The Following Story is from Associated Content and brought to you by Web Design in Florida
Why should you make a website on Microsoft expression web? Because it's an easy software for making a website that will give you all the flexibility you need. If, on the other hand, you buy a ready-made website template instead of making your own website, you will lack this flexibility to change your website whenever you want to add content or pages. You could, of course, pay a hosting company extra to use their website making software. But why should you?
With this easy 10 step tutorial you can make a stunning website with Microsoft Expression Web, and never have to pay a website designer to upgrade or update your website. You don't need to know HTML to make a website with Expression Web. And you'll be surprised to see how quickly and easily you can make your first website page, then use it as a template to make you entire website. So, let's get started.
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 1
To make your website, begin by opening Microsoft Expression Web. On the top left, choose File from the horizontal menu. From File choose, open new website, then choose a, one page website. This makes the first page in your website, which is called default.htm. You should never rename this page, and you should never put it in uppercase (Default, with a capital D is not recognized by certain hosting servers). In your website the default page is like the front door. Everyone who comes to visit your website will come in through the default page. If you ever remove or change the name of your front door to a name the internet servers don't recognize, you will effectively be making a website that has no entrance, like a hotel without a doorway.
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 2
To make your website with Expression Web, you will now design the default.htm page, and then use it as a website template for all subsequent pages. In the main work area (center), double-click on default.htm to open this webpage. Of course, at this point of making your website, your default.htm is blank. Now, look at the left side of your screen, at the bottom section, which is called: Layout Tables. Scroll down this section and choose one of the tables for your website. The table effectively divides the page into parts, so you can make a website that has different sections. I suggest beginning with at least one long column on the left for your menu, and one row on the top for your logo, then the large middle section below. (You can always create more sections later, so don't worry if you start to make a website with a simple table).
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 3
To make your website beautiful, let's start by adding a little color. It's easy with Expression Web. Place the cursor of your mouse over the table (anywhere is fine), then right click with your mouse and choose the option: Table Properties. Ignore all the options for now except color. To make your website fun to visit, choose a color that you and your visitors will love. Next, make your website easy to use by giving the left-side menu a different color and border. Place the cursor of your mouse over the left side column, right click and choose the option: Cell Properties. There are two color options here, one for the border and one for the background. Choose a beautiful color for the background only. Later, you can come back and add one to the border too, for beautiful final touches in making your website.
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 4
Now, make your website easy to use, by creating a clear menu that tells visitor what your website has to offer. Once again, Expression web makes it easy to make a friendly and beautiful website menu. Begin by going to the top menu (at the top of your screen) and choosing the option: Insert, HTML, Horizontal Line. Then press enter on your keyboard, and type the word Home. Now highlight this word and choose a beautiful font for it, like Monotype Corsiva. And choose a bigger size and color for the font to make it stand out. And choose to center the word. (All these functions are available in the menu above, and are very similar to your Microsoft word processor.) Now create another horizontal line, and type in the next menu option that your website is all about. Make as many menu words for your website as you like, always dividing them with a dramatic horizontal bar. Note: To see what this web page really looks like (without the formatting marks that you see as you make a website), go to File, Preview in Browser. You will be prompted to save your work first. When you're done looking, close the browser and you'll be back at the Expression Web make a website page.
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 5
Now, make your website logo beautiful and attractive. You can paste pictures into it, and drag the edges to enlarge or reduce the picture size. Or you can make a website with a simple logo. Here's how to do both on Expression Web. For a simple logo, place the mouse cursor over the top row of your website, right click and choose to change the background color to whatever you like. Then type in the name of your website, choose a big, bold, beautiful font. To make a website with a custom logo, it's a great idea to add photos. Begin by creating a place in your website for the photos to be kept. On the left side of your screen, at the top portion you'll see the words: default.htm. This section lists all the documents in the website you are making on Expression Web. Right now, you've only made the default page of your website. Above the default page is the location in which Expression Web is storing the website on your computer (it probably starts with C). Place the cursor of your mouse over this address, right click and choose New, Folder. Name this website folder: Images. Now paste all website images into this folder. Once the website images are in the folder, you can drag them into the logo field to paste them into place. (Note: fill in the picture description in the window that opens, then press enter, and the picture will be pasted into the website page you are making).
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 6
Now that you know how to change the color of any of the cells in your table (the table is the basic platform of the website you are making), you can play around with the colors of your website template until you are happy. Add any pictures that you want to see displayed on every page of your Expression Web website. In short, make your website what you'd like it to be, except for the specific content. This default page is now going to serve as your website template. When you're done tweaking it with Expression Web fun options, it's time to copy this page to create the other website pages, which you have listed in the website menu (on the left column). Begin by going to the top of the screen, and choosing file from the menu. Choose Save As, and instead of calling the page default.htm, now save a duplicate under the name of the first item in your menu (there is no need to save one as Home, since the default page is the Home page of the website you are making). Repeat this for every menu item in the website your are making. Each time you do this, a new page will appear in the website catalogue, on the left. Then, after you make all the website pages—and this is very important—close all the pages. (Note: if you don't do this, you could run into problems when you start hyper-linking the pages to each other.)
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 7
Now you will make your website pages connect to each other. Expression web makes it very easy. Begin by opening the default.htm page. Next, highlight the first option in your left-side menu (the word: Home). Once it is highlighted, go to the top of the screen and choose Insert, Hyperlink. From the window that opened, choose: Existing File or Webpage. Now you'll see the list of your website pages. Double click on default.htm. This will hyperlink the word Home in your website menu to the webpage default. Repeat this for all the words in your left side menu, hyper-linking each word to its corresponding page. When you are finished, your default.htm file in the website you are making will be fully operational. Now you'll need to copy it over to all the other pages. The easiest way is to save it again under each of the other website file names. Thus, go to File, Save As, then choose each of the website pages in turn. Begin by making a website with a few menu options, then as your website grows, just add more pages. And remember to always close the pages that were renamed before you continue working on them; otherwise, you risk confusing Expression Web.
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 8
Make your website beautiful by using the content field wisely. Right now it's probably a single square block with nothing in it. But Expression Web makes it easy to divide the space into sections, to paste pictures, or create different color backgrounds here and there. This will make your website interesting and easier to use, by cutting the information into sections. So let's say you want to divide the space into two columns. Just place your mouse cursor over the center of the website you are making, (which you wish to divide), then right click with the mouse and choose Modify, Split Cells, then choose if to split into two columns. You can also split into rows, or into more than two of each, if you like.
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 9
Remember that you can customize the sections (cells) in the middle of the website you are making. Expression web makes it easy—just right click with the mouse and choose Cell Properties. Change the color of each cell, add a border around it, or change its size. All the options are there for you to use and have fun with as you make your website with Expression Web.
Make a Website with Expression Web: #Step 10
The best thing about Microsoft Expression Web is that the program will update all the pages whenever you make a change like renaming a picture or a website page. This will prevent hyperlinks from breaking. Remember that you can always view the website in the browser, to see what it will really look like. Finally, even though Microsoft Expression Web will always get you started with a default font and a default font size, it is recommended to change these to the font of your choice. Otherwise, the website you are making will look different in different browsers. Why? Because each browser has its own interpretation of a default font.
And that's it. You now know how to make a website with Expression Web, and you can add as many pages as you like to your website. In short, you are now the webmaster, and in complete control of your website content. And you'll never again have to pay someone else to make a website template for you, or to update your website with new information.
Source:
The author of this article has designed numerous websites using Microsoft Expression Web. Visit her latest website for examples on how you can make a website with the steps discussed in this article.
More info here: Web Design in Florida