Custom Web Site Design

I see it all the time: there are those people out there who have been working in a particular industry for years. They're wonderful at what they do, and they have a lot of knowledge from all of that time being dedicated to their field. But if you ask them about it, they'll just brush it aside, saying they're nothing special. The reason? Because to them all of the things they know seem commonplace. They've been working so closely with it for so long they forget that everyone doesn't know this stuff as well, and so they don't take advantage of chances to spread their knowledge around, and improve their image at the same time.

by: Martin Ludwig

If you're looking to collect information from your users, there isn't a much easier or more straightforward method than a Web form. If designed well, Web forms provide valuable information; if not, they may scare users away. With this in mind, here are a few key tenets of Web form design that every designer should know.

by: Joe Gillespie

Here are the two basic layers, one is the paper and one the colors you are trying out. The paper layer has all the elements as transparent holes. The color layer has just rough slabs of color. Manipulating the colors in-behind the page mask is quick and easy. This is the system I use to work out color schemes for Web pages or logos. I use Photoshop, but the same principle will work in any graphics editor that supports layers and alpha channels.

by: Sam Rayner
We're entering an exciting period in the history of the Web. Since the 90's, the Internet has embedded itself in our lives in ways we couldn't have imagined. I'd be hard pressed to find a lad in my school who doesn't have a MySpace, Facebook or Twitter profile, a Flickr account or a blog. Kids younger than me now interact confidently with the Web without fear of being labelled as geeks or nerdy.

Design on the Web has obviously come a long way too. The 'standards battle' appears to have been won, developers have been shown the light and it's only a matter of time before font tags and spacer gifs become a distant memory. We're past the 'browser wars' and Internet Explorer 6 is finally losing its stranglehold on the market, giving way to more standards-compliant contemporaries or at least IE7.

by: Niels Matthijs
HTML is hot again. Some time ago the HTML5 promo machine got up to speed, causing a little mini-fuss. In a parallel universe, others are still putting a lot of time and effort into the development of xHTML2. This (public) renewal of interest in HTML caused plenty of discussion, revealing several blank spots in the general knowledge of HTML. This article will hopefully plug one of the most notorious holes shut.

For many front-end developers, HTML remains mostly an excuse. It is viewed as a language of hooks, constructed for adding javascript, css and other enhancements to web documents. In recent events, this kick-started a small semantics debate again, where people were reminded about the semantic value of HTML. A reminder voiced by raging standardista, still fired up from previously fought debates and awareness battles.

By: Kabir Bedi

Social media is a refreshingly powerful concept gaining popularity on the world wide web. With its strong basis on communication and interaction, it follows the principles of free democracy - Of the people, By the people,

By: Jill Hart

Social media marketing should be an essential part of your marketing. But so many don’t do it right. These 10 tips will help you excel in your social media efforts. It’s official. Social media is here to stay. It’s not a fad like so many initially thought and it isn’t going anywhere soon. Businesses have realized that not only is it a great way to connect with current clients, but a great way to land potential clients as well. And that’s only the beginning. Social media also allows you to promote all your upcoming events and products, and even gives you front row access to editors and reporters who might write on your area of expertise. The possibilities are truly endless. But the big question now is, how can entrepreneurs best use the current social media opportunities to help increase business? Here are some tips we feel will help.
Ten tips to incorporate social media into your marketing plan:

Blogs and RSS feeds are great marketing tools! Now, if you're like me, you're probably scratching your head and saying, "Wonderful, but what in the world is a blog, and what the heck does an RSS feed?" Let's make it quick and simple. A blog is basically a journal or diary that is kept online. It changes every day as you add new content. An RSS feed is a little more involved.

by Joe Gillespie
The Web is a wealth of information. Everything you want to know about everything is only a few clicks away at Yahoo or AltaVista. Yet, amidst all this, there are millions of Web pages with little or nothing to say.

Somebody thinks, "Oh, I must have a Web page - everybody else has one!" They try desperately to find something to say and some way to say it. Then, in the realisation that their efforts are somewhat lacking, they turn to 'decoration'.

They have made their second mistake!

by: Sam Rayner

We're entering an exciting period in the history of the Web. Since the 90's, the Internet has embedded itself in our lives in ways we couldn't have imagined. I'd be hard pressed to find a lad in my school who doesn't have a MySpace, Facebook or Twitter profile, a Flickr account or a blog. Kids younger than me now interact confidently with the Web without fear of being labelled as geeks or nerdy.

Design on the Web has obviously come a long way too. The 'standards battle' appears to have been won, developers have been shown the light and it's only a matter of time before font tags and spacer gifs become a distant memory. We're past the 'browser wars' and Internet Explorer 6 is finally losing its stranglehold on the market, giving way to more standards-compliant contemporaries or at least IE7.

By: Joel McLaughlinDataflurry

Web site development is the art of creating and developing the world wide web. Using tools, graphics and programming toward the development of the world wide web. This article gives you some great resources to get your feet wet in the development field.

First, to learn a little about my skills in web development. I am 24 years old and I started my first online business at 12. I started hand coding HTML for fun and learned to love web sites. I have built web sites for small companies to large corporations.There are so many resources available on the net so that you can get involved designing web sites. However without any sort of knowledge in the field, it can be very confusing. Common questions that probably run through your head are "what development tools should be used", "how do I get web sites on the internet", and "how to I create applications". I am going to go briefly over these different questions and provide you with great resources to learn more.

After you have created or developed your site it’s time to find a good Web hosting service provider which is required to have a strong online presence with a web host which provides you the exact services and features you need.

When choosing a web hosting companies the basic necessities are your sites space requirements, bandwidth requirements, POP, technical support requirements and also some more advanced needs like the scripting language of your site. So you need to select your web hosting requirements realistically, for example, select the bandwidth and space requirements and never try to buy anymore than what you require. Later you can always improve on these by upgrading your package or moving to some other web host with will later cater for your requirements.

Following will help you choose your web hosting related requirements and eventually your web host more confidently.

by: Mike Cherim

In the first installment, Twelve Things Most Sites Need - Part I, I offered a six-pack of must-haves. Specifically I suggested sites should have a proper navigation menu, a meaningful, well-formed title, a method of contact, a site map, passive accessibility, and standardized markup. Now, as I offered the last six, in the order in which I thunk ‘em up, here is the balance.

by: Mike Cherim

There are a plethora of Websites out there, each one unique in its design, its content, markup, features, functionality, and in myriad other ways. Yet, despite these differences, there are specific needs that should be met with near consistency, Internet-wide, regardless of the site. Let’s take a look at twelve of these common denominators. Below are the first six. They appear in the order in which I thunk ‘em up. They’re just numbered so you can refer to them more easily.

by: David Rodriguez
As a designer, do you know where your work really fits in the process of design?
We all love Web design. Looking at a blank white box on a computer screen and using only your mind's eye, a mouse, and a keyboard to transform it into a living, breathing Website is no minor feat, and there is undoubtedly a creative rush when it comes to doing something like this. Web design can be a strong artistic outlet and it inevitably brings with it the joy that comes with looking at your finished work and presenting it to others.
Yes, in a word, Web design is fun. But let's face it: if you plan to make money off of Web design, then it also becomes a business.