A great way to start your website is to use a ready-made website template. This is especially true if you are new to webpage layout and graphics techniques in general. By using a website template you will save yourself a lot of time and learn a lot in the process also it will go a long way in helping you to learn how to design a website.

You can save a lot of time and effort by using a website template as the backbone of your site. I say backbone because no matter what type of template you use it will be impersonal and not necessarily a reflection of what you are trying to express.

In other words you will want your website to be unique to you and your message. Don't be afraid to modify your template to suit your needs.

How to use Website Templates

Be sure that the templates that you are using compliment the theme of your website. Select the proper template based upon the message that you are presenting not on your personal likes and dislikes. Don't pick a template just on the basis of its colors or the novelties it contains. Your goal is to enhance the central focus of your website.

Website Navigation and Theme

Selecting a template

I personally like to start with a template that suits my needs (i.e. color, style, etc.) then customize it by editing. Be careful about copyright infringement and be sure that the source of your template offers it without any strings attached, even if you are purchasing it.

There are literally thousands of website templates available on the web. Some are free and some can run up into the hundreds of dollars. Just do a search for website templates on one of the major search engines and you will be overwhelmed by the number of offerings that are available. Have a good idea of what you are looking for before you start and that will help narrow down your search.

Free Website Templates - TemplatesBox.com offers free website templates, free photoshop web templates, free abstract images, free wallpapers and many more webmaster resources.

Once you have decided on a template download it to your computer and place all of the files into a new folder named for your website. Using your browser click your way through the site and become familiar with it and have a good handle on how it works. Now its time to consider the one element that will make or break a website, content.

The importance of content

Decide on your website content up front. Your content is the heart of your website. This is what will make it unique. Other people may be using the same template that you are using so the content of your website is the thing that will make it different from what they are offering.

Also, search engines analyze the text, content of a webpage when they index your website. They don't look at the pictures or judge the colors that your webpages use. Their job is to organize information for the World Wide Web and present that information in their search queries. Optimization, on the search engines, can only be achieved by careful manipulation of content.

Content and Optimization

Content, content, content that is what the internet is all about. You can use the most colorful or well designed website template in the world and still fail if the message that you are sending isn't understood by your visitors. It is through the use of words that we primarily communicate with one another, so choose those words wisely.

"Words are the keys to the heart." — Chinese proverb

Importance of Website Content