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The Birth of a
Professional Web Site
Part Five Essential Tools
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
Email
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.
(Continued in part six)
Copyright © Shelley Lowery 2003.
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the highly acclaimed ebook series,
Web Design Mastery -- An eight volume (500+ pages) in-depth guide to
professional web design. Web Design Mastery is being hailed as the
"Bible" for professional web design. http://www.webdesignmastery.com
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