Learning HTML or Hiring a Professional

Should I learn HTML or hire a professional? If you're a techno-phobe this is an easy question to answer. The rest of you should at least consider giving it a try. Why?

1. Because being able to update your own web site is extremely cost effective

2. You can add and/or edit content at anytime

3. Errors can be corrected immediately

4. If a hot topic arises you can create content and add content that day (no waiting)

5. It's not that hard

Technology makes it so easy to create HTML in a Word processing format these days you almost don't need to know it all that well...seriously, I have only accessed the "edit HTML" tab in this Blog twice (to make sure my links were set correctly).

Some examples of ways you can set up a site without traditional HTML software is:

1. Blog. It's Free, they give you templates and you can even add content via email or your mobile device if you want.

2. Get a web hosting account that offers online templates. This will run you $60 per year if you use the compamy I use (1and1.com). 1and1.com has a web site generator that walks you through the process of creating a web site. The $60 also gives you 2 domain names and tons of storage space. I use the "Linux Home Package".

3. If you want a great way to work off an online template and maximize search engine rankings, SBI web hosting, is the way to go. This will run $300 per year but the tools that come with it are worth much more than that. If the town you are promoting has a lot of web sites vying for the same keywords, this can help you move up the rankings fast.

Okay. Maybe you don't want online templates, you want to learn HTML. The best way to do that is to check your local community college for courses on HTML (Macromedia Dreamweaver)and Adobe Photoshop. This is much better than buying a book like "HTML for Dummies" because a). you can ask questions and b). in most cases you design in class...hands on is necessary to really understand what all those tags mean and do. A course in Adobe Photoshop is important if you want to have photos on your site that take seconds not minutes to download. A course in Photoshop will teach you how to make a 2 MB photo into a 60KB photo without loosing too much image quality.

Now let's say you know a little about HTML and Photoshop and want a site that looks like my History of Redding site: here is a ZIP file of the pages and graphics. You can edit these pages and graphics to fit your town, all I ask is that you let people know where you got the template and link to my site.

The last piece of software you will need is an FTP (file transfer protocol) program. Google the keywords: Coffee Cup FTP. This is a free program that allows you to transfer the HTML pages you have created/edited from your hard drive to the web hosting server.

Too much work? Hire a Professional

As a web designer I can tell you with confidence that the best way to find a good one is to: ask your friends, co-workers, clients, etc...

If you don't know anyone who has had a web site created for them:

1. use google.com to see if there is one locally. Search on: "web design+your town+your state".

2. check the local phone book...but keep in mind most of us don't advertise there.

3. visit www.elance.com. this is a tool/service we designers use when we have too much work. you describe what you want and receive 100's of bids to do it. you will need to project manage the design process.

When you do find a designer(s) be sure you have a clear idea of what you want the site to look-like, how it should function and who your target audience will be. By providing the designer with this information your price estimate will be realistic. Get at least three price estimates and request links to sites they have designed.

By the time you select a web designer you should have a document ready that contains:

1. Designs you like. i.e. links to web sites you like. These sites don't have to be about the topic you are focused on. If you like the look of internet.com list it.

2. Description of how people will navigate the site. i.e. "I would like a top horizontal bar with 4 links and a side vertical bar with many, many topic links."

3. Content for each page you wish to have designed.

4. Keywords or Keyword phrases you want to target for search engine position. If this matters to you.

In addition to this document you should have a good idea of what photos you have available or would like to use in the design.

If you have taken the time to prepare for the design, the process should flow along pretty smoothly...they forward you web links to show you their designs, you approve or disapprove, they go back to the drawing board, again forward you web links of their revisions and before long you have a web site.