Operation Manual
70
Starting from Scratch
♦
As you’re developing Web pages, you’ll probably need to carry
out some housekeeping tasks on your local hard drive. Note that
each time you publish one or more pages to a folder, a new set of
image files is generated (although duplicate .HTML file names are
overwritten). If you’re previewing pages this way, rather than
using 3UHYLHZ6LWHLQ%URZVHU (which overwrites old files), those
GIF and JPG files can proliferate. It’s a good idea to weed out the
old ones periodically. You can sort your Explorer or My Computer
window contents by date, then use the “Modified” attribute to
determine which files to keep (i.e., the set most recently
published). For thorough cleanup, periodically publish the whole
site to a new folder and delete the old one.
♦
Think of your site as more than an electronic business card—think
of it as a newsletter with publication deadlines. Don’t let more than
two weeks go by without making visible changes. The changes
don’t have to be dramatic; the main thing is to reinforce the
perception that your site is dynamic, not static. The Home page
should change most often: add new links, or replace old graphics
with new ones. Add a new page or two, expanding the original
sections. (Be sure to post notice of the new features on the Home
page.) Revise the design of any pages that aren’t working the way
you expected.
♦
Visitors’ feedback is important. Be direct about asking for
comments, and make sure you’ve included an e-mail return link.
Challenge your users to respond! Give them some specific choices
to make (“Would you rather see A, B, or C on this page?”). Let
them feel they’re contributing.
♦
As a rule, keep the background and section organization intact so
as not to confuse repeat visitors. Sections that began as a single
page will require a section menu as soon as a few new pages have
been added. If you’ve got a navigation bar with a button already
linked to the original page, turn that target page into the menu page
to keep the link intact. From a site management standpoint, it’s
usually easier to switch content to a new page than to rewire
existing links. (You can see the content, but you can’t easily see
the links.)
Where should I go from here?
The answer should be self-evident: Get straight back to work with
WebPlus! Your own experience will be your best teacher. We’re proud
of WebPlus, and hope you enjoy using it to develop a Web site you can
be proud of, too.