Create your own website: 5 rules you need to know
If you’re just starting to learn a little HTML and create your own web pages, I have good news for you: the learning curve may seem incredibly steep, but it levels off pretty quickly.
To help you get to the point where it doesn’t seem impossible, I’m going to share with you 5 website building rules that will make things seem so much easier.
Rule #1: Don’t get overwhelmed
That is the first rule to learn how to make your own site. You’re not just learning a new software tool (something like KompoZer, Dreamweaver, etc), but you’re also learning a new “markup language” called HTML and probably messing around with something called CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
You have reason to freak out! But the good news is that this is not a race. You have permission to take your time and absorb it little by little. Now that you know that being overwhelmed is normal, you don’t have to pay much attention to it.
Rule #2: Don’t be afraid of a first draft
Not everything you create is going to be “world class” from the start. While it would be great if we never had to “go around,” it’s unreasonable to think that’s the norm.
Just like a writer creates a first draft and then comes back many times to change things, so will you as a web builder.
Don’t be afraid to rip out a whole section if it didn’t turn out the way you planned, that’s not a bad thing. While you may have more work to do before you find “perfection,” you’ve just added to your “knowledge base,” which means you’re getting better…
…and faster.
There are many things you do now that require thought, which will be done later while you think about other things, talk to your spouse, and watch the local news on TV.
Rule #3: Reuse and recycle your code
This is probably the biggest secret to increasing your productivity as a website builder. Long before “going green” became a trend, designers and programmers were already big fans of reusing and recycling.
Once you have created a web page, there is no point in starting from scratch every time.
The navigation bar you created for one site can be copied to the new site. Modify the colors or font style to match the new color scheme and voila, you have a new navigation bar with almost no work.
If you create a table structure that displays content on the left and buttons on the right, you can reuse that table on any page, just change the content to match the new site.
As you create more and more web pages, you will end up with a lot of HTML and CSS code that you can reuse.
When you start a new project, you’ll be able to pick from your existing code and create a web page in a fraction of the time it takes now.
Rule #4: Get familiar with your tools
Even though someone might think you’re “not serious”, it’s worth just playing around with your website builder.
If you have a laptop or your computer is near your TV, the next time you’re watching a show, launch whatever you’re using to make your website and have fun during the commercials. Try things out without worrying that you’re not actually building a web page.
When I started using computers, I was a DJ at a country radio station in Alaska. I had a spare 9″ monitor in my locker and took my computer with me to the station. After the boss had left I would set it up on the counter next to the control board and during the songs I learned how to code.
Combine enough 3-minute sessions, whether you’re listening to music on a radio station or waiting for commercials on TV to end, and you’ll master time you would have otherwise wasted.
Go ahead, feel free to play without worrying if you’re being productive. If you’re making discoveries and getting familiar with your main web building tool, you’re gaining ground!
Rule #5: Don’t reinvent the wheel
While there are some cases where you have more time than money and just can’t afford to spend more right now, leveraging existing resources is one way to make a website faster…
…and unless you’re a designer, get one that looks better.
I have a programming background, and although I have a pretty good eye for design, I know that my time is better spent on HTML than using a graphics program to create a button.
Prewritten templates and web graphics are two areas where I go ahead and spend a little money. Because with a set of templates I can modify them on an unlimited number of sites. And a bundle of bullet points, headers, and other graphics can be used and reused forever.
There you have it, 5 website building rules to help you get up and running and create your own web pages. In no time you’ll be pulling them out with one hand tied behind your back!