Here you'll learn the basics. One of the most important things to know is just how your website works. Here you'll learn what everything is and, hopefully, how it works. If you have any questions, click on the little guy at the bottom of the screen to e-mail me. Click on the question you would like to know the answer to, or just scroll down and read everything.
What is HTML?--HTML (hypertext markup language) is what the computer reads to make up a webpage. When you first start out, it is very confusing. Eventually, when you use it enough, you will start to remember things like, <a href="http://www.yourwebpage.com/"> is for a link, and <img src="http://www.yourwebpage.com/whatever.jpg"> is for images. Don't worry about that stuff now, I'll tell you later. Anyway, HTML documents are text files made up of HTML tags, which are words and symbols between the brackets that tells the computer where on the screen to place the text or image when someone accesses your site. Every tag starts with a left bracket: <, and ends with a right bracket: >.
Editor-An editor is just a place to type your HTML until you send your work to your web host for storage. The editor usually come with your site, such as AOL, Angelfire, Geocities, Tripod, and others. Some people use Notepad, for Windows. To find a tutorial on Notepad, visit Lissa, here. There are also other, much more complicated editors that do just about everything for you, you don't even need to know or use HTML. You just drag images onto the page, and the program writes the code for you. This drag and drop method is very quick, but you don't learn a single thing from it! When you want to do something more exciting, like marquee or flashing buttons, you can't, because you don't know how. Personally, I prefere using the advanced editor for Geocities.
Web Host-Choosing a web host is very important because it can determine many factors. Sometimes, you want your own webpage, like "http://www.yournamehere.com". So then you have to be very careful when choosing a web host, because many have annoying pop-ups that just make you want to leave. Sometimes the editors are not too flexible when it comes to building your page, and they will just refuse to recognize certain codes. To find a list of good webhosts, click here. Definately the most important hing with a web host is finding one that comes with an editor that you can write straight HTML into. You need to be able to write straight HTML, or at least, just basic things. For instance, colors, text, images, and backgrounds. Choose carefully in the beggining! It is super hard and takes a huge block of time to transfer from one host to another.
Graphics-Graphics are always a nice addition to a page. They give it a bit of life. But please! Don't take graphics from other people unless you have their permission. Even then, download the image to your computer, then upload it onto your website. It's called stealing bandwith if you don't. If you do take someone elses images (with their permission!), you should acknowledge where they came from. Some people have a banner, like the one down below on this page that says: Graphics by JoeyDragon. Then you should use the banner. It makes your page look much more professional. When you know more HTML, you should save up for a graphic designing program so you can make graphics of your own. It makes your page look that much more original!!
Ideas-When your are making your web page, you need a original idea, one that almost no one else has. Now I know there are lots of HTML help pages, but I decided to make one to help my sister and a friend that I met on
Neopets. Anyway, having a different idea will get so much traffic on your site. Want to see a wonderful example of an original idea? Go here, to Fluffs Online. Coming up with you own idea that no one else has done gets a lot of traffic and publicity to your site. You can write about music, sports, anything you like! Originality is key!!
Patience-Patience is one of the things that you will need most. That and the ability to sit staring at a computer screen for a veeeeery long time. But with enought practice, you will be able to do webpages in days. It took me two days to finish 3 pages. And I put down the layout all in one day! So y'see, it won't be all that long until you are a master.
How can I get my page listed on a search engine?--To get your webpage listed in most search engines, you need something called meta tags on your webpage. Your meta tag tells people what is on your page, and give the search engine "bots" keywords to what your site is about. My meta tag looks like this:<META NAME="keywords" content="html tutorial,html,web page,kids,children,resources,design,home page,html help">
<META NAME="description" content="HTML made easy. Good for begginers and intermediate alike. Easy to follow instructions on
how to use HTML. Just copy paste, make your changes, and you're done.">Just copy and paste that code onto your advanced editor between the < /title > and < /head > tags. Be sure to change the information on the tags to what your site is about. Don't want your site about training dogs to be searched up while someone is looking for HTML help!!
