2 Create a Website – The Blog

I’ve been using Artisteer (affiliate) for almost a year now (mostly for static websites), but I’ve never actually uploaded a theme to WordPress. So after receiving many requests to do this video, I finally got a chance to upload the theme to see if the design converts nicely to a live platform. After all, what’s [...]

One of my pet peeves with some blogs is the lack of static pages, which can make browsing and finding information a complete nightmare. By default, most WordPress themes are designed to display the content newest to oldest and by category. While this organization works for some blogs (news oriented), it’s not ideal for

If you’re one of those people who shuts down or goes cross-eyed when you read anything about CSS, stay with me. You guys know how I roll. I will make this as painless and easy for you to implement as possible — at least that’s my goal anyway. The code is provided below so all [...]

Ever feel left out because you have a static website and everyone else seems to own a blog?  All the tips, articles and help seem to be directed to bloggers these days. And that’s really not a huge surprise since most people opt to create blogs now.  They’re quick, easy, dynamic, they foster discussion and [...]

Because you asked for it, I am going to try to work in more case studies/site reviews into my blogging schedule.  Below is a review of the blog, Flightster.com by Srinivas Rao.  Enjoy! Want your site to be considered for a case study? Learn how!

Yes, yes, I realize I’m late to the Artisteer party , but it’s been on my product review to-do list for ages. If you use Blogger, WordPress, Joomla, Drupal or have a static website and need help designing or re-designing your site from scratch, this is the post for you! Overall, I was pleasantly surprised [...]

This is a guest post by Jennifer McKenzie of StopCopycats.com. Is your first reaction, “Of course not!”?  Well, even if you think you’re sure about this, I recommend you read on … Webmasters use images all the time to create logos, help illustrate the point of a subject, break up text on a page or [...]

Your avatar. It’s the little square that appears next to your tweets, FaceBook posts, etc.  It’s your identification for social media online. Someone recently asked me why I never change mine. I simply replied… It’s part of my brand. For the most part, I use the same icon for 2 Create a Website everywhere.  (There [...]

Here is a case study of WeBlogBetter.com, a site acquired by Kiesha Easley in February of 2010. Viewing this via e-mail?  Click here to go to my blog and watch the video.

You may have noticed the new logo for 2 Create a Website. For years I’ve been wanting something more than the basic, one dimensional text logo I’ve been using. I just never took the time to consult with a designer. About a month ago, I was reading Zac Johnson’s blog and he mentioned LogoMyWay.com, a [...]

I would really like to expand my website’s resolution in the near future, but after checking my Google Analytics stats, I discovered that 25% of my visitors still view my site with a 1024 x 768 resolution. So if I expand my design to 1200 pixels, that means over 4,000 people per day would have [...]

I was so inspired by Ryan Schmitz’s traffic story for his new site, PlantingDollars.com that I postponed my scheduled post for this case study. Watch the video below and discover what is possible with hard work and a business mindset. If you can’t see the video, click here. Want your site featured here?  Find out [...]

Periodically, I will publish case studies that feature successful websites and blogs. Today I am featuring LovingFromADistance.com — a site that offers support, advice and help for people in long distance relationships. If you are viewing this via e-mail or a reader that does not support video, click here to watch. Feel free to offer [...]

Blog posts and videos about my failures and successes tend to go over very well on this blog.  They make great lessons and inspire. But enough about me and my stories for the moment.  I’d like to feature someone else for a change. I want to give you the opportunity to become a case study [...]

I’m long overdue for a site review!  Click the image below to watch my video review of Kirk Schroeder’s site, ExtremeWealthGuide.com. Would you like your site reviewed?  Click here to suggest your site.

When I promote systems like Site Build It! or WordPress themes like Thesis, I’ve noticed it doesn’t sit well with some people. A lot of the critics I’m referring to are programmers and designers. Many of them believe that programs like SBI! and Thesis provide help and/or tools that you can get or learn for [...]

It’s time for another review! This time I chose WebNoobie.com – a site that offers a variety of video tutorials on PhotoShop, DreamWeaver and Flash.  To watch the review, simply click the image below or this link. If you would like your site reviewed by me, learn how to submit a request.

I have no regrets about my overall journey online because I believe any mistakes I’ve made have taught me great lessons.  However I want to discuss some things I would do differently if I had the opportunity to start over again. Using Free Web Hosts I told my “free web hosting story” in a recent [...]

Since the last review was such a hit with my readers, I decided to do another one this week.  This time I chose a blog and the name of it is BloggyDoggies.com. To watch the review, click the image below and the review will launch in a new window.  If you are reading this review [...]

Ever since I redesigned my blog, I’ve been getting quite a few questions about the banner rotation script at the top of the page.  I used a free script called Magic Image and it is provided by EchoChrist.com. Unlike a lot of banner rotation scripts, you are not restricted to one banner size within a [...]

After sorting through a variety of site review submissions, I decided to review a site called ritas-outback-guide.com. It is a very well-designed site hosted by the popular Site Build It! system. To watch the review, click the image below and the review will launch in a new window… To find out how to submit a site [...]

How would you like to have your site featured on the 2 Create a Website blog? Now that I have Camtasia Studio, which is software that allows you to record your screen actions, I’ve decided to start doing website and blog reviews that I will post here on the 2 Create a Website blog from [...]

When some Webmasters set out to build their websites, they have a lot of big ideas. They want forums, profiles, user interactivity and all the Web 2.0 features that make a website look cool and fun to visit. Nothing wrong with having goals to build the baddest site on the planet, but it’s important to [...]

Since my flat stomach site has been completely “CSS’ed”, I’ve really been pushing the benefits of using CSS on your site. If you are looking to start your first site or want to redesign your existing one, this blog post is important. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) allows you to control large sections of your site’s [...]

Why use the same, boring orange RSS icon? Call attention to your feed and add an ounce of flavor to your site with a refreshing button or icon. Your RSS feed will never be ignored again. Notes: Please “Save As” to your own PC and upload to your Web server. That way if I ever [...]

I was stumbling upon some sites this morning and came across a very useful website. It’s called TutorialsGarden.com and they provide tutorials on PhotoShop, Flash, CSS, HTML and more. I’ve dabbled in PhotoShop over the years, but never mastered it by any means. I’ve always wanted to learn to do more with text for logos, [...]

I’ve created at least 10 different sites over the past 10 years, but none of them have been developed better than my latest Site Build It! site, flat-stomach-exercises.com. Now, I’m not talking about the the design and look and feel of the site. I’m talking about the way in which it was coded. The entire [...]

When you’re new to website building, web design can be a very intimidation process. Heck, even if you’ve been around awhile it still can be intimidating if design is not your forté. So here are some tips for getting off on the right track when designing your first site. Tip 1 – Familiarize Yourself With [...]

I often talk about how I’m not very technically inclined and not anywhere close to being a programmer. I keep my designs simple because I enjoy writing much more than figuring out the techy stuff. While I use CSS on 2CreateAWebSite.com for my links, headings, colors, etc. I’ve never taken full advantage of its capabilities. [...]

1. Visit/Hit Counters Nothing says “amateur website” like a good ole’ fashioned hit counter. Let me be blunt… No one really cares if you’ve had 15,034 visitors since May or 232 hits today. They care about your content, site usability and what your site can do for them. I think a lot of people add [...]

Not only does 2CreateAWebSite.com have a new look, but I’ve finally abandoned the little annoyances of Microsoft FrontPage and decided to design and manage my site in Dreamweaver. I must say, FrontPage does have its quirks such as adding unnecessary HTML code and not handling certain file extensions very well (.php, for example). But it [...]

The freebies keep coming at WebsitePalace.com. I recently blogged about the free ebook software you receive with each new order, and now they are offering 70+ html templates. What a great way to encourage newbies to choose them as their domain registrar and/or web host… especially since most web hosts don’t offer templates and cater [...]

So I’ve decided to give this “video thing” a whirl. After countless questions from people who ask me “Why should I pay $299 for Site Build It! when there are tons of web hosts out there for under $10 per month?” Well, here’s my answer… video style!

If you haven’t heard, Microsoft is no longer selling or supporting Microsoft FrontPage. Windows Vista has a replacement product, and it’s called Microsoft Expression. So far the reviews for this new web publishing tool have been less than stellar. I’ve heard it’s not nearly as easy to use as FrontPage, and there are still a [...]

I bought CoffeeCup for the first time in 2005 and was mildly impressed with it. It was pretty easy to use, but one thing that bothered me was that you couldn’t edit your pages in the “design mode.” You could only edit in the “code view.” Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with a [...]

Need help deciding the best color scheme for your site? Use my new hex color picker to generate a 4-color scheme for your design. Simply enter your main color and let the tool do the rest. Try the color generator here.

I’ve just launched a brand new Flash-based Hex HTML Color Code generator. It replaced that awful, low res JPEG image I had before (YUCK!) It’s pretty fun to use. Just use the slider to select the desired color. Then adjust the brightness/saturation. Finally copy and paste the Hex value that is generated into your HTML [...]

Every now and then I get an email from someone who has read my article where I warn people to stay away from creating free websites. I would suspect some of the emails come from owners of these hosts, and others are simply from people that have had great experiences with their free websites. If [...]

It took a while for me to bite the bullet and learn about CSS. I have always known bits and pieces but didn’t really dive into it until a few months ago when I redesigned my site www.2createawebsite.com. For those of you who have been designing for a while, CSS is no new concept…in fact [...]

As I’ve stated, I am NOT a technical person and really don’t care to be. Although, I’ve always wanted the ability to use some Flash to enhance my site. I tried using Flash at work and the program intimidated me. I’m sure for some it’s easy to learn, but I don’t have the patience to [...]

Colors on a website represent different moods and emotions. Before you settle in on a color scheme, determine which mood you’d like your site to convey. ———————— RED is associated with love, passion, danger, warning, excitement, hunger, impulse, action, adventure. (Great color for food related websites) BLUE is associated with trustworthiness, success, seriousness, calmness, power, [...]

I have been an owner of CoffeeCup’s HTML editor for quite some time. I just happened to be browsing their site yesterday and noticed they offer a boat load of software for webmasters. What’s even better is that they are all wizard-based so the setup process is super easy. I don’t know about you, but [...]