Most people start with a list of things they want to say, rather than making the decisions and planning the first steps that I outlined earlier. So when we get to content, it should be relatively easy. Well, maybe not.

Content has to be presented in a format that we are trained since kindergarten to read and comprehend. Some of this overlaps into the design area of concern. The most basic thoughts are:

• We read from top left, across to the right, and down.
• We read a headline or title first
• We read best for comprehension and speed if the text is in short lines within multiple columns versus one column with very long lines.
• Answer the 6 “W’s” (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How)

So for the spades party she needs to make this information clearly presented:

Who, from two perspectives:
Who is hosting the event and who is invited?
Are you inviting people of all skill levels? Members of a club? General public? Children?

What?
Are these social games or competitive games? Will there be tournaments? What kind?

Where?
Name of venue, street address, and contact information (for those who get lost) plus directions and a map

When?
Event dates. Start time and finish time for each day of the event. Deadline for RSVP or registration.

Why?
Purpose of this event? Social gathering or competition? Fund raiser or for profit?

How?
What do you want them to do to RSVP? What if they have questions? Do you need an FAQ section? What if someone wants to come a day early? What if someone wants to share a ride or the cost of a hotel room – how do they hook up?

And last, since this is, in effect, a sales pitch to garner attendance, you have to make a “call to action.”
What do you want the reader to do next? How can you make them RSVP? How will you know who is coming? What deadlines do you have to meet, such as room deposit on the venue or catering head count?

Now, how do you get the word out and draw readers to your site? That is called “Marketing.”

In my opinion, design is the most critical aspect of a web site. You can have the most vital, important information to share with your readers, but if the design is crap, most people will move on without reading what you are trying to say. Design is combining art and style with form and function. It takes a talent for composition, a sense of style, an eye for detail and a deliberate learning process that develops skill to be a good designer.

The biggest mistake most beginners make when designing anything, whether is is a flyer that hangs in the convenience store window, a personal scrapbook of family photos and memorabilia, or a web page is to clutter the page with too much “stuff.” Beginners use several different type styles and fonts, making the page look like a ransom note. They use too many “cute” embellishments like clip art, busy borders and doo-dads. And they often lose track of the main thing they are trying to communicate – the original content.

You can’t teach someone everything they need to know about design in just a few minutes. And some people never “get it” no matter how hard to you try to teach them. But if you have an interest in design and any talent for art or composition, there are a lot of books in the library and free web resources to learn the basic principles and then move on to advanced skills.

One of my favorite resources on the web is a blog by a designer who really knows the internet. His posts are short and to the point, and they cover a wide range of talking points. This is not for the beginning designer, but anyone who has successfully completed a dozen or so projects will most certainly appreciate his comments and suggestions. If you are interested in learning some of the intermediate and advanced techniques, you should check in with the web design blogger site once in a while. He talks about more than just design. Recent posts include topics like search engine optimization, determining your Google page rank, and web site templates. So you can see that there is a variety of useful information presented and worth the time to click over there.

After we choose a web host, the next step is to decide the format of the web page itself. Do we want to have a single page divided into different sections? Or do we need to have multiple pages so that the user has a quick pageload and links to other pages targeted to their specific interest?

Do we want a conventional website designed in PageMaker, Dreamweaver, Net Fusion, etc.? Or could we use a blog to handle the job? Should the website BE a blog or just HAVE a blog as part of the site?

Since we are doing this project on a very tight budget, we are checking out the free resources first, and if the free ones don’t meet our needs, then we are moving up the cost ladder one step at a time.

For something fast and easy, we can use a single page hosted on Yahoo. For something a little more advanced, I don’t think a free web host or free web page designer program will do a good job. I have access to all the big name web design packages, but there are some free ones available for download if you know where to look. Since I’m supposed to be helping her – not doing this project myself and giving it to her – I am giving her the resources and links and letting her make the decision on which way to go.

I’ve been involved with computers since the very beginning and have always felt that they were cutting edge, with great opportunity for all. Back in 1970 I worked on an IBM. It filled a 10 x 10 room with big hulking metal and barely enough room for an operator to sit at a bench on a stool to type in the data. That’s when I learned BASIC programming and had my start in the marvelous world of computing.

So here we are, 38 years later. Wow – that seems unbelievable in itself. Hard to believe that computers are – or even that I am – that old. Now I use computers and the internet for work and for pleasure, and I blog, maintain websites, send and receive dozens of emails, create spreadsheets and presentations, maintain databases, and create letters and mailings daily.

So it amazes me to come across people who have almost no exposure to computers, people who don’t have daily access to the internet, and people who have no idea how to create a simple website or even find a free email account. I have a friend up north who has a dial-up connection and uses the internet to sell items on Ebay for her main source of income and she plays spades on the same site I use. She hunted me down yesterday and asked for help planning a card party for some of our internet friends. She wants to invite all the players using email and put up a simple website as a type of internet flyer where people interested in attending can find details on the gathering, directions to the venue, make reservations, etc.

I told her I would help her with some of it, but I didn’t realize how little she knows about computers. She has no idea how to create a website, find a web host, or parse the emails of the players. she wants to have the party over Memorial Day weekend, so we need to get busy right away.

Yesterday I helped her get familiar with web hosting. She needs a web host for a minimum of 3 months, and if this party is a success she might want to host another one later this year and again next Memorial Day weekend, so the web host might be an ongoing need. She has a very modest income, so the web host needs to be very inexpensive and hopefully she will charge a small admission fee for each player who attends the party so she can recoup her expenses.

I like the web host research guide called “Web Hosting Choice” so you can see at a glance the main features of the top web hosting sites, such as the monthly hosting fee, setup fee (if any), the amount of disk space and data transfer, how long they have been in business – a good indication of reliability – and the overall rating by the web site. The chart has a direct link to each web host site so you can get more details or sign up when you have made your selection.

The site has an easy to use Learning Center, including a “Quick Start Guide” and “FAQ” for beginners like my spades friend.

If a user has a specific need, such as Unix or Windows compatibility, there are links within the site and a search page for more details and specific features. I especially like the page in their Learning Center that speaks to “Cheap Hosting.” It is a short, plain english article that points out some of the shortcomings of site that advertise “free” web hosting.  They also have a page devoted to an article on “Scams” and anyone new to this should read up on these articles before they fall victim to operators that live on the shady side of the internet highway.

I did a little research on internet access and found a site that compares the different ISPs and has tips and helpful articles for people looking for an internet connection or service provider. I went to the site www.getisp.info to read information and compare deals for high speed satellite connections, broadband DSL service, wireless ISP providers and cable companies and although the site is a little busy and hard on the eyes, it has some great information.

I read through the information on dial up ISPs, which is traditionally the cheapest way to get online. The site reviewed the top 4 dial up providers, which is a real time saver.

There was also a link for free internet access, and bargains for broadband internet through companies like Verizon that only charge $12.99 per month. So surely we can find a way for my friend to get online at low or no cost.