Crowder D.A. Building a Web Site for Dummies

2nd Edition. — Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2004. — 389 p. — (For Dummies).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.About This BookHow to Use This BookFoolish Assumptions
Conventions Used in This Book
How This Book Is Organized
About the CD-ROM
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Moving from Web Page to Web Site
The Zen of Sites
Achieving Unity: What Makes a Site Truly a Site
Determining the underlying theme
Setting limits on content
Keeping Them Coming Back
Creating a comfortable site
Keeping your site fresh
Tapping Creativity
Online Sources for Creative Thinking
Pouring the Foundation
Drafting a Plan
What do you want to accomplish?
Who do you want to reach?
What outside help do you need?
Designing the Look of Your Site
Appealing to your audience
Avoiding clutter
The Big Rules for Planning Your Site
Online Sources for Web Design
Web Page Construction 101
Tagging Along with HTML
Examining Page-Building Programs
Text editors
WYSIWYG programs
Determining Your Web Page Structure
Normal elements
Frames and framesets
Getting Wordy
Paragraphs
Headings
Fonts
Lines
Using Color
Creating Links
Picturing It: Using Images
Graphics programs
Images
Background images
Image maps
Working with Dreamweaver
Setting the page properties
Adding images
Working with text and links
Adding a horizontal rule
Online Sources for Web Page Building
Designing for Site Navigation
Planning Usable Navigation
Adding a Search Function
Getting a free search engine with FreeFind
Dropping in Perl CGI scripts with Simple Search
Showing the Way with Navigational Tools
Shelving your links with Bookshelf
Creating menus with VMaxNav
Making drop-down lists
Online Sources for Improving Site NavigationAdding Sparkle to Your Site
Making Your Site Look Great
Getting Graphics — for Free!
Heeding copyrights and credits
Creating your own images
Differentiating between graphics file formats
Putting Your Graphics on a Diet
GIFWorks
Spinwave
Ordering Graphics by Grazia Cipresso
Creating a Logo with Cooltext.com
Basic Design with Images
Placing images for maximum effectiveness
Sizing images
Online Sources for Quality Graphics
Plugging In Scripts and Applets
Making Sure That You Have CGI Access
Why your ISP won’t help
Finding a CGI provider
Using remotely hosted CGI scripts
Adding CGI Scripts
Basic techniques
Solving problems
Incorporating JavaScripts
Basic techniques
Dealing with problems
Dropping In Java Applets
Basic techniques
Troubleshooting applets
Online Sources for Scripts and Applets
Web Sights and Sounds
Getting Music and Video
Finding music houses
Finding public-domain music and video
Picking a File Format
Compressing Files
Adding Audio and Video Files to Your Site
Online Sources for Web Audio and Video
Web Aerobics: Tuning Up Your Site
W3C HTML Validation Service
Checking Those Links
2bone.com’s Link Checker
LinkAlarm
Testing Your Site with NetMechanic
Online Sources for Fine-Tuning Your Site
Good Content Makes Contented Visitors
Letting ’Em Have Their Say
Providing Guestbooks
Creating Message Boards
Setting up a message board with Boardhost
Modifying your Boardhost message board
Giving Visitors the Gift of Gab
Bloggin’ the Night Away
Online Sources for Adding Community to Your Site
Just Plain Fun
Running RiddleNut.com’s Random Riddles
Adding Bogglers to Your Web Page
Placing Quotations on Your Site
Quoting with the Quote Machine
Quoting with Quoter
Setting Up MyPostCards.com on Your Site
Goofing Off with Games
Downloading free games from LoonyVerse
Playing games Jagex style
Placing Cartoons on Your Web Site
Adam Bomb
Toy Trunk Railroad
Online Sources for Games, Riddles, and Fun
Using Content Providers
Adding 7am.com News to Your Web Site
Providing Weather Forecasts on Your Site
Weather Underground
Weather.com
Finding Copyright-Free Material
The other Krishnamurti
Project Gutenberg
Online Sources for ContentRaking In the Bucks
Stalking the Wild Dollar: Internet Commerce
Learning the Real Secret to Internet Success
Developing the right attitude
Focusing on your business
Getting supplies flowing
Designing for E-Commerce
Online Sources for Internet Commerce
Love That Plastic: Taking Credit Cards
Getting a Merchant Account
Choosing which acquirers to sign up with
Deciding which cards to take
Signing up
Watching out for fees
Protecting against credit card fraud
Online Malls
Checking Out Alternative Payment Methods
PayPal
E-cash
Phone checks
Phones, faxes, and snail mail
Converting Currencies
Adding the converter to your Web page
Customizing the converter
Online Sources for Merchant Services
Examining Affiliate Programs
Yeah, Sure It’s Free
Can I Join?
Finding partners
Working with a network
Profiting from Your Program
Taking time to find the right programs
Choosing programs that fit with your audience
Adding value to your site to keep visitors coming back
Focusing on your site
Running Your Own Affiliate Program
Doing the math
Using software to host affiliates
Online Sources for Affiliate Programs
Publishing and Publicizing Your Site
Letting the World In: Choosing a Host and
Domain Name
Going Live: Choosing a Host
ISPs
Virtual servers
Dedicated servers
Finding your match
Keeping It Cheap: Free Web Site Providers
Getting Your Own Domain Name
Picking a name
Finding a registrar
Online Sources for Web Hosting and Domain Registration
Publicizing Your Site
Working Keywords into Your Pages
Adding meta tags
Incorporating keywords in the content
Avoiding keyword trickery
Analyzing keywords that other sites are using
Submitting to the Search Sites
Doing it yourself
Using submission services
Keeping out of the search sites
Checking Your Search Site Position
Investigating Reciprocal Linking
Finding sites to link to
Joining Web rings
Joining a banner exchange
Online Sources for Getting the Word Out about Your Site
Keeping in Touch with Visitors
Using Autoresponders
What you can do with autoresponders
Using GetResponse.com
Opt-In Newsletters
How an opt-in system works
Trying out Emailxtra.com
Keeping Visitors Updated about Changes to Your Site
ChangeNotes
ChangeDetection.com
Online Sources for Visitor CommunicationsGetting Feedback from Visitors
Trying Out Form Makers
Taking Polls
Alxnet Poll
FormSite.com
Privacy and Security
Online Sources for Forms and Polls
The Part of Tens
Ten Great Places to Get Advice
Cozahost Newsletter
Kasamba
grammarNOW!
geek/talk Forums for Webmasters
The Small Business Advisor
LawGuru.com
Bizy Moms
Website Tips
Web Developer’s Journal
Siteowners.com
Ten Fabulous Tools for E-Commerce
WorldPay
osCommerce
HumanClick
CafePress.com
ECommerce Guide
MapQuest
S&H greenpoints
SYSTRAN Translation Software
TRUSTe
DMA Privacy Policy Generator
Ten More Great Add-Ins
theFinancials.com
Merriam-Webster Online
GeoPhrase
Leonardo
Recommend-It
SuperStats
@watch
Crossword Compiler
BigMailBox.com
localendarAppendix A: Glossary
Appendix B: About the CD
System Requirements
Using the CD with Microsoft Windows
Using the CD with Mac OS
What You’ll Find on the CD
Adobe GoLive cs
Adobe Photoshop cs
Author’s links
ColdFusion MX 6.1 Enterprise
Dreamweaver MX 2004
Flash MX 2004
FreeHand MX
Hemera Photo-Objects 500 Sampler
HomeSite+
Troubleshooting