Sitemap Construction	Webpage Construction	Website Assembly	Website Construction
Typography - Fonts	Typography - Style	Typography - Layout	Website Graphics
Web-Safe Colors	Website Templates	Writing for the Web

Developing your website

The development of a website should be a complete and deliberate process. You will have many files and graphics that support your site and they need to be kept organized as you develop your website. This way whenever a change or update is necessary you can control the process much better.

One of the best ways to do this is by the construction and maintenance of a website outline. This is where you will keep track of the physical data that comprises the website and it helps you to keep control of your growing website structure.

As your website grows it will become more and more difficult to remember where everything is, therefore time spent on organizing and developing a website outline will make the job a whole lot easier. The following examples of a website outline will give you an idea of how to accomplish this.

Website outline examples
Example website outline A website outline is just what the name implies...a written outline of the content of your website. Even though you feel as if you know every title and sentence on the website you are creating over time memory becomes hazy. Once a website is online it can be very difficult to remember the actual order of things. Having a website outline helps provide a mental picture of the site, the sections, subsections and content pages. This will also serve as a valuable guide when you setup your navigation scheme. You will be able to better visualize the path that you wish your visitors to follow.	My Homepage:	Index.html
	Main page #1	Subpage A Detail page Detail page Subpage B Subpage C
	Main page #2	Subpage D Subpage E Detail page Subpage F
	Main page #3	Subpage G Subpage H Detail page Detail page Subpage J Detail page

See: How to Develop a Website Outline

Keeping track of graphics and links It is a good idea to list all the graphics and links and on what pages they are located. When you decide to change any of them, having the file names will save you a lot of time. l realize this may seem like a lot of paperwork for something that is going to be on the internet. But l can tell you, from painful experience, that you will appreciate having written documentation and you will use it more than you can imagine.	Webpage Title:	My website
	Filename:	(i.e. index.html)
	Links on page:	link 1 - main page link 2 - subpage link 3 - subpage
	Graphics:	image1.gif image2.gif image3.jpg
	Comments:

You can create a website outline in any way that is most meaningful for you. A website journal, ledger pad, or even a data spreadsheet would work great. Use whatever works best for you. Just remember to keep it simple.

Website File Organization

1) Keep your website organized on your hard drive just as you organize it on the internet. This simple step will save you hours of wasted effort.

2) Keep files used on your index page and files used repeatedly in your root directory. But don't overload your root directory. Make use of sub folders that link to main pages in your root directory. (see website diagram)

3) Create a subdirectory for each series of related pages. Keep all relevant information together in individual sub folders. This will help you and the search engines find threads to follow and provide easy access to information for your visitors.

4) Plan for expansion. If you think a page on a particular theme will expand into a number of pages, create a subdirectory for it. And populate it with relevant data on that particular subject.

5) Keep files that belong on each page in the same subdirectory. Don't put files from your root directory into these folders, keep them separate and link them to the sub folders.

6) Name your subdirectories and files in an easy to identify manner. Make good use of your keywords when naming sub folders and files. This will unite the content of your website. They should all tie together in a logical way.

See: Website Structure

Creating Website Files

Don't change your subdirectory or file names (and HTML page addresses) after the fact. Name and address them now in a manner that you will be able to maintain in the future, no matter how much you expand. This will help to prevent broken links.

If you do have to change an address after your website is up, then place a redirect page or link in the old location. This will help your repeat visitors find the information they are seeking with a minimum of effort and direct new visitors to the modified address.

Search engines are critical of broken links. They will downgrade your search position if they detect too many dead links on your website. So, from the beginning be sure to name your webpages in such a way as to insure they will not have to be renamed in the future.

Website Navigation and Layout

Sitemaps and SEO

For those who don't devote too much time on the SEO of their site - this is a good place to start. By submittíng a sitemap to various search engines, you are telling them that you exist and what pages your site has to offer the World Wide Web.

How to Make Easy Website Navigation

Navigation is how visitors get around your site. If your navigation is unclear then your visitors will get frustrated and go away.

Navigational Options for Your Website

There are many types of navigation methods to choose from. You must carefully consider the layout of your site so you can choose the system that will work best.

Web Site Navigation Best Practices

A great user experience will bring visitors back. Navigation is a key element in the user experience.

Developing a Theme for your Website

Every website should have some type of theme or a way of giving your site an identifying look. When visitors come to your website they should be presented with an experience that they will remember.

Website Navigation and Theme

Have you ever visited a website where you keep clicking on links, hoping you are going to find that information you're looking for, only to be led to more pages of links.

Tips for Improving Website Navigation

In order for visitors to find the right information, a website's navigation path needs to be clear.

Professional Webpage Layout

The layout of your webpages says a lot about you and your message. Good webpage layout is the key to a successful website.

Web Site Design Layout - Five Common Elements

Your web site design layout largely depends on the type of website you're building. A sales page, for example, has different requirements than a landing page, and a landing page has different requirements than a niche web page.

Web Page Design Ideas - How to Use Graphics Creatively

Keep your web site design simple, and never lose sight of what you want your visitors to do when they arrive.

Website Design - 3 Pointers For Color You Must Consider

The correct use of color in your website design is paramount to ensure your site is not plain and uninteresting or on the other spectrum too busy, glaring and difficult to look at for a period of time.

Creating a Basic Web Design Template

A "template" is simply a design format which you can apply to all (or most) of the pages in your web site.