Getting the Look and Feel of my site
Started "building" my site by using one of SBI! modules called SiteBuilder (even though, I have some experience in HTML).One can actually opt to use SiteBuilder or simply upload your own files to build your site. However, SBI! is not the conventional type of webhosting only service. I reckon it is much better to use the SiteBuilder first, get familiarized, and perhaps, later, I will revamp and upload my own HTML files (SBI! allows this with ease).
In SiteBuilder, the first thing the "Guru-In-The-Box" tells me is to create the Look and Feel (L&F) for my site. This is an extremely important process "to get the click"...
The step-by-step Action Guide explains that you must design a clean, welcoming and easy to navigate L&F as you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
What this means is that your overall site design must not only be related to your site concept, but also exudes some "welcoming warmt" to your visitors, so that they will feel like clicking on to your other pages in your site. Of course, this will work perfectly with equally warm content.
So, in the "Look and Feel Selector" section, I first choose a template for my site (comes with a header image, background image and a left image for the navigation). There are many SBI! site templates to choose from, and the instruction on how to load it up to your SBI site is easy to follow, and I was amazed that it manages to give clear instruction without being technical.
I found one template that has the perfect look and feel of my site, but unfortunately, it has already been used by another site (check it out here: http://www.the-hawaii-vacation-guide.com/ ).
Since I like to be unique, I search for alternatives and forced myself to get familiar with Adobe PhotoShop (which I'd installed awhile ago but never had the patience to practice anything with it - I still prefert to stick with LV Pro or even Paint for image design/rendering). I decided to cutomize my template (also allowable in SBI!) instead of using the templates.
After half an hour of "trial and error", I was beginning to get the hang of PhotoShop, and combining several templates from SBI! and images of my own, I managed to come up with a header image, and upload to SBI!. Take a look of it here and tell me what you think.
Then, I go straight to customize the navigation buttons. This is like filling in a form and ticking which option you want. It's so easy even my 7 and 8 years old daughters can do it (in fact, they are the one that came out with the buttons).
Next, the footer, which you can choose as default for all your web pages. It's as easy as 1-2-3.
Saved all site L&F, and called it a day.
posted by e-borneo.com @ 12:36 pm
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