Okay, please forgive me for asking: I am not a web designer. I have no intention of ever BECOMING a web designer, but I have a "labour of love" website that is currently a blog site. I wish to make it a true-blue website with a blog feature on it. I've never designed a site before. I need to know an IDIOT-proof web template program that will also get me optimized (I do know that some programs will make it not that optimizeable). Thank you in advance. Raven Maven.
Erm, to tell the truth, the most idiot-proof you can get is hiring someone who knows what they're doing. There are a lot of templates out there, but if you've got a specific design in mind, trying to change an existing template to fit that will be a nightmare-- they are specifically made to be customizable, yet this is what makes working with them so hard. 5 + CSS sheets?? Which one has the part you're looking for?? Etc... It's best if you get a web-builder who also likes to explain how everything works and is willing to stick around while you get on your feet. All that said, if you really want to try a templating-bloggitty-blog-blog-blog thing with a dog, lots of people here seem to like Joomla, which used to be Mambo I think, which is trying really hard to begin to look a little bit like a compliant-site maker. : ) Another thing is, if this is a bloggitty-blog-blog, there's probably going to be a bunch of googlie-ads and widgets and wingdings and whatnot-- just so you know, those things tend to have their own code and they don't validate. So, if you use them, just let them do their thing and only try to keep YOUR part of the page as clean and valid as possible. Or, your good designer will. There are a lot of people at DigitalPoint who would probably do this for you, but our skills vary considerably so i guess you'll never know what you'll get (you can only tell how good a site and its code is when you already know to build it yourself anyway, unfortunately). The second option is to spend the long hard months learning real code and getting it right yourself, which certainly can be done but takes a lot of time. I'm about 9 months in and still struggling at it. : )
i would just recommend wordpress. yes, it's for blogs but you can use WYSIWIG editors to make it a blog and more. i know of several sites that started as free wp tempaltes but now look like fully-fledged individual sites
Don't get the cart before the horse. The graphic design of the site and its pages are among the last issues to be dealt with. First, you must design the architecture of the site, then the architecture and content of each page and the relative importance of each part of the page. Only then do you have something to prettify. You have to have the floor plan before the interior designer can begin selecting the drapes. Answer for yourself the following questionnaire (taken from Web ReDesign 2.0: Workflow that Works*). For the questions that don't apply to your case, rework them so they do. The more you can answer about your site, the better the site can be. A good web developer will ask these question in one form or another. If you end up as your own developer, and even if you use ready made templates, your choices will be made more intelligently. Now, sharpen your pencil: General Information What is the name of your company and your current (or intended) URL? Who are the primary contacts from your organization, and who has final approval on the project? Please list names, titles, email addresses, and phone numbers. What is your intended launch date for the new site? Are there any outside considerations that might affect the schedule (for example, PR launch, tradeshow, annual report)? Do you have a specific budget range already established for this project? Can this project be divided into phases to accommodate budget and timing constraints? Current Site Do you feel your current site promotes a favor able user experience? Why or why not? What specific areas of your current site do you feel are successful? Why are they successful? What shortcomings exist with the current site, and what three things would you change on the site today if you could? Have you conducted usability tests or gathered visitor feedback for your current site? If so, how long ago? Please include any reports or findings. How important is it to maintain your current look and feel, logo, and branding? Reasons for Redesign What are the main reasons you are redesigning your site (new business model, outdated site, expanded services, different audience)? What are your primary online business objectives with the site redesign? What are your secondary objectives? (Examples include increased sales, marketing/branding awareness, and fewer customer service calls.) Please discuss both long- and short-term goals. What is the main business problem you hope to solve with the site redesign? How will you measure the success of the solution? What existing strategy (both on- and offline) is in place to meet the new business objectives? Audience/Desired Action Describe a typical site visitor. How often are they online, and what do they generally use the web for? Give basic demographics: age, occupation, income level, purchasing habits. (Use as much detail as possible in profiling your target user. Profile more than one type if appropriate.) What is the primary "action" the site visitor should take when coming to your site (make a purchase, become a member, search for information)? What are the key reasons why the target audience chooses your company's products and/or services (cost, service, value)? How many people (as far as you can tell) access your site on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis? How do you measure usage? Do you forecast usage to increase after the site launch and by how much? Perception Use a few adjectives to describe how your site visitor should perceive the new site. (Examples include prestigious, friendly, corporate, fun, forward thinking, innovative, and cutting edge.) Is this different than the current image perception? How is your company currently perceived offline? Do you want to carry the same kind of message through your website? How does your company differentiate itself from competitors? Do you think your current audience differentiates you from your competition? Please list competitor URLs. List the URLs of any sites you find compelling. What specifically do you like about these sites? Content Will this site use existing content from the current site? If so, what is the source, who is responsible for approval, and has the content been audited? If not, will you be creating content in-house or using an outside provider? What is the basic structure of the content, and how is it organized? Is it a complete overhaul of the current site or an expansion? Describe visual elements or content that should be utilized from your current site or marketing materials (logo, color scheme, navigation, naming conventions, etc.) How will the content of this site (along with functionality and navigation) expand or differ from your current site? Do you have an existing sitemap for the outgoing site structure? Do you already have a sitemap or outline for the proposed redesign? Technology What is your target platform and browser? Whom can we talk to in your organization to help respond to technical issues? Are there specific technologies (Flash, JavaScript, DHTML, etc.) that you would like to use in the site? If so, how will they enhance the user experience? Please describe in detail. Will you have database functionality (dynamic content generation, personalization/login)? Do you already have a database in place? Please describe it in detail, including specific information regarding existing programs and software. Will you have a need for secured transactions (e-commerce)? Do you already offer transactions online? Please describe in detail. Will you require other specific programming needs (such as personalization or search capability)? Please describe in detail. Marketing/Updating How do most people find out about your current website? What kind of triggers prompt a visit (referral links, incentives, search engine terms)? What methods of distributing the URL already exist within the company on and offline? Briefly, what are your short-term marketing plans (specifically, for the site redesign and the 6 to 12 months following launch)? Do you have an existing or planned marketing strategy in mind to promote this site redesign? If so, please describe. Do you intend to keep the site updated? If so, how often? Who is responsible for updating and providing content? Additional Notes/Comments Take as much space as you need. cheers, gary * I highly recommend this book for site owners, webmasters and, of course, web developers.
Okay, wow! I am just starting with Joomla, but I have some other stuff going on (grandkid's ill), so I think I will leave the blog the way it is and just add intelligent content to get rankings. This site is more informative than commercial, so not concerned about adsense and stuff. I totally don't want to mess with code. I will leave it as is for the time being. Thank you all for your assistance. Can I give all of you "rep" here, or will the system only let me give once? RM
Okay, I just gave everyone rep. I don't know if I will get "dinged" as a habitual "repper", but I wanted to thank everyone for their assistance. I imagine I'll receive an "educational" email like I did when I accidently posted my introduction in the wrong thread.... but have a nice evening. God Bless.
As someone mentioned above, Wordpress is nice and you can go to wpthemesfree.com for templates that will make your site not look "wordpressy". Good luck!