- Web articles
- For a Professional Web Site
- Writing Headlines That Sell
- Selecting a Quality Domain Name
- Best Web Design Language for Your Project
- The Web Design Learning Process
- Your Strategic Web Design Plan
- Basic Web Design Guidelines
- Essential Web Site Components
- Essential Web Development Tools
- Search Engine Preparation
- Web Page Optimization
- Writing Effective Sales Copy
- Launching Your Web Site
- Promoting Your Web Site
- Search Engine Optimization - SEO
Essential Web Development Tools
The Birth of a Professional Web Site - part 5
Developing a successful web site takes a great deal of planning and preparation. An important part of your preparation is obtaining the essential tools of the trade.
HTML Editors
An HTML editor is a software program used to create and edit HTML documents.
Although some Internet marketers prefer to write their own HTML code, most prefer
to use an HTML editor, as it can greatly simplify a somewhat difficult process.
However, using an HTML editor has its disadvantages, as some editors have a tendency
to add a lot of unnecessary coding and may not support the latest technologies.
Whether you will be writing your own HTML or using an editor, taking the time
to learn HTML is very important. Not only will you gain your independence, but
you'll also have the ability to add special effects that many HTML editors don't
support.
Here are some popular HTML editors:
Macromedia Dreamweaver
http://www.macromedia.com/software/dreamweaver/
A popular WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) HTML editor. Great for beginners
and advanced users alike.
Coffee Cup
http://www.coffeecup.com/html-editor/
A popular HTML editor that's great for beginners as well as advanced users. Includes
a built in browser that will enable you to instantly preview your HTML as you
go.
Hot Dog Professional
http://sausage.com/products/index.html
Three HTML editors, including HotDog Junior for children, PageWiz for the novice
user and Professional for advanced and budding webmasters.
Text Editors
A text editor is a software program used for editing plain text that doesn't
add any special formatting.
If you're considering writing your own HTML code, you'll need a good text editor.
Although it will certainly be more time consuming, your code will be much cleaner
and can reduce your file size considerably.
In addition to using a text editor to write HTML, it can also be used to edit
scripts and write articles.
If you have a Windows operating system, Note Pad is the preferred text editor.
It should already be installed on your computer.
Although Note Pad is a great little text editor, it can't handle large files
and is much better suited for smaller jobs. You may find that you'd like an editor
that is more powerful, such as:
NoteTab Pro http://www.notetab.com/
TextPad http://www.textpad.com/
FTP
File Transfer Protocol, better known as FTP, is a procedure used to upload and
download files to and from your web server.
Although many HTML editors will enable you to edit and transfer pages to your
server, an FTP program is still an essential tool, as you must have complete
control over the files on your server.
An FTP program will enable you to upload scripts, set file permissions, create
folders and transfer files to and from your server.
In order to use FTP, you'll need to download and install a software program on
your computer. The most widely used FTP program is WS FTP Pro http://www.wsftp.com
Graphics Editor
A graphics editor is a software program that will enable you to design and edit
graphics.
Graphic design is an intimidating subject for many Internet entrepreneurs. However,
most of us must learn some basic design techniques in order to avoid the high
costs of hiring a professional designer.
The most popular program used by Internet marketers is Paint Shop Pro. This powerful
program is the only program you'll need to design professional looking graphics.
http://www.jasc.com/
Zip/Unzip Software
A Zip file is an "archive" of one or more files compressed into
one file for easy distribution.
Zip files are used to compress and transport file archives over the Internet.
It is the preferred method used for electronic file distribution, as rather than
downloading several different files, you can simply download one Zip file. In
addition, the download time will be minimized, as the files within the Zip archive
are compressed.
Once a Zip file is downloaded, it can be easily opened and extracted (unzipped)
with a Zip/Unzip software program.
Although there are many Zip software programs available on the Internet, WinZip
is the most popular. WinZip makes working with file archives simple. It features
an easy point-and-click, drag-and-drop interface for viewing, extracting, adding,
deleting and testing archived files.
You can download a fully functional evaluation version here:
http://www.winzip.com/download.htm
Although most Internet Service Providers include email accounts for their customers,
these accounts aren't adequate for an Internet business -- especially if you
get a large amount of email. Not only do the email addresses contain your ISP's
name, but they are also very limited on features and options.
The two most popular email clients used online are Outlook and Eudora. These
programs will enable you to download email from your server and offer features,
such as sorting and
filtering, and will enable you to easily organize your email messages. What's
more, your email address will be your own domain -- not someone else's.
Eudora
http://www.eudora.com
Outlook
http://www.microsoft.com/
Your webmaster toolbox will play an important part in your success. Take the
time to ensure your toolbox contains these essential tools and you'll be well
on your way to designing a professional web site.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. http://www.webdesignmastery.com And,
Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. http://www.ebookstarter.com Visit
Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive
a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net
