Building a WebSite

About the Author

David A. Crowder has authored or coauthored more than 20 books on sub­jects ranging from computers to historical mysteries, including popular best­sellers such as Building a Web Site For Dummies and CliffsNotes Getting on the Internet. He was selling hypertext systems back in the days when you had to explain to people what the word meant. He has been involved in the online community since its inception and is the recipient of several awards for his work, including NetGuide Magazine’s Gold Site Award.

He is the son of a teacher and a college president, and his dedication to spreading knowledge, especially about the computer revolution, goes beyond his writing. He also founded three Internet mailing lists (discussion groups), JavaScript Talk, Java Talk, and Delphi Talk, all of which were sold to Ziff-Davis. One of his most treasured memories is the message he received from an old-timer on one of those lists who said that he had never seen such a free and open exchange of information since the days when computers were built by hobbyists in home workshops.

When he is not writing, he spends his time with his wife Angela, wandering through villages in the Andes or frolicking in the Caribbean surf.

Author’s Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Steven Hayes, Kevin Kirschner, Kim Darosett, and Jim Kelly, my fine editors, who were there for me every step of the way. Sometimes the relationship between writers and editors is smooth as silk, and sometimes it’s tempestuous, but it always results in a better book through the give-and-take of the writing/editing process, and I am grateful for the critiques and contributions of all the members of the Wiley team. I also leaned heavily on the expertise of Laura Moss, my permissions editor, who helped me put together all the marvelous material on the CD-ROM that accompanies this book. All helped to make this the best book we could all put together for you. And they’re just the tip of the iceberg: About a zillion people work their tails off anonymously and behind the scenes at Wiley to bring you the finest books they can possibly produce. My hat is off to all of them, from the top editors to the humblest laborer on the loading dock. Last, but by no means least, I’d like to say how much I appreciate all the hard work done by my literary agent, Robert G. Diforio, without whose help I would be lost in the intricacies of the publishing world.

Introduction

Maybe you already have your own Web site and you’re not quite satis-m W Bfied with it. Or perhaps you’re still in the planning stages and want to know what you can do to make your site as good as it can be. You’ve been to Web sites that have all the bells and whistles, and you wouldn’t be human if you weren’t just a wee bit envious. Well, now you can have it all, too. In this book, I show you some of the best stuff around, and I tell you just how to go about putting it on your site.

About This Book

This isn’t just another Web-design book. It’s special. Really. I set out to write the one book I’d want by my side if I were looking to set up a really fancy Web site and not break the bank doing it. I tracked down and tested zillions of Web site enhancements and selected the top of the line to share with you. And I’m honestly proud of the results. I’ve authored or coauthored more than 20 books on computers and the Internet, and this one is my hands-down favorite.

It’s full of things you’re sure to love. It’s packed with fun stuff, but it’s got plenty of serious stuff, too, like how to get past the hype and really make money. You’ll wonder how in the world you ever got along without having these features on your Web site.

How to Use This Book

Keep this book next to your computer and never lend it to anybody. It’s far too precious for that. Make your friends buy their own copies. If you need to make space on your bookshelf, throw away anything else you own to make room for it. When you travel, take it with you. Hold it in your arms at night and tell it how much you love it.

Each chapter is a stand-alone entity. (Don’t you just love that word?) You don’t have to read the whole thing, and it’s a rare person who will read it from cover to cover right off the bat. Go ahead — hit the table of contents or the index and jump to the parts you’re most interested in. But don’t forget to explore the rest of the book after you’re done with the parts that excite you most. You won’t regret spending the time — you’ll find wonders in every chapter.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is divided into seven parts. I organized it that way, with a little help from the folks you see in the Acknowledgements. You did read the Acknowledgements, didn’t you? Don’t tell me that you’re the kind of person who reads the Introduction but doesn’t read the Acknowledgements. Please tell me that you didn’t miss the Dedication, too?
Each part has between three and five chapters in it. And each chapter has headings and subheadings. All the sections under these headings and sub­headings have text that enlightens the heart and soul. Here, take a look.

Part I: Moving from Web Page to Web Site

Part I shows you how to transform a bunch of Web pages into a coherent Web site, including navigation secrets. It spills the secrets of how to plan a successful site from the ground up and tosses in a quick refresher course in basic HTML.

Part II: Adding Sparkle to Your Site

Part II gives you a ton of ways to make your site work, look, and sound great. It covers the different ways that you add new features to your Web site. Then it covers different ways to add search features to your site, where to get great graphics and multimedia, and how to keep your site in tip-top shape.

Part III: Good Content Makes Contented Visitors

Part III is about getting your visitors involved in your site so that they keep coming back for more. It shows how to get feedback from your site visitors with message boards and chat rooms. If that’s not enough, you’ll find fun and games and a guide to getting fresh content for your site, as well as a guide to the wonderful world of blogging.

Part IV: Raking In the Bucks

Part IV takes a look at making money from your site. It explodes the myths about Internet income and shows you how to really make a profit, how to get a credit card merchant account, and how to work both ends of the affili­ates game.

Part V: Publishing and Publicizing Your Site

Part V shows you all you need to know about getting your site online and helping people find it. It covers Web-hosting options, getting listed in search engines, and establishing reciprocal links with other sites. It also shows how to keep in touch with your visitors without falling into the spam trap.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Part VI is The Part of Tens. Well, it just wouldn’t be a For Dummies book with­out The Part of Tens at the end, right? This part comprises 3 chapters, so you’ve got 30 extra bits here that tell you all sorts of wonderful things, like where to go for Web site design advice and ways to add value to your site.

Part VII: Appendixes

Appendix A is a glossary of all the tech terms that might leave you baffled, and Appendix B is a guide to what’s on the CD-ROM that’s tucked into the back of this book.
About the CD-ROM

I’ve put together plenty of nice stuff for you on the CD-ROM that accompanies this book. You’ll find all sorts of things that make jazzing up your Web site easy — programs for Windows and programs for Macs. And wherever possi­ble, I included the Web site add-ins discussed in the book.
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