Dreamweaver CS3 Question

[TylerDurden]

I've just begun building my first site and I'm using DW CS3. I've been using the Lynda tutorials as well as the "Dreamweaver CS3: The Missing Manual" book. I've learned enough to create a functioning website but so far have not found anything to help me make it look nice or professional. Is there something I'm overlooking or should I just buy a template, use one of the ones that come with DW, or give Site Build It a try? I really want to get my site up and running by the holidays so would this be a good quick fix until I can learn how to build a professional looking site on my own? Thanks in advance for the feedback.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Tyler,

1) Since you've already bought and are learning DW you may want to stay with it. There are lots of good free templates. This thread has several free template sites, I listed several good ones in post #7. http://affiliate-marketing-forums.5...e-web-site-templates-resources.html#post13294

2) Here is a great SBI thread: http://affiliate-marketing-forums.5...orum/10581-site-build-useful-information.html

3) It's a little hard to give blind advice on the best way to go. After you get 7 more posts you can post a site review and then some of us can give you a lot more specific feedback and ideas.

 

[jazzguy]

Hey Tyler. I also use DW3 and have the CS3 Creative Suite from Adobe. What I find works for me is to have a graphical vision of what you would like your site to look like. Of course the first thing you should worry about is content, but after you have that the image, or aesthetic value of your site is important as that is the first impression someone gets when they land on your site. Do you have any background in graphics? Sometimes all that is needed is the right color scheme which you can easily do in DW3 by utilizing background colors. Also, a nice graphical header would be nice as well...do you have a graphics program like Photo shop or the free GIMP program? And then of course, how you layout site out is extremely important as well for surfers to instantly see the written content you have. Take a look at a bunch of sites you like and try and recreate them with the tools you have. This doesn't mean ripping off their design, but get a close approximation of what you like about their site and "borrow" the layout. I do that all the time to get new ideas that I then transform into something of my own. Like anything else in life, you need a reference point before you can create something unique. When I was learning to pay guitar in my early teens I spent years listening to and copying all my fav players and now I have my own way of approaching my instrument. I don't sound like BB King, Steve Vai or Eddie Van Halen, but they informed my playing big time and as I got more into guitar I gradually found my voice...the same with web design. When I first started out designing sits for clients I just looked at the nice sites and figured out what to do. The great thing about DW3 is that it has a WYSIWYG functionality that, if you are not comfortable with code, then you can just place images and content visually in DW3...which I think you can already do if you are using the Lynda tutorials. I hope thsi helps a little. Good luck and all the best.

 

[TylerDurden]

Thanks Jazzguy. I don't have any background in graphics so I'm going to try and start playing around with GIMP to see if I can pick anything up. I might consider just going with SBI for now since I won't be able to design a site that I consider good enough by the holidays.

 

[Larwee]

Tyler, if you are considering SBI (Site Build It), here is a special thread with a lot of information that could be very helpful to you http://affiliate-marketing-forums.5...verything-you-want-know-about-site-build.html