In my questionnaire, I asked the participants what was the best advice they could give to someone who was creating a personal homepage for the first time. These women really came through for me. Here are the subjects their responses covered and the way they break down:
27% Content Content Content
21% Be Yourself
14% Research Other PHs
13% Just Do It!
11% Fun
07% Be Creative
05% Be Unique
02% Update
Below are some of the kernels of wisdom gleaned from these experienced PH owners.
I think people get really distracted trying to make cool graphics, java applets, blinking text, background gifs, etc. I think the most important thing is content content content. People have created some really compelling PH with really minimal bells and whistles. Unless you're an artist and what you DO is make cool looking stuff, I think content should come before wacky applets and animated gifs. -- elly Design And Content
Content counts above ALL else. Do the homework. Don't look up generic phrases like 'personal homepage'. Rather, look up things you are interested in providing yourself. Study the formats of a variety of sites, and bookmark the ones which really stand out in your eyes and mind. Think about what it is that is most important to you to expound on and stick with that, keeping everything else on the backburner. The rest will come intime. --Joy
Take the time to learn HTML. Editors that let you create pages without knowing the code are available and some are easy to use, but invariably, not understanding concept leads to problems. It is very true that people who know HTML turn out much much better quality pages than those who just slap something together using an editor. -- Michelle
You don't need to be a techno-nerdo-geek. A good sense of artistry and aesthetics is more important than learning the latest bells and whistles. Expect it to require more time than anticipated. -- Michelle
Be honest. Don't try to create someone you're not. People want to find themselves in you online. That is called 'human being' not 'human doing.' -- Deb Be Yourself
Say something real. Don't use it as simply a place to put a resume. The web is a living, dynamic medium so update and add as much as you can while still recognizing the ability to archive a bit of your life. -- Tasnima
Say whatever you want to and not care what other people think. As long as you think that your homepage is great, then that is enough. -- Janice
Extensively browse others' sites and the source codes to get a feel for the variety of design options and HTML language needed to set it up, and put some serious thought into it. -- Charolette Research Other PHs
...look around at other pages to get ideas, read the help resources, and don't be afraid to ask people on the net for help. If you see something on a page, send the person an email...most people, I think, love to get feedback/questions about their page. -- Jo Claire
Don't worry about being perfect or using the most up-to-date special effects. Don't be intimidated by more professional pages. Just bite the bullet and put something up, you have the rest of your life to make it perfect! --Emily Just Do It, Have Fun, Be Creative
Look around first. See what's been done and find your own niche. Get creative. --Kym
Just get something up there and have fun with it! Don't worry about being cool, write about what you feel like--this is one place where there are absolutely no rules. --Amelia
Ask yourself, What do I have to say that nobody else on-line is saying? Then ask yourself if you're willing to put in the time to say whatever it is really well, and in detail. Remember to provide a lot of data/text and no pictures that aren't necessary to the site. Enjoy yourself. Express who you are, and be true to yourself. --MaryAnne Be Unique
Do whatever you want. Don't follow any rules or copy someone else's style. --Kia
Don't look at anyone else's for examples, it'll stifle your creativity. Don't even think about HTML syntax. Plan out on paper what your ideal web-space would be like, then worry about how to implement it. --Nina
| LMICHELLE | More personal homepages | EMAIL | PH TOC
All Text And Images Copyright © 1995-2004 by L. Michelle Johnson.