Design my own website in indesign/photoshop?

hock79

Hi there, I'd like to set up my own website, I'm a print designer so I know what I'm doing design wise, but I don't know how to technically get it ready, and get it on the web. My cousin has just graduated as a web designer so I'd like to get her to do it for me, but being a designer I'd like to design it myself!

Is there a way of designing something (I only need a one-page site) in indesign or photoshop, in a way that she could then do all the rest for me? Or would it be a case of doing a rough design, and then she copies it using the relevant software? She's very busy so I just want to make it easy for her.

Hope that makes sense!

DVardysShadow

As a print designer, you will have to unlearn a lot to do webpages successfully!!!! Essentially the idea is to avoid micromanaging the presentation and allow the users computer to lay it all out on screen.

If it is just one page, then it wouldn't take long - provided you don't get hung up on everything looking 'just so' - the more you get it just so on your computer, the more likely it is to look a mess on someone else's.

Bowling_4_Gold

Yes, you can make elements such as the Navigation Bar, the Top Graphic, and various other in Photoshop, and then incorporate it into a website.

I used this method when creating a certain website - created the graphics in Fireworks (admittedly not Photoshop), then put them in the site I made in Dreamweaver. Worked well, and I was able to do the up/over/down images in Fireworks too, which was relatively easy.

You should really draft up the page before you start, 'cause then you can accurately size objects, making it easier for your cousin.

googler

More to the point, what do you want this one page to DO?

There's little value in having a great-looking page, if nobody looks at it, nobody can find it, and it doesn't drive any business to you.

What's it for?

hock79

I'd like to set up as a portrait painter, so I just need a page giving my details and a gallery of examples of my work. Then I can speak to people over email and organise the rest that way. I'm thinking the main thing is to get myself on google, is that just a matter of using the right keywords so that people can find me?

bingo_bango

hock79 wrote: »

I'd like to set up as a portrait painter, so I just need a page giving my details and a gallery of examples of my work. Then I can speak to people over email and organise the rest that way. I'm thinking the main thing is to get myself on google, is that just a matter of using the right keywords so that people can find me?

If only it was that easy :cool:

Have a look at SEO on google. When you have read the first 3 months worth, you'll have a good idea what you need to do to make page one of Google.

It's fairly simplistic in terms of what you can do, but putting it all into practice can be difficult. It takes a bit of ingenuity and a lot of patience to get your SEO just right, but it's worth it when you see your site ranking at #1 on Google for a fairly generic search term. Especially when you haven't paid for Adwords!

I suggest you put aside a few hours and join webmastersworld forum. There's a lot of advice over there which will help you no end with the whole site from concept to SEO.

hock79

That sounds complicated! Everytime I think of doing this, I start reading up on how to do it and get put off by how difficult it all is, I've been putting it off for years now!

aardware

google NVU and use that to design your web page. Its a wysiwyg web design package and its free

bingo_bango

Don't let it put you off.

Good keywords, good (original) content containing your main keywords, and respectable backlinks can all help. The first two are up to you and can be done quite quickly. Remember that you can always tweak them as time goes on. The third is a bit harder. Worth looking at a FB, Twitter etc account and use those as a promotional tool. It's amazing how many people will follow you on Twitter if you post regularly.

Stick with it. It may not be the most lucrative form of advertising you use, but every little helps.

And Aardware.... please read the forum rules. You are not allowed to use links in your signature. Remove it before you are reported.
Although I do agree with you about using wysiwyg. Nothing to stop OP from using NVU or NOF Essentials to design the site, and then have the cousin code it for them.

hock79

Thanks for your help, I'll find out what my cousin knows about SEO. I can have a go at designing it myself using that software, thankyou, can I then pass it over to her somehow?

googler

Google rankings are in part based on the CONTENT of the page(s). From what the OP has described, it will have his contact details, and a gallery of previous work in picture form.

Whilst google may be able to zoom in on page title, meta tags, picture tags,etc - there'll be precious little word content for it to chew on.

The question has to be asked - what percentage of the population will be looking for a portrait painter online? Is the OP more likely to gather business by word of mouth, or by exhibition, or by other means?