:
spot you want to link from

Netscape Composer has an icon with a chain link that lets you automatically create links.

Link to Another Page

No target is necessary, just replace the target name with the URL of the site to link to. E.g. a link to Kahl Consultants would look like this:
Go to Kahl Consultants

If you are linking to another page within your website just use the relative address. E.g., if the other page is in the same subdirectory you could have a link like this:
Go to other page

To learn more look at the code of other websites. In your browser simply VIEW - PAGE SOURCE.

ACRONYMS

FTP
- File Transfer Protocol; procedure used for downloading and uploading files via the net. With FTP you can login to another site and transfer files.
JPEG or JPG
- Joint Photographic Experts Group; "jay-peg" is one of the two most common types of images used on the web.
GIF
- Graphics Interchange Format; the most common type of images used on the web. Developed by Compuserve.
HTML
- Hypertext Markup Language; a non-proprietary format for publishing hypertext on the World Wide Web.
URL
- Uniform Resource Locator; an address on the net, it describes location and access method. The URL http://www.kahl.net describes the access method used (http) and the server location (www.kahl.net).

RESOURCES

Web Design Books
One of the very best guides that you should read from cover to cover is called Creating Killer Websites.

Terminology got you puzzled?
Try the Webopedia or NetLingo and find out what that geek is talking about!

Got Software?
Try some of the freebies available through NetTools Freeware & Shareware.

Got Hardware?
Do your homework and save money! Use the hardware reviews and comparison shopping that is offered at KC Shopping before you buy.

Beginners HTML Guides
http://www.netsurge.com/trillian/webbie.htm
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/primers.html

ImageTips
Beginners Web Graphics Guide

Sub Menu

TOOLS

HTML

TEXT

Small Bits of Text Type them in directly into your html editor.

Chunks of Text Cut and paste from any text editor into your html editor.

Text Files MS Word 97 can save document (doc) files in html format.

Formatting Text If you want to format your text in html you can try sticking it into TABLES (a basic html function).