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This article is the third in a series
where we will discuss common myths about shopping for a web
site template. We felt that consumers should be aware of what
to look for in a quality design that encompasses everything
from metas right down to copyright footers. Naturally, we
would love for our visitors to purchase our templates, but
the long-term goal of this series is to educate consumers
about what templates are, what they should provide the end-user,
and what to be wary of when shopping.
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Way back in 1994 when we
first started designing website templates for our fellow webmasters,
we offered both exclusive and non-exclusive designs. In those
days when digital dinosaurs still roamed the earth there were
not nearly as many web sites online as there are today. The
majority of folks online were male computer geeks like myself.
Most were not design oriented and had no right brain. Their
specialty skill was coding and programming and they did not
know the first thing about color analysis, effective web design
techniques, etc. Non-exclusive templates sold for an average
of $250 each and exclusive meant that the design would only
be sold once to one buyer.
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Having been web template designers since 1994,
we are often asked what the difference is between a Frontpage
template, Dreamweaver template and CSS/HTML template. The second
most popular support question is which HTML editor is best to
use to build a web site.
Our advice back in the early days of web template design is
the same as it is today. Firstly, you should be aware that any
template designed to be used with any one proprietary HTML editor
program has an increased risk of high maintenance for future
evolution of your site *if* you decide to switch HTML editors.
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There are many web templates out there
these days and many of our customers get confused on what is a
good design and what makes for a bad design. Here are a few pointers
for consumers to look out for when shopping for a quality web
template.
1. You need to consider your site objective
when shopping for a web template. And you need to know who
your target market or the majority of your site visitors will
likely be. The majority of site owners want a professionally
styled web site. They are providing some type of information,
products or services to the WWW community. Heavy graphics can
be beautiful, but if they leave little space for your content,
they really are not realistically functional for your site needs.
On the other hand, if you do not have an abundance of content,
like the WOW factor when your page loads, and you know that the
majority of your site visitors will have high speed Internet access
then that is a different scenario.
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The #1 Most Overlooked Element:
When determining the utilization of links within your web site's
template, don't forget to include a "Home" button or link. As
simple as it may sound, it is the most overlooked element. Your
web template (or variations of it), should be used on every
page of your site. This gives your site an overall consistent
appearance so that your visitors have no doubt that they are
still at your site. Remember that the web template you may have
purchased or that you may be shopping for, must have the ability
for your site visitors' to find your home page from any page
within your site. Your visitors will not always find your site
through your homepage and even if they do, they may want to
go back to that page eventually.
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This article is the second
in a series where we will discuss common myths about shopping
for a web site template. We felt that consumers should be aware
of what to look for in a quality design that encompasses everything
from metas right down to copyright footers. Naturally, we would
love for our visitors to purchase our templates, but the long-term
goal of this series is to educate consumers about what templates
are, what they should provide the end-user, and what to be wary
of when shopping.
Continued ...
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What exactly is a cookie-cutter
layout? If you have been designing websites for any length
of time, you have likely run into this terminology. In most
cases it is a term used to describe predesigned web templates.
Generally, the person using this terminology is promoting
their own product or service and is trying to sway your intuitive
logic toward a mind-set that will benefit them even when it
isn't to your advantage. What do I mean?
If you are up for a challenge, I'll give you one that will
blow the lid off the cookie jar in regard to the term "cookie-cutter"
layouts. Hey, someone has to tell the truth, so why not us?
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