Getting Started: Website Templates
Building a website using web templates is easier than you think! First you will need to know exactly what a website template is.
A website template is a basics design of a website that can be used to display content and information as a simple website or can be packaged with additional features programed using scripts and databases. However many website templates does not include any scripts or databases so its not a instant website solution.
The first step of designing a site using a website template is to find one that you like and one that fits the style of your site your trying to create. You have many choices when it comes to selection a website template both free website templates, and premium website templates are avalible from thousands of websites on the internet.
Once you find and download your website template more than likely it is compressed into a archive or a zip file. You will need to learn how to open these types of files. The most common way is using programs such as Winzip or WinRar. I wont go into details on how to use these programs but if you need assistance you can find instructions on how to use them on the developers website.
Once you unzip or unarchive your website template you will need to edit this website templates. To do this you will need a HTML editor of some sort. You can use programs such as Dreamweaver, Notepad, or some other well know html editor. Most developers prefer to use editors such as notepad because it gives you more control on how your code is formatted. However using a plain text editor requires more HTML, and CSS knowledge.
A lot of times a .psd file will also be included with the website template. Some designers include the whole design in .psd format and others just include the logo or any other menus or buttons that you might want to edit.
To open the .psd file you will need a program that is capable of opening these files. The most popular and best option is Adobe Photoshop but with it's hefty price tag its not accessible to many people. A free option to edit the graphic files would be GIMP for free software is extremely powerful.
After making the changes to your website template you will need to save and upload the files to your website host. In another article I will explain how to choose the best web host to fit your needs and your sites needs.
A website template is a basics design of a website that can be used to display content and information as a simple website or can be packaged with additional features programed using scripts and databases. However many website templates does not include any scripts or databases so its not a instant website solution.
The first step of designing a site using a website template is to find one that you like and one that fits the style of your site your trying to create. You have many choices when it comes to selection a website template both free website templates, and premium website templates are avalible from thousands of websites on the internet.
Once you find and download your website template more than likely it is compressed into a archive or a zip file. You will need to learn how to open these types of files. The most common way is using programs such as Winzip or WinRar. I wont go into details on how to use these programs but if you need assistance you can find instructions on how to use them on the developers website.
Once you unzip or unarchive your website template you will need to edit this website templates. To do this you will need a HTML editor of some sort. You can use programs such as Dreamweaver, Notepad, or some other well know html editor. Most developers prefer to use editors such as notepad because it gives you more control on how your code is formatted. However using a plain text editor requires more HTML, and CSS knowledge.
A lot of times a .psd file will also be included with the website template. Some designers include the whole design in .psd format and others just include the logo or any other menus or buttons that you might want to edit.
To open the .psd file you will need a program that is capable of opening these files. The most popular and best option is Adobe Photoshop but with it's hefty price tag its not accessible to many people. A free option to edit the graphic files would be GIMP for free software is extremely powerful.
After making the changes to your website template you will need to save and upload the files to your website host. In another article I will explain how to choose the best web host to fit your needs and your sites needs.