Building a Web Site For Dummies [Paperback]

David A. Crowder (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470149280 | ISBN-13: 978-0470149287 | Publication Date: October 1, 2007 | Edition: 3

Whether you’re in the preliminary stages of planning a site or you’re looking to improve the look of an existing site, this reference book covers it all. Now updated with the latest site tools, design techniques, and commerce options, this new edition of the bestseller offers a solid framework for building a Web site from scratch. Packed with all the essentials to help make your site the best it can be, this resource goes beyond just basic design and page building to show you how to incorporate both of those elements into a successful site.

Veteran author David Crowder spills the secrets to planning and creating an effective site from the ground up. You’ll decipher ways to transform a bunch of seemingly random web pages into a coherent web site and you’ll discover myriad ways to make your site look and sound amazing.

This updated third edition features content on designing with CSS, using the latest version of Dreamweaver, and applying Web analytics and promotion techniques. In addition, the book covers topics such as:

• Keeping a site fresh and exciting
• Designing a look that appeals to your intended audience
• Determining your Web page structure
• Incorporating color, images, graphics, music, and video
• Merging CSS and HTML
• Planning usable navigation
• Providing guestbooks and message boards
• Designing for e-commerce
• Getting set up with PayPal, Google Checkout, E-cash, etc.

The accompanying CD-ROM provides trial versions of software that is used in the book as well as sample templates and graphics for Web building. Once you start referring to Building a Web Site For Dummies, 3^rd Edition, you’ll wonder how you ever existed without this invaluable information!

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you're just getting your feet wet in Web site construction, the first big hurdle is figuring out where to start. Building a Web Site for Dummies lightens things up with humor and makes the challenge of building a site far less daunting.

This book doesn't zoom you right into coding HTML, although it covers the markup language quite well. Instead, it offers a much higher-level look at site design by examining the general questions of navigation principles, affiliation possibilities, building communications with your users, and other wide-ranging topics. For this reason, the book covers a lot of ground and offers a broad perspective on site design that transcends simple page coding.

A couple of the more useful sections on Web site tools and e-commerce cover useful utilities, such as NetMechanic, Statbot, and Spinwave. The chapter on e-commerce helps you get to know the ropes of selling stuff online, and points you to online malls, fulfillment services, and currency converters.

The companion CD-ROM contains evaluation versions of useful tools, such as Paint Shop Pro, HomeSite 4.5, Fireworks, and Dreamweaver. You won't find all of the knowledge that you seek to become a Web site guru in this book, but you will gain perspective and learn tons of useful tips and tricks. --Stephen W. Plain

Topics covered:

• Designing a Web site plan
• Web page construction 101
• Using scripts and applets
• Site navigation
• Graphics handling
• Multimedia
• Site tuning
• Using content providers
• Message boards
• E-commerce
• Affiliates programs
• Publicity

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Find out what it takes to create a powerful site

From design to development, here's how to build a site that attracts visitors

Ready to create a Web site, or spruce up the one you have? Wondering how others put together those knockout sites? This book provides the map forbuilding a site from the ground up. Here's how to create an attractive design, build your site's pages, add in e-commerce capabilities, and attract visitors using tried-and-true promotion methods.

• Create an attractive site design

• Build pages with an HTML editor

• Improve your site's look with CSS

• Share content with RSS feeds

• Get feedback from your visitors

Free trial of Web building software includingSiteSpinner, Site Studio 6 Pro and Site Studio 6 Home, WYSIWYG Web Builder, and CoffeeCup® HTML Editor 2007

Free trial of IrfanView image editing software

A directory of online site building resources

System requirements: See the CD appendix for details and complete system requirements.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 3 edition (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470149280
• ISBN-13: 978-0470149287
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #676,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I love to explore things. Ever since I was a little boy, I would poke my nose into every corner where it "didn't belong" just to see what I could find. This attitude served me well in later life as I began to explore the limits of the developing field of computer technology.

When I had mastered that and written several books about it, I began to look beyond into other areas where human knowledge was, in my opinion, deficient. This led me to my current explorations of ancient American history and, curiously, right back to where I had started, blending the best aspects of the high-tech world, such as satellite imagery, with the memoirs of historical individuals to see what each could reveal about the other.

When writing my computer books, I have always striven to create "the book I would want to have on my desk" when I was doing whatever the topic was about. And, in fact, I DO actually use my own books as my favorite references; all false modesty aside, after all, they're the best ones I know of on the topics in question. I would never have signed my name to them otherwise.

It is the same with any book I author. If someone else has already done a good job on the topic, I walk away from it; I never have and never will write a book that just recaps what someone else has already done. As when I was a boy, I surrender to my need to explore, and if there is nothing new to explore, I'm just plain not interested.

If there's an unwalked path, however, you can be sure that I will soon set foot upon it and lead you to places you'd never find with any other author.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

283 of 294 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Real dummies: just say NO..., January 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Building a Web Site for Dummies (Paperback)

When the "Dummies" series books first came out, they were truly for "dummies". Apparently not so anymore. Right on the cover of this book is the phrase "Go from Web surfer to site developer". Well, web surfer I am, and what I was looking for was a book to give me the ABSOLUTE BASICS about creating a web site. This book assumes that you as the reader, already know how to create a web site!! HELLO!! If I knew how to create a web site, I wouldn't need the book, thanks. Page 2 "Foolish Assumptions": "We figure that you have some kind of experience with creating web pages." WHAT?! I thought this book was going to turn me from a surfer to a developer. Page 27: the first line of chapter 3 reads "This chapter's here just in case you need a refresher on basic web page building before..." CHAPTER 3! Refresher! This book obviously should be titled "Enhancing Your Web Site for Dummies". This book does not even explain to a "Dummy" how to create the file necessary to create a web page. What a waste of twenty bucks.

140 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good Dummies book, October 24, 2000

By 

Water Monkey "Marc B." (Santa Clarita, Ca.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building a Web Site for Dummies (Paperback)

Read the title! This is not an HTML book. If you are hoping to be able to code your first web site after reading this book, you might struggle a bit.

This is a decent book on how to construct a web site. As with most "Dummies" books the explanations seem to drag. However, I have found that they can be a good introduction to a subject, if the reader is truly "in the dark".

If you have never written any type of computer program, or if you struggle with using your computer, and are still set on creating your own web page (go for it; they aren't that tough) buy this book and "HTML for Dummies". The combination of the two will get you up and running.

84 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK For general Ideas, April 6, 2001

By 

"foxyroxychick" (Hawaii, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building a Web Site for Dummies (Paperback)

If you are looking to code a webpage or site, buy this book along with HTML 4 for the WWW by E. Castro. Castro's book is easy to follow and deals with multi-browser webpage construction. This Dummies book does give you a good feel about the practical things to consider when constructing a website. Not just about creating a page with links and pictures, but about practical navigation construction and how to build websites for a particular audience (ie. websites for your family versus an e-commerce site). Some useful info here, but they should not jump into HTML without creating a good feel for it in this book--try Castro's or HTML for Dummies--becuase this book could have served one better if it stuck with the key ingredients for a decent site, then had a small primer for HTML or recommended good HTML books. For other website design books, try Web Usability by J. Neilsen. This is an ok book that deal with the problems associated with website construction--Web Usability has color pictures and is not dependent on any one design software package.