NEW- Follow @MHSCoders on Twitter!
NEW- Rising Pay for Web Professionals
Tips and resources for web development beyond class!
Skill-building
- Free online basic website class from UMass
- This free & great HTML/CSS tutorial
- Code.org
- Code Academy
- Code Avengers
- Women’s Coding Collective
- Khan Academy
- DIY.org
Resources
Check how your site looks on different screen sizes
My massive list of cool things
Finally, CSS and JavaScript tools
Diagnostic tools
Page speed
Security
Domain information (look up who owns site)
Check if site is down
What to do when considering launching your own website, or if someone asks you to help them with creating a website?
1- PLAN the site
– What is the main goal and topic of the site (informational, blog, sales, promotional, etc.)
– Gather resources for the site (images, links, information, videos, graphics)
– Wire frames (sketch out pages of site and rough page layout; you can use a variety of tools for this- Balsamiq is particularly good for websites, FluidUI.com is great for apps, or look here for more)
2- Determine platform
– First, consider if a free Facebook page is appropriate. That is a good place to start. It is easy to use and manage, and can help you, or whoever you are working with, get into the right mindset of how to communicate online and how to organize content. It can also be integrated with Twitter and other social sites to immediately help increase the site’s reach.
– Create pages by hand using HTML and CSS in Notepad or Dreamweaver (or other editor)
– Use content management system such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or other CMS
– Use Google Sites, Weebly, or ready-made template on a site like Wix or SquareSpace, for example
– Depending on platform, choose web host- see hosting-review.com
Registering Domain Names
To make your life easier try to register your domain name through your web host. It keeps your records and billing in one place and you usually get a better price. Don’t be fooled into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars to secure a domain name!
Web Stats and Analytics
– Your web host will likely have a way to determine your web traffic (page views, unique visitors, hits, etc.)
– If your web host doesn’t have an analytics program Google Analytics is free and easy to use. Just sign up for a free account and don’t forget to add the Google Analytics code to every page of your website!
– A unique visitor is basically one IP address (usually one computer) that accesses your website. This is a good measure for how many people actually visit your website. Hits are the number of downloads of content on your site so they don’t accurately represent how many visits you receive.
Remember:
– Websites are always a work in progress- they are dynamic and there are always ways you can improve them or make them more user-friendly. You should constantly be evaluating whether the website is meeting your needs or your client’s needs and its goal(s)
– Think about ways social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) can be used to grow your site’s audience and to communicate. You can always use something like Rebel Mouse or simply go to the Developer or Settings sections of any social media site and get their code for widgets and embeds.
– Think MOBILE first. Design your site so that it will look good on all screen sizes, or choose a theme (if using something like WordPress) that is mobile-friendly. Don’t just build a site that will only look good on a desktop computer or laptop.