Most third party webscript come complete with a standard template, color scheme, graphics set, logo, favicon, and of course a copyright notice.
Since most of these scripts are open source these days, we have a lot of room to modify the original script as long as we don't redistribute the modified script.
* In fact, even for most paid scripts, we are allowed to modify the script to suit our needs. It would be nearly impossible to stop most of us from making such modifications.
Here is a list of things you should change to complete the installation of your website.
- Template
The template has more influence on the appearence of your site than any other component.- Search for and view ready made templates for your web script.
- Check the homepage of the web script you are using. There will probably be a list of submitted templates that are ready to use.
The downside to this is that many of these homepages don't offer a way of previewing the template without installing it on your website. - Run a search engine query for your scripts templates.
Remember that templates may be refered to as many things.
- myscript skins
- myscript templates
- myscript themes - Try to find site similar to your site for ideas that work.
This doesn't meen copy the cloesest site you can find. Check for other sites using the same script as you or providing similar content as you. If your website is about books, a website about magazines may provide you with ideas.
- Using a wysiwyg editor, make a rough draft of the way you want your website to look.
Just try to get all of the content blocks in roughly the right spot. You can use the editor to quickly change various component colors to find a color scheme that you like. - Edit the template files to customize the page for your final needs.
In many cases, your template core files may need to be alterd to get the right look. Most web scripts weren't designed to easily move a component from one place to another on the page. This would require you to modify the file as a result. - If all else fails, using a basic template, designa new template on your own.
This can vary in difficulty depending on the script you are using. Something like Mambo or Joomla is very easy since there is only one template file and it is 95% HTML. A forum template may have dozens of template files and be 45% HTML and 55% PHP.
- CSS
Once you have the layout you want from the template you chose or designed, you'll want to customize the CSS. The Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) is an extention of the template set. Without it, the template will not work. The CSS controls all of the color information as well as the positioning and size of the various components on the page. As a result, simply changing or writting a new CSS for your template would drastically change the look of your website.- Here is where that wysiwyg editor really comes in.
Most wysiwyg editors have really nice color choosing features which will make the process go a lot faster. - Make several different CSS versions.
Once you have a CSS that makes your template look the way you want it to, us it as the basis for a second or third CSS file. You can then quickly compare color schemes and styles to pick the most suitable look.
- Graphics
By now you have noticed that the graphics that came with your template may no longer match the rest of your site. If you have made major color alterations to your site, then the graphics are probably the wrong colors.- Make a backup of the default template graphics.
- Make your graphics fit your colors cheme and layout.
You have two options for doing this.- Alter the default graphics to match your website's look.
- Design new graphics to match your website's look.
If you choose to design new graphics, you may find it helpfull to visit a clipart and icon website to get inspiration and more importantly artwork. Why bother spending hours designig a new people icon when there are thousands that are already made. You can then concentrate on the parts of the graphics that effect the look of your website. Basically, if you want to design a new "members" button, use a stock people icon on your new button background.
- Logo
Your log is what tells everyone that visits your site what our site is about. If your site is about your company, then the site logo should use your company's logo. If your website is your company, then the logo should convey the purpose of the website. You want to gain the interest of your visitors right from the start. Be sure that you logo matches the look of your website. Also, make sure that your website matches your logo. This is where paople make a lot of mistakes in the design of their website. - Fav Icon
The favicon is an image that is displayed in the browser bookmarks next to the bookmark, in the browser address bar when the page is viewed, and on the browser tab next to the website name in tab browsing capable web browsers. This is usually a much smaller and more simplified version of your logo.
You really need to change the defult favicon that comes with youe web script. At the very least, delete or rename the default favicon. It tells your visitors that your page is unfinished if it doesn't match the rest of the website. - Copyright
The copyright notice or the powered by notice in the footer of most web scripts can be removed in many cases. The relly depends on the scripts author but if the script is distributed under the GNU/GPL license, the powered by notice can almost always be removed from the footer area. The GNU/GPL license usually allows for the removal of the copywrite notice located in the footer area of the website. Under no circumstance can you ever remove the copyright notice located in the source files of the web script you are using. There may be restrictions that won't allow you to remove a "page generated by myscript" from the meta tags of your site.
I highly recommend that you contact the developer of the script that you are using a ask for the specifica regarding the removal of such notices. Being able to remove these notices will give your website a more professional and unique look.
Just by making slight adjustments to each of the items in the list will really polish the look of your website. Sometimes the smallest change is the one that effects the user the most. It could be by making a popular link easier to find or highlighing an important area or the page.
Some of you may have very successful websites already and are afraid to make these kinds of changes. You can make slight adjustments of a longer period of time to prevent update shock to your users. Maybe once a week chance one little thing. Just be sure that what you change this week will still match everything on your website. For example, if you intend to use new graphics, but haven't changed the colors of your website yet; make new, temporary graphics that match the old colors until you are ready for the new colors.
While the default components of your web script may look very good, remember that there are a lot of lazy people out there that would have a website that looks identical to yours. Then instead of a Joe's Cars Website, you'd just have another myscipt website for Joe's Cars. Individuallity is the key to sucess here.
I hope this is useful to someone.
vujsa
*Actually many open source scripts allow for the redistibution of the modified script and allow for a fee to be charged for the changes only. For more information, see the details of the GNU/GPL License.
Finishing The Look Of Your Newly Install Web Script, Cleaning up your CMS, Forum, Blog, Gallery Scripts
Feb 12 2006, 11:00 PM
