PDA

View Full Version : does anyone have tips for building a site?



ice60
July 8th, 2007, 05:18 PM
i want to make a web site, a good looking and well designed one for selling some things - an online shop. i'm not in to web design so i can only do something simple html. i want to make something that looks like these -

http://www.tedler.com/
http://www.advice-landforsale.co.uk/
http://www.ostersundstrafikskola.se/priser.asp
http://www.rustybones.net/
http://www.sonoraciudadana.org.mx/mls/
http://cssmania.com/topics/business/lifestyle/

css doesn't look too difficult, i just had a look at some that people are using, but i think it might take me a long time to sort it out.

can anyone give me some tips for designing a site? are there any short cuts for making a good looking site? or any good books and sites i can learn from? which linux programs do people use for web design?
thanks.

EDIT are they all XHTML and CSS?, is that what i need to learn. is there a program that will do it all for me lol

reacocard
July 8th, 2007, 05:35 PM
Try using a CMS (Content Management System) like Drupal, they make it very easy to create good-looking sites.

This is the site I used to learn HTML/CSS, it's pretty good: http://www.yourhtmlsource.com/

(Love your sig BTW, "Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit" :D)

RAV TUX
July 8th, 2007, 06:04 PM
Try using a CMS (Content Management System) like Drupal, they make it very easy to create good-looking sites.

This is the site I used to learn HTML/CSS, it's pretty good: http://www.yourhtmlsource.com/

(Love your sig BTW, "Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit" :D)

I second the advice for using Drupal, it is by far not only the easiest to learn and use, but Drupal also gives you the most sophisticated looking websites.


Here are a few of mine using Drupal:
http://Distropedia.com/
http://OzEnterprise.com/
http://LinuxNirvana.com/

Also if you have a cPanel enabled host, Drupal should be included in Fantastico.


(Love your sig BTW, "Vir prudens non contra ventum mingit" :D)

Especially, if that wise man is standing next to his friends.;)

MonkeyBoy
July 8th, 2007, 06:08 PM
An HTML generating design app like NVU or Kompozer is a good thing to get. If you use one of these apps you don't need to spend so much time with the HTML and you can see what you are making as you make it.

It is still very helpful to learn a bit of HTML like the post above recommended so you can correct errors and optimise the HTML that Kompozer does.

It is worth looking into generic javascripts too so that you can do some button effects etc.

ice60
July 8th, 2007, 06:09 PM
great, thanks for the help :) Drupal has lots of plugins too i think. anyway, i'll try it out and see how it goes. i got an ebook too 8) thanks.

so the host is pretty important too i suppose. does anyone know a good host? i'm in london if that means anything ??

RAV TUX
July 8th, 2007, 06:15 PM
great, thanks for the help :) Drupal has lots of plugins too i think. anyway, i'll try it out and see how it goes. i got an ebook too 8) thanks.

so the host is pretty important too i suppose. does anyone know a good host? i'm in london if that means anything ??

I use VTS Internet (http://www.vtsinternet.com/) they are pretty reliable and awesome overall.(Don't buy any templates just use the Fantastico Script Installer, which is included at no additional charge) VTS is owned by a very good friend of mine that gave me a great unlimted deal.

If I did not have a friend who host for me I would probably go with SiteGround (http://www.siteground.com/mediawiki-hosting.htm), they have CPanel and Fantastico much like VTS Internet but they also have free Domain registration and MediaWiki hosting by default(very helpful if you are new to all this). I can not comment on the reliability of SiteGround hosting since I have only used VTS Internet.

ice60
July 8th, 2007, 06:20 PM
An HTML generating design app like NVU or Kompozer is a good thing to get. If you use one of these apps you don't need to spend so much time with the HTML and you can see what you are making as you make it.

It is still very helpful to learn a bit of HTML like the post above recommended so you can correct errors and optimise the HTML that Kompozer does.

It is worth looking into generic javascripts too so that you can do some button effects etc.

thanks, javascript is something i'm going to learn more about no matter what. i think gibson said he uses css in place of JS on his site because it's more secure, but it's probably difficult to do??
http://www.grc.com/intro.htm

anyway, i'll spend a few weeks learning it all.

ice60
July 8th, 2007, 06:22 PM
I use VTS Internet (http://www.vtsinternet.com/) they are pretty reliable and awesome overall.(Don't buy any templates just use the Fantastico Script Installer, which is included at no additional charge)

thanks, i just found this too - http://teachyourselfpracticaldrupal.com/opinion_fantastico
i'll have a look for a book too.

RAV TUX
July 8th, 2007, 06:25 PM
thanks, i just found this too - http://teachyourselfpracticaldrupal.com/opinion_fantastico
i'll have a look for a book too.

I was at the book store and almost bought a Drupal book but I decided to wait and search Amazon and Ebay for a cheaper deal.

There are several books out:
http://drupal.org/books

ice60
July 8th, 2007, 07:04 PM
ok, thanks for the help. i'll have another read through this thread incase i missed anything (i normally do lol) then spend a week or so playing around with drupal.

i'm glad i need to actually make a site because there are so many computer subjects where i know bits and pieces but i never spend the time to learn something thoroughly. maybe i'll be an expert's expert in all subjects in a year or so, maybe not :lolflag: