HTML.co.uk

In today’s modern world, all the works are governed by internet and each and everyone wants to build their own Website and one of the major questions that come in mind is how to build? At this time the research begins. During the research, most of the times you will be on the same media and at last you will end up with more number of questions than answers. So how will handle all the information that you gather? This might happen because you have to know the answers to the question such as “just use WYSIWYG Editor or else should i lean HTML code? What will be better for me?” Answers for these questions will depend upon all your expectations, intentions and needs as well. In order to clear all the things, you have to know the difference between WYSIWYG and HTML editors.

Time to learn

Learning WYSIWYG editors is the biggest advantage as using this it is easy to build any Website. For the people who write a letter in their text editor or draw the image in their picture will know what it is all about. On the other hand, writing in the HTML language tends to be complicated although it is an easy language. HTML is just a markup language and one of the reasons why it is easier then many other languages is because the resulting Webpage is interpreted by the codes. Learning HTML will give you long time advantages.

Time to build

While building a Website, time is one of the diffuse points. During the building of a website, the time will depend upon the expertise of the designer and most probably, the Website can be finished faster by using WYSIWYG editor.

Portability

HTML codes can be written in any of the text editor but you will not be able to build a website using WYSIWYG editor.

Code properness

when you’re using the WYSIWYG editor, the Webpage that is created should be in the visual way that is translated into the HTML code by the editor itself. When using the language of HTML, designer is the person who will be deciding on the codes which are to be used and which are not to be used.

Reach

The WYSIWYG editors that are available today brings you the advanced and easy solutions to all the designers incorporating the server side languages, markup languages, plug-ins, client side language and many more.

On the other side, HTML is just an HTML, but if you are a visionary then you will see that the HTML as the doorway for further learning.

Credibility

If you are trying to get a client or else you are working for a client already, it will not be the same to say that you know how to handle HTML and it will just say that you know to handle WYSIWYG editors only. By learning HTML, it gives additional point that is credibility.

Most of the newcomers and webmasters to the Webpage design will overlook at the crucial feature of promoting the Website and for this one of the thing that you need to have is valid HTML code.

So what do you mean by valid HTML?
Most of the WebPages that are there are written in HTML. As most of the languages have their own grammar, syntax and vocabulary, even HTML has got its own grammar, syntax and vocabulary as well. Each and every document that is written in HTML should follow all the steps.

HTML keeps on changing constantly like any other language. As HTML has turned out to be one of the relatively complex languages and it is easy to make some mistakes while writing codes.

The HTML code that doesn’t follow the rules of HTML is called as invalid HTML code. You should know why is the HTML code that is valid is pretty important for Search Engine Optimization and also for your marketing attempt.

Search Engines that are available today have to pass all the HTML codes that are written in your websites in order to find the content that is relevant. If at all your HTML codes contain some errors, the Search Engines will not be able to find out the content on your pages and at that moment your SEO attempts and the quest for High Rankings on the Search Engines will end there.

HTML standards are obeyed by Search Engine Crawlers. Search Engines can index your Website when and only if the code is compliant to the HTML standards. If at all there is an error in the webpage, then the Search Engines will stop crawling your Website. If your page is missing a single bracket, then also your webpage would not be found on the search Engines. If at all your webpage is missing with few important tags, then the Search Engines may ignore the entire content of your WebPages.

So how will you check the validity of the HTML code? Fortunately, for everyone’s luck there is HTML validator that will validate your HTML code for validation.
The HTML validator that is released by the Search Engine Optimization community and it is called as “W3C HTML Validator”.
This is the service that is available that helps you to check out the HTML documents for the purpose of “conformance to W3C HTML”, “HTML Standards” and for “XHTML Recommendations”.

To make sure that the errors are corrected that are outlined by W3C validator, just enter the address of the Webpage that has error at “Netmechanic invalid HTML repair page”. Here you will have the options to fix the errors.

Though, not all the errors of HTML will cause problems for your webpage in the Search Engine Rankings. Some of the errors can keep the web spiders from indexing all of your WebPages and helps you to not to spoil your efforts of “Search Engine Optimization”. If your HTML code is valid, then it makes it easier for the Search Engines Spiders to index your Website and you have to ensure that there is no biggest mistake in your WebPages.

A design brief is nothing but a written document that is used to describe all the features and scope of the project’s design. This documents is jointly developed by the client and the by the Web designer.

This is not particularly intended to be to be the entire description of the actual designs. It just briefs the goals and objectives of the work that has to be done and they are also designed in such a way that it includes the terms and conditions of the work.

What is the need of Design Brief?
For any process of large designs, design briefs must be part of the work’s planning stage. They are pretty useful for both the client and for the designer as they provide the roadmap for the goals that has to be achieved.

Where to start the building of this design brief?
You as a Freelance Web designer, you will be the instigator for any design brief. While the project client will have the better idea on what he/she will require from their website just beyond making money or else to get more page views. So it is entirely upto the client on project planning and client interviews.

What should be mentioned in a design brief?
Mostly, the design briefs has to include the objective and goals that has to be achieved and also the deadlines or contractual or billing issues. So you have to include some of the things such as:

Site’s goals and objectives
Site’s overview
Entire description of the objectives and goals of the site
If there is a redesign, you have to have the description of the objectives and goals of the project.

Site Audience
The typical description of the audiences that they are trying to attract towards them
Age
Gender
Employment
Interests

Where the site will be used?
At home with slow connection or high connection
In the office
On PDA’s or on the cell phones
On a CDROM
Over a kiosk
Scope of the project
Type of technology that will be required for the project:
Redesign or full site build
HTML development
Ajax development or JavaScript
CSS development
ColdFusion, PHP or ASP
In which language the CGIs are written?
Ecommerce storefront
Flash
Content type of both the designer and the client
Text
Graphics: logos, animation, icons, photos and illustrations
Video
Sound
Localization of above mentioned
Design aspects
Creative design
Conceptual design
Typography
Layout
Colours

Details of the contract
It has to include the project’s details and also include:
Pricing: be specific or general for the need that will be required by the client and make sure the client understands for what he is paying for
Schedule: include the dates of content due and approval dates. Also you have to include the deadline dates as well.
Billing: the date for the invoices and also when the late fees will be assessed.
Copyright: who will own the entire copyright of any design, content etc?

Even websites need goals
When you build a website, it will be very much tempting on how to design the site, to create the layout for the site, build the CSS and HTML and ignore it or else to let some others in order to manage the maintenance. If you go with the maintenance, you will be getting more power.

Smart goals for your website
Smart goals are the ones that are Time-bound, Realistic Specific, Achievable and Measurable.

Some of the specific goals are
Ask yourself:
Who? When? What? Where? Why? How?
A specific goal will definitely answer all of your questions

Goals that are measurable
If you are able to measure the results, you will be able to measure the goals.
Ask yourself:
How many? How much to be achieved? How will I know when will I achieved the goal?

Goals that are achievable
You have to create the goals that can be accomplished by you. A goal will be definitely achievable if you know something that you can do. Perhaps it will be done before or else if you have the right training to do it, you will do it.
You have to ask some questions to yourself, like
Is this the one that I have to commit to?
Can I believe that I can accomplish this?
How much time will this goal rewire to be achieved?

Goals that are realistic
Goals that are realistic need not be easy. One of the ways to make the goal realistic, you have to the time frame. Do not make you site’s goals to easier. If you cannot do the tasks according to your sub-conscience, you will not be able to achieve even a simple task. If you set up a hard goal, once you complete that goal, you will feel more accomplished.
Do ask yourself these questions:
Can this goal is achievable?
Is this time right to achieve this goal?
Is the goal that has to be achieved is easy or too hard?

Goals that are time bound
In order to work on a goal, you need to have time limits. If you do not have the time limit, then all the work will go on lately without much success. So if you have the time limit, you will have something to do. So do put up some deadlines so that you will always be one the competitive side and thus will enable you to accomplish any task given to you.
So do ask these questions yourself:
When and why this goal has to be completed?
Is there any other project that rely on this goal and when this has to be completed?
How much time has to be used to achieve this goal?

Do write your site’s goals
If you write down the goals, it helps you to patch up your mind and conscious. So if you have the goals written, it helps to achieve that particular goal. Do check out the goals periodically. Do check whether you need to revaluate them or not. So go on with your goals.

Description of the work or scope of the work
Initially, most of the people think that they will know this automatically, but as go on with the work, you will come to know that most of the clients do not have any idea. Clients think that they know what they need but in reality, they do not have most of the clues. The idea is not to plan the entire course of the work, but to acknowledge that the time that you’re working on is very much valuable and the client have to meet the expenses of the plan that you will be drawing up. Whether or not you have to make your client agree to that and you have to draw up the work contract. The contract should include the scope of the work that you’re doing. The contract should include

Number of pages that has to be built
Number of scripts or the CGIs or the programs that has to be built
Number of graphics that has to be created
Total amount of content that has to be written
The margin of error that has occurred
Make sure that the client agrees to the contract and then make the move towards the work that has to be done.

Project dates
A contract which is good includes dates. It will be pretty tempting to leave this upto the client and all of the clients will want the site to be fixed. Most of the clients will forget about the dates as they will get busy with other works. So you have to include the dates. Some of the dates that has to be included are
Due date of the signed contract
Starting date of the work
Designs or the plans completed
Approval of the designs and plans by the client
Due dates of the client
Designer milestone releases
Dates of invoices
Competition date of the site
Due dates of the clients review
Updates date
Client’s final review
Launching date

Payment
You should not only include the project’s cost but also how much have to be invoiced. You have to take some percent of the project cost as the deposit and will thus ensure that the client is pretty serious about the work and will definitely give you some amount of cash for the work to move ahead.

Revisions
Mostly, clients will always want to make some of the changes in the project. So if you include number of revisions in your contract, you will not be in the trouble of sticking in to the never ending work of revising the work.

Source files and copyright
The contract that you have done should include and mainly specify the entire copyright of the content, graphics, designs, programs and the multimedia and also you have to specify of who owns the rights of source files. The source files include
Images
Multimedia
Scripts and programs
Design of the website
Content written for the site

Credits
Along with the files rights, you should also specify the on how you will be credited for that wok that you have done. So you have to mainly specify
Where will be the credit displayed?
How the credit will be done
For what things you will be credited

DHTML is really not a new pattern of HTML, but quite a new way of looking at it and controlling the standard HTML commands and codes.

When you’re thinking of DHTML, you should remember the qualities of the standard HTML and it should be remembered especially when once a page is loaded from a server and it will not be changed until and unless another request comes to that server. DHTML will give you additional control over the standard elements of HTML and also allows the user to change it any time even without returning to the main Web server.

There are actually 4 parts to DHTML:
Scripts
XHTML
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
DOM (Document Object Model)

DOM
Document Object Module (DOM) is the one that allows you to get the access for any part of the Webpage and to change the Webpage using the DHTML. By DOM, all the parts of the Webpage are specified and you can even access and also change their properties by using its consistent naming conventions.

Scripts
Scripts that are written in either ActiveX or JavaScript are the two common writing or scripting languages that are used to activate DHTML. In order to control the objects that are specified in the DOM, these scripting language are used.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Cascading Style Sheets are used in Dynamic HTML in order to control the feel and look of the Web page. These Style sheets will define the fonts and colors of the text, the images and background colors and also the placement of objects in the page. Using DOM and the scripting, you can even change the style of different elements.

XHTML
XHTML4.x or XHTML is used in order to create page for itself and also to build some of the elements for the DOM and CSS to work with. About XHTML for DHTML there is nothing more special– it is even more important to have a valid HTML, because there are more things to be worked on from it just more than the browser.

The Features that are included in DHTML
Actually there are 4 primary features of DHTML:
Data binding (Internet Explorer)
Changing the properties and tags
Dynamic fonts (Netscape Communicator)
Real time positioning

Changing the properties and tags
Changing the properties and tags are the most common uses of DHTML. DHTML will allow you to change the HTML qualities of tag depends on the outside event of the browser. You can even use DHTML to preload information into a page, and not to display the information until and unless the reader clicks on that specific link with the intention of clicking.

Real-time positioning
This DHTML will also allow you to play some of the games that are interactive with your readers or else animate some portions of your system screen.
Dynamic Fonts
Along with some dynamic fonts, the fonts can be encoded or downloaded with the page, so the page looks so stylish.
Data binding
This is a feature used in IE only. Data binding was developed by Microsoft in order to allow getting the databases from Web sites.

Nobody will get the job if it requires the experience in that field. This is called as catch-22 in most of the industries. Luckily, you need not have any job experience to create the web design portfolio and here you can create your own experience by doing the projects. If you use the projects that you have done, that can itself translate into the paying jobs so that it means into more of the portfolio jobs. So, if you are starting out as a freelancer, you need not say that you do not have any portfolio, instead making use of the suggestions mentioned below; you can create your own portfolio.

Your own Website
So if you have decided to get in to the profession of Web designing, then you need to have a website of your own. This is done because till didn’t have any job that were paying you, so by creating a website, you will not have the problems that are faced by the experienced web designers. When you are spending your time on creating and improving the website, here you are not only improving your business but also you are improving your portfolio as well.

Do remember that you website doesn’t have to be a portfolio piece. Just think of different things that you have built for your website and here make each design a portfolio piece. Do include the details like
Home page, the custom 404 pages, the Contact forms, any of the CMS templates you have built and even the entire portfolio page.

Personal Web Projects
Do build your personal websites. The sites should be very much attractive and this site may be the site for your pet or etc. by seeing the site, you may get the paying web design works where you can earn decent income for you.

Do take the online tutorial or a class
There is no conditions or riles against using your class work as the part of your portfolio. By taking the class, you will learn on how to do or create something new and will help you to improve your portfolio as you will be growing.

Create Pages on you website for some of the Imaginary Clients
Things such as a page to sell the products or the annual report page can be put up on your website. As long as you are able to tell your clients that these are all the samples and are not the live designs, there is nothing wrong in showcasing your skills and will thus improve your portfolio.

Modify Templates in your web design
There are several free web templates that are available that are useful for building the WebPages. Without modifying these templates would not be very good for your portfolio.

The portfolio that you choose should be the best of all
Remember that, you’re creating the portfolio is to showcase your best output. So do not add something that you have created in order to increase the size of your portfolio. So do choose the best portfolio as much as you can.

If you are initially beginning out as Freelance Web Designer, you may have to do the thinking related to on how much you are going to charge for a project?, and will you charge exactly for the project. You have to take in some considerations before quoting a price such as,

What is the project about?

Before evaluating any kind of Web Design project, you have to determine on what the project will entail. Some of the questions be asked are
Total number of pages that has to be created
Is there any designs or/and images that has to be used or else the images or design have to created as part of the project you have accepted?
You have to ask if any content has to be written, or will that be written by the designer?
Will there be programming, Flash, multimedia, or any kind of scripting required?
Your prices have to be quoted depending on the answers from the client
When do your clients want the project to be completed?
You can generate more amount of money if the work is of more urgent.

What the experience do you have in you?
The more experience you have the more money you can earn and also you charge more. Bear in mind that if you do not have experience and it is what your client wants from you.

How much long term maintenance is needed?
Very often, whenever a Web site is started the clients of the website might not have thought beyond just getting site’s page up. You as a Web designer should ensure that your clients have covered with maintenance. You have to get a separate contract if your client demands you for the maintenance cover.

What will be the going rate?
To determine the going rate is hard. One of the possible ways is to checkout with the local area. For more information you can take assistance from the Websites as well.

How much you will want to make?
After everything the bottom-line is – how much you want to make. Take this for example; you might have taken a project you like to do as it would be more fun, or challenging or interesting. That might reflect in your bid. On the other side of the work is that you might not feel comfortable doing that job or have to do lot of extra work just to complete it and it would be the situation where you have to hire another designer.

Some General Rules
If you do not have the sufficient resources do not bid for that project. Do get as clear as possible and the contract has to be specific enough. If the contract that you are going to bid is vague, you may find that you yourself will provide more services than what you might have expected.
Be careful with the pro bono work.
Always do be honest with the clients. If you can meet the deadline tell tem that you can do so or if you cannot meet it do tell them.