Web Page Design in easy steps, 3rd edition

Like hundreds of thousands of smart readers around the world, you can save serious time and money using this clear and simple, best value Web page design guide - guaranteed!

Written by professional plain English author and Web expert Brian Austin, you need this comprehensively updated book now in its third edition, especially for:

• Smart business users who want to capitalise on powerfully effective insights that 'don't cost the earth'.
• Home users keen to create enjoyable, relaxed and fun Web sites.
• Web design professionals and Internet strategists who want quick access to a handy 'second opinion' desk top reference resource.
• Consultants and marketing people seeking to generate breakthrough results quickly.
• Busy students who want real value for money without unnecessary hype.
• Savvy trainers and educators who want to provide a stimulating simple self-teaching learning aid.
• Self-employed people who need to grasp the essentials quickly.
• Those responsible for creating and maintaining Web sites for clubs and societies and other non-profit organisations.
• Web Content Management System (CMS) providers who want to gain a better understanding of how design and content work together.
  

The globally successful 'In Easy Steps' series is brought to you from Computer Step, the leading publisher of computer books.

Professional 'plain English' author with a special interest in helping non-technical people understand and make practical use of computers and the Internet; an experienced Web designer and 'Internet Strategist'; Member of the Society of Authors and Corporate Member of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (MISTC). Brian thinks he is 'lucky enough' to be married to Ann, has two children, lives and works on the beautiful Island of Skye in Scotland.

Web Page Design in Easy Steps is aptly titled. It is written in plain English, fully illustrated, and easy to follow.
Brian Austin, a former electronics service technician, has a knack for simplifying the complex. His new book ought to be a best seller. I've always believed that good writing is a reflection of clear thinking. If that's the test for an author's ability to explain complex information, Brian Austin succeeds handsomely. Mr. Austin organizes everything clearly. A good website should offer interesting information, download quickly, and be easy to navigate, he says. And he likes order. He likes to make lists. Succinct, unmistakable, and elucidating lists, both numbered and bulleted:
* Fourteen key web guidelines to help you succeed.
* Three types of webpages.
* Eight top web color hints and tips.
Web Page Design in Easy Steps takes you through the entire process of planning your website, profiling your target visitor, creating a design strategy, establishing when to stop, and choosing a web host. He 'dumbs down' web page design basics without insulting my intelligence -- or overestimating my knowledge. He provides all the basic information a newbie needs to create stunning web graphics, add audio to your website, animate the pages, and build in power components such as drop-down menus and discussion forums. All by themselves, the two chapters on (1) creating a superb business website, and (2) launching, promoting and marketing are worth the very modest price. Web Page Design in Easy Steps is printed in full color, with plenty of exemplary website screen shots. The graphic design of the book ought to win awards for its creative use of typography and graphic icons that flag 'things to remember' and 'potential dangers' and 'hot tips'. Whether you're just starting out with your first website, or you're an experienced website professional, Web Page Design in Easy Steps should be on your bookshelf. You'll refer to it often.

1. Planning your Web site
   • Introducing the Web
   • Creating a Web site: an overview
   • Netiquette & the spirit of the Web
   • Establishing purpose
   • Profiling your target visitor
   • Creating a design strategy
   • Establishing when to stop
   • Choosing your Web host
2. Web page design basics
   • Popular Web design tools
   • Three types of Web page
   • The value of first impressions
   • Utilising the power of headlines
   • Tables: the cornerstone of design
   • Presenting information using lists
   • Establishing ideal page width
   • Establishing ideal page length
   • Hyperlinks, buttons, icons, toolbars
   • Traditional contact information
   • Advert banners and buttons
   • Installing an email link on a page
   • Introducing DHTML and CSS
   • Installing a hit counter
   • Avoiding dead URL links
   • Updating your pages regularly
3. Establishing your Web page background
   • Background: exotic or plain
   • Pure black: a special approach
   • Creating a picture background
4. Simple ways to create effective text
   • Providing what your visitors want
   • Working with fonts/typefaces
   • Top tips for working with text
5. Working with hyperlinks
   • Text and graphical hyperlinks
   • Linking back to the Index page
   • Working with related Web sites
   • Top Tips for superb linking!
6. Developing your Web site colours
   • Colours and colour combinations
   • Creating adequate contrast
   • Top Web colour hints and tips
7. How to create stunning Web graphics
   • Introducing Web graphics
   • Web image types
   • Preparing images for the Web
   • Interlacing images
   • Creating transparent images
   • Setting optimal image size
   • Establishing ideal colour depth
   • Using thumbnail images
   • Providing impact with imagemaps
   • Including ALT tags
   • Web graphics round-up: 10 top tips
8. Designing frame-based Web pages
   • Introducing frames
   • Frame types
   • Using frames in a Web page
   • Helping visitors break out of frames
9. Including audio in your Web site
   • The basics of audio on the Web
   • Popular sound formats
   • Exploring musical possibilities
   • Installing sound on a Web page
   • RealAudio: live audio streaming
   • Web audio top tips
10. Animating your Web pages
    • Introducing Web animation
    • Applying flashing components
    • Using animated GIFs
    • Microsoft's ActiveX
    • Java and Java Beans
    • JavaScript and JScript
    • Using rollover buttons and pictures
    • Animating text on a Web page
    • Adding a ticker-tape streamer
    • Captivating with Shockwave
    • Captivating with Flash
    • Introducing Web video technology
    • Popular Web video technologies
    • Including video on a Web page
    • Animation: top hints and tips
    • Key hints on what not to animate
11. Building in the 'power' components
    • Adding a drop-down 'Go' menu
    • Including a Web site Search box
    • Creating a Sitemap page
    • Prompting with a popup box
    • Plug-ins, viewers and helpers
    • Quick 'n easy JavaScript solutions
    • Password-protecting your Web site
    • Providing a discussion forum
    • Publishing your database
12. Gathering information with online forms
    • Why use Web forms?
    • How Web forms work
    • Basic form components
    • Creating an online form
    • Preventing bad input data
    • Installing a guestbook
    • Providing a Feedback/Contact form
    • Web forms: top design hints and tips
13. Designing your Web pages
    • Creating effective Web page titles
    • META tags for better exposure
    • Search engines: top keyword tips
    • Creating compelling content
    • Using humour
    • A generic Home/Index page
    • A personal Home page
    • Deciding what to include
    • Creating supplementary pages
    • Providing a FAQ page
    • Using Web page templates
    • Routing to browser-specific pages
    • Creating 3D Web pages
    • Devising Web site virtual tours
14. Creating a superb business Web site
    • The Internet baby has grown up
    • Establishing your domain name
    • Web business guidelines
    • A smart business start-up plan?
    • The first 60 seconds!
    • Building credibility and trust
    • Developing a theme-based approach
    • Using doorway pages
    • Implementing the 2-Step plan
    • Using profit-creating 'magic' words
    • Providing incredible value
    • Effective advertising on the Web
    • Designing your business Index page
    • Competitions, prizes and quizzes
    • Introduction to Ecommerce
    • Web credit card transactions
    • Online security: using secure servers
    • Autoresponders: your 24-hour tool
    • Designing a Web page order form
    • Ensuring you get paid
    • Doing business: an activity checklist
15. Launching, promoting and marketing
    • Prelaunch checking and testing
    • Uploading your Web site
    • Introduction to searching the Web
    • Your Web submission strategy
    • Search engines and Web directories
    • Search engine secrets revealed
    • High search engine positioning
    • Web site promotion: top tips
    • Tapping the full power of email
    • Marketing through the newsgroups
    • Newsgroups: top tips
    • Using mailing lists
    • Utilising your Web statistics
    • Some final thoughts