In the previous lesson I talked about 5 different ways to build a website.
Today I’m going to be covering one of those methods in more depth. More specifically, I’m going to show you how to build a website from scratch using HTML without any special tools…
(Watch this video…)
Main points:
< >I recommend Notepad++:
NOTE: Regarding my instructions in the video… In order to change the file extension from .txt to .html you must have your file extensions visible.
For Windows XP go to:
Tools >> Folder Options >> Click the “View” tab >> Make sure there is NO checkmark by “Hide extensions for known file types”
For Windows Vista:
1. Open Folder Options by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Folder Options.
2. Click the View tab, and then, under Advanced settings clear the Hide extensions for known file types check box, and then click OK.
http://www.w3schools.com (My favorite… Great resource for CSS and PHP too)
also http://htmldog.com
Action step:
1) Create a web page using HTML.
The next step will be to upload your new page to the web, and I’ll be covering that in the next lesson.
As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below 🙂
Have a great day!
Wow! There are so many comments I got a cramp in my scrolling finger! First time visitor here. I just watched your video tutorial on html and am very impressed with your content, pace and presentation style. Nice job. Very glad to have found you.
J Morgan
hey eric it is great as i am known that you really making nice lessons to teach dude……your lessons are nice and awesome too….it is teaching many things….nice to have you!!
How do you do this (build a webpage w/ HTML) on a Mac? Can you point me to a tutorial?
You would do it the same way as in the lesson, but use a different tool instead of Notepad.
There is probably a built-in program called “TextEdit”.
Here are some others I found:
http://creatext.sourceforge.net/
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/
TextEdit I can find! 🙂 I’ll also check out the other 2 sources. Thanks Eric!
Carol
Hello Eric,
I want to thank you for your tips, your explanation and demonstration is very clear.
On this lesson, when I turn the text document into the index.html, it doesn’t change to web page. The word change but it’s still a document and not web. What do I do?
Thank you for your help
It sounds like perhaps you are not actually changing the file extension. Make sure you can see the .txt extension before changing it to .html
Another thing you could try from within Notepad is doing a SAVE AS, then be sure to save it as html.
Hello Eric,
Dude this is too cool. I always thought HTML was something that would take 4 years in college. I am back in school at 48 years to earn my associates degree in Paralegal studies and hopefully a law degree one day. I want to build an income online to pay my way through school.
I had my site built last year before I signed up in this program. I am really upset that I did. I could have built my own site…
I have a request…
I lost my job and my former e-mail address. The last lesson I received was 53… Can you link me back into the system so I can receive the rest of the course or do I need to register again?
Thank you for being there for us. Your giving back… Your reaching out to help pull someone else out of the rut is inspiring. I look forward to the day when I can help someone fulfill his/her dream of being financially independent.
Your fellow student in the school of success.
Eddie Cooper, II
Great Lesson, I have been lazy where html is concerned… those resources could change my ways!
Please register again to make sure you don’t miss anything:
In the mean time, you can see the current lessons here:
http://www.ericstips.com/tips/category/lessons/
hi Eric,
thanks for all your lessons, they are grate.
I have few questions..
if lets say i want to buy a pre-built website (f.e. like yahoo stores or any other ) do i have to use html language every time i upload text there?
Ha! Ha! I had to laugh! After a couple of hours X3 I went to check my page in HTML with “Validator.W3” The first time as a notepad++ doc and then as a web URL. Both times it said “Unable to check this document”. What a let down!!! The URL check said “403 Forbidden”.
I will start again but obviously I must have completely balls the whole thing up. Will listen to the lesson again, of course and pay closer attention this time. Any comments anyone?
Hi Eric,
It’s about an hour since I submitted my Notepad++
doc for checking to “Validator.W3” and it now says that the article “passed” but there was also an annotation “1 Warning”. What does this mean please? I have looked all through the site but there’s nowhere to check for a warning.
Thanks for your help
Cheers
Murray
Hmm, it should show you the detail and which line of code is the warning. But if it’s just 1 warning, I would not worry about it at all, if your site looks OK. No biggie.
Hi Eric,
This lesson was really good. I want know more about html and I will learn how create my own website. Thanks again, its really helpful and htmldog.com as well.
Best regards
Lubos
It really depends on how the site is built.
If the site uses a user-friendly CMS (Content management system), then it is possible that you would not need to use any HTML.
A good example is sites that use WordPress (See lessons #33-36). With WordPress, you can simply log into the admin area and type your text without needing to use any HTML.
A good solution for you may be the Socrates WordPress Theme
BLIMEY, ERIC I ACTUALLY DID IT…I MANAGED TO FOLLOW YOUR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER AND I GOT THE DESIRED RESULTS. YOU CAN’T KNOW WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT THIS IS!
Excellent!
I do know some html, already have a hosting account, already know how to build a simple website, but am stumbling on a niche. How can I find the perfect one. If I go for any of my interests, they are done to death already on the web and are highly competitive. Any suggestions for finding my perfect niche? Love your cheesy 60’s music choice and videos!
thanks! My advice would be to stop trying to find the perfect niche, and settle for a good one.
If you’re not going to go with your interests, then you might as well focus on something that you think will be profitable. You just need a market that is big enough to support your desired income, you need to provide a solution for them, and they need to be willing to pay for it.
There are thousands of such niches. You need to choose one, and then “fail as fast as possible”. In other words, dive in and don’t let anything slow you down from launching your business. hopefully it will be a success, but if not… you want to determine that as soon as possible so you can try another niche.
Also, do not be afraid of competitive niches. Instead of trying to find a unique niche, it may be better to simply find a unique angle in a competitive niche.
Competitive niches are proven, and are often easier to glean an income from.
Wow i like this,I never knew it before.great tutorial.
But what about html for those of us who use MACS? Does what you’ve referenced for Windows still apply?
Yes it still applies, but you would use a different tool instead of Notepad.
There is probably a built-in program called “TextEdit”.
Here are some others I found:
http://creatext.sourceforge.net/
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/
Hi, Eric
This Lesson is really good, to make it understanding about HTML. But until now i could not solved my problem to hide my affiliate link like your own.
eg. http://www.Erictips.com/bm and go directly to
butterflymarketing.com/
Can you tell me how?
Thanks.
It’s a simple php redirect. That directory (bm) contains an index.php file, and that file redirects you to my affiliate link. I explain it a bit more here: http://www.ericstips.com/tips/cloaking-affiliate-links-and-avoiding-the-tiny-url-syndrome/
thanks Erik for the lesson of html. you explained very simple to understand it.it help me a lot to do a webpage. thanks again.
Hi Eric,
Can I buy any software on the tutorial to help me design my site
Hello Eric,
Can you send me a copy of a cd with this teachings and an html code for some of your sites, so that I can edit it to design my own?
Thank you
I’ll be releasing them on DVD soon and I’ll let you know. You can’t copy my sites, but there are many templates available. Thanks
Yes there are software programs available. I suggest watching the next 4 lessons before deciding what software/platform you want to use for your website.
Excellent video tutorial as always Eric! I was able to build my 100 page website http://www.bars-and-bartending.com without any previous HTML knowledge. But now I want to learn HTML to be able to have a little more control over the look and feel of my site.
Thanks again.
Hi eric. I am a real new newbe. Been learning a little bit at a time. I got thru lesson 28 ok. Starting with lesson 29 I am blocked out. I click on lesson 29 and I get a pop up that says “join Erics tips” Help.
That is strange, I don’t currently have any pop-ups on this site. You can view lesson 29 here:
Let me know if the problem persists for you.
Hi Eric,
Why is it some websites have the www before the domain name and some don’t have as seen from the 2 HTML tutorial websites you mentioned in your lesson above?
Hi Nicolas,
The www prefix is not necessary with all webhosts.
If your webhost gives you the option to leave out the www, it means that the administrator has decided that if there is no prefix, the IP address returned should be the IP address for the Web server.
Hi Micah,
Thank you for your prompt reply but it gets more complicated for me and I’m sorry for that. Maybe a few more lessons from Ericstips will help me understand your straight to the point answer.
Hi Nicolas,
Every lesson will help you as you continue to learn. The www question is a good one, but you don’t need to understand it to have a successful online business!
I think it’s really complicated too!
Hi Eric,
I’m also a Mac user. Since Notepad++ is for windows only and can’t be downloaded in Mac.
What tool can you recommend for me to download and use as my Notepad in Mac?
If you are familiar with Mac. What particular tool in Mac which has the same function as windows’ notepad? I just can’t find it. HELP!
Thank you.
Hi Nicolas,
There is probably a built-in program called “TextEdit”.
Here are some others Eric found:
http://creatext.sourceforge.net/
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/
Eric. I wish I would have known about you before I got my head all messed up with other peoples so called “this is how you do it”. I am trying very hard to deprogram my way of thinking when it comes to the lessons you are providing.(I do not have a blog or a website yet) Am still confused but no where near where I was before. If a lesson doesn’t make sense to me I just play it again until it does. It is nice to hear your voice and be able to read your words of wisdom as well. I was going to give up till I was pointed towards you, now I will give IM another shot and this time I know I will succeed… thank you so much.
Forgot to add my name to anonymous up above but rectified it now.
Hi Eric,
I have been trying to send you a message since a few lessons ago. I am interested in knowing if my website needs to have a way for people to subscribe to it? I have not published it yet and want to know if I should do this before or after its published?
I’m so frustrated!
After following ‘every’ instruction key by key in creating my 1st html site, I CANNOT open my site ‘with’ my browser- which is FIREFOX. It will only open up on my desktop!
I do not know what I am doing wrong- can you advise me?
Hello Mona,
Here is Eric’s lesson on setting up your opt-in list:
The sooner you set up your opt-in form, the better. But, you can also add it later, if you don’t have your autoresponder service yet.
Hello Michael,
Your site needs to be uploaded to the web before it may be viewed online.
Here is Eric’s lesson on Uploading Your Site Via FTP:
Hi Eric.
I dont use explorer because it gives me too many
problems.
I use firefox and have the same problem as Sharon.
Could you please explain tis procedure for me.
Thanking you
Laurie
Hello Laurie,
Here was Eric’s solution he posted to Sharon:
“That was my fault for not mentioning this in the video, because many people’s Windows settings by default do not show the file extension.
You must have your file extensions visible.
For Windows XP go to:
Tools >> Folder Options
Click the “View” tab
Make sure there is NO checkmark by “Hide extensions for known file types”
For Windows Vista:
1. Open Folder Options by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Folder Options.
2. Click the View tab, and then, under Advanced settings clear the Hide extensions for known file types check box, and then click OK.”
Hi Eric,
Great lesson! I’ve done some hand coding with HTML on occasion myself. It’s actually kind of enjoyable once you get the hang of it. Lately I’ve started using WordPress to get that really professional look. I like to code now and then, but it’s hard to beat WordPress for sheer style and simplicity. Anyway, I do agree that it’s helpful to at least know a little HTML for tweaking and fixing minor problems quickly. My recent WordPress site (and yes, I tweaked it some) is
http://employment-assistance-program.com/
Ed 🙂
Thanks for simplifying HTML for me. I’ve read a few books on the subject but always ended up confused. Your simplistic, bare bones approach really made it a lot easier to understand. I look forward to the next lesson. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Eric, This lesson is great. Well there all great. I’ve been messing around with this old computer for about 3yrs now and you are the first to step up and teach what your teaching. You are a very wonderful person, thank you so much. If there is anything I can do for you, let me know. God Bless