| These days, it's almost impossible to find someone who hasn't heard of the Internet. Companies create Web sites before they make business plans. Ordinary people build obsessively detailed pages that describe their lives and swizzle -stick-collecting hobbies. Even the language has changed: blog is a verb (see Chapter 17 for that story), and surfing doesn't necessarily involve California coastlines. Everyone wants their own piece of Web real estate. Unfortunately, building a Web site isn't as easy as it should be. Even though people have been building Web sites for years , Web site design has only become more complicated. That's because tech gurus have been busy creating new standards to solve problems, add features, and just fill in the gaps. If you want to create a modern Web site (one that doesn't look as hokey as a 1960s yearbook portrait), you need to understand all these different ingredients , and how they fit together. That's where this book comes in. The bookstore shelves are chock full of Web design books that were created years ago, but they leave out most of the contemporary innovations you need to make a Web site look truly grand. In this book, you'll learn how to: -
Create Web pages . HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the pretty-easy-to-use but maddeningly inflexible language that powers almost all pages on the Web today. You'll quickly learn how to get the most out of HTML. -
Make pages look beautiful using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) . CSS picks up where HTML leaves off, adding formatting muscle that can transform the drabbest of sites into eye candy . Best of all, once you understand the right way to use CSS, you'll be able to apply a new look to your entire Web site by tweaking a single file. -
Put your Web site online . The world's greatest Web site isn't much help if no one gets to see it. That's why you'll spend ample time learning how to choose the best Web hosting company, pick a domain name (like www.HotToTrotHorses.com ), and get your masterpiece online. Don't panicthere are plenty of cheap Web hosting companies ready to show off your site for pennies a day. -
Attract visitors . You'll learn how to make sure Web surfers can find your site using popular search engines. You'll also get some tips for creating a community with discussion boards . -
Get rich (or earn some spare change) . The Web's a lynchpin of modern commerce. But even ordinary people can make money selling products (using Pay-Pal) or showing other people's ads (with Google). You'll learn how to get in on the action. -
Pile on the frills . Every Web site worth its weight in salt has a few cool tricks. You'll learn how to dazzle visitors with cool buttons , slick menus , and other flashy things, courtesy of JavaScript and Dynamic HTML. You'll even learn how to (shudder) serenade visitors with background music |
