When it comes to creating a Web site, the code geeks will tell you to forget about WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) editors and learn to code HTML in a simple text editor. I bet you dread the thought ... and rightly so!
Ignore these people, their advice is wrong for you.
Your primary goal is to build up your Web marketing business - quickly. It's pointless to put your income on hold whilst you study the intricacies of HTML. Even once you've learnt it, writing every line of code by hand is time consuming.
With a decent HTML editor you can create good web pages "out of the box." You will learn about HTML as you go along – it's almost inevitable.
You'll find there are many different applications available, some free. As with most things in life, generally speaking, you get what you pay for. At the lower end of the scale you'll find functionality limited and support for plug-ins, CSS, DHTML, XHTML, XML, Java and Javascript often lacking. These editors also tend to add a certain amount of messy spurious code to your pages (but then MS Frontpage adds loads, and it ain't even cheap!) which can be annoying.
But... if you are planning a simple site layout or are creating mini sales sites, then one of these will do the job just fine.
Top of the range editors include all the bells and whistles, check your source code for errors, and offer greater speed and flexibility. They enable not only the creation, but also the management of complex websites.
I recommend Adobe GoLive or Macromedia Dreamweaver. In my opinion GoLive has the best interface and is the easier of the two to learn, whilst Dreamweaver has the edge on technical sophistication and cleaner code.
However, though extremely good, both these programs are expensive. Soo unless you have plenty of money, think about your particular needs, interests and priorities before dropping a significant chunk of change into one of them. That cash would be better spent on marketing and promotion if it's an either / or situation.
Take a look at this excellent beginners guide to HTML and quickly creating your first site
Using A Designer
If you don't want to go anywhere near this HTML stuff at all, there are a couple of other options open to you.
One is to employ a good designer or design firm, preferably one that can also assist you in promoting your new site. If you can afford this option, don't short change yourself by ending up with the wrong people just to shave a few bucks off the price.
Good potential candidates should meet the following criteria:
They...
- Listen to your ideas
- Answer your questions in detail
- Display enthusiasm for the job
- Ask you plenty of questions about your project
- Are able to show past projects as examples of their work
- Don't talk about the latest fancy tricks
- Understand you need a marketing Web site that sells, not a pretty billboard
- Are not focused on price, being happy to explain the options they can offer to fit your budget
Unfortunately, although there are lots of great designers, there are also more than a few sharks and incompetents out there. To avoid being scammed, your best bet may in fact be to have a stab at designing a simple web page yourself first, and then search out a designer once you're armed with a little more knowledge on the subject.
