Members

Web Page Information

Now that MNRealty.com is in it's 4th year of operation, it's interesting to see that some of our earliest members as well as new sign-ups are now asking the question "How do I do my own web page?" There's a much longer answer to that question than most of you want to hear.... but we're glad you're starting to ask!

MNRealty.com is setup like a "virtual office building." We are landlords that rent "cyberspace." If you have your own domain name (www.YOU.com) with us, it's like having a private office or suite. If you are a "regular" member with an address such as "mnrealty.com/YOU", then you are sharing our office, like being in the "bullpen" of a regular real estate brokerage.

When you rent an office, you also need to furnish it. Web pages and site information are the "interior decorating" of your virtual space. Some offices are lavish, with expensive furniture, decor, and equipment. Some offices are barely there - just a few cardboard boxes and a telephone....

HTML is the languge of web pages. (HyperText Markup Language) It's what your web-guru uses to make what people see on-line. It's a very simple language, and you could actually write a web page in your e-mail program. It is just plain text, plain English, and punctuation.

But learning the rules and the language does not a designer make.... Using a pencil can be taught in seconds, but learning to draw can take a lifetime. A web page HTML file is actually a very carefully designed "script" or recipe sent to your browser (Netscape, IE, AOL, etc.) It just tells the program where to put the words, pictures, and other objects on the page. It also can indicate colors and relative sizes of type, etc.

Here's a sample of the HTML that makes the MNRealty.com main page:

<TITLE>Minnesota Real Estate - MN-Realty Web - Twin Cities, Minneapolis,
St. Paul, Realtors, Realty</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<CENTER><IMG SRC="graphics/grnrule.gif" WIDTH=600 HEIGHT=7><BR>
<TABLE>
<TR><TD align=center>
<IMG SRC="gallery/icefish1.jpg" HEIGHT="225" WIDTH="231" BORDER="3"
HSPACE="10">
</TD>
<TD align=center>
<i>Welcome to</i><BR>
<FONT SIZE=+3><B>MN-Realty Web</B></FONT><BR>
<FONT size="+2" color="#006A00"><B>www.mnrealty.com</B></FONT><BR>
<FONT SIZE=+1><B><EM>Minnesota Realtors and <BR>Properties On-Line.
</EM></B></FONT>
<BR>
</TABLE>

There's good news! Many programs are now available that help you write the HTML while you just look at the web page. Here are some free downloads:

http://www.aolpress.com/ - AOLPress is a very easy program to learn and use - I used it with my daughter's 7th grade science club.

http://www.arachnoid.com/arachnophilia/ - A top rated freebie.

http://members.xoom.com/Anjusevin/free.htm - More freebies.

Also, If you are already a MS Word or Publisher user, there is a "Save As Web Page" command in the [File] menu (More recent versions only.) This will create a collection of both graphics and HTML files so it is sometimes easier to save them to a floppy or separate directory so they do not become lost or overwritten.

Exploring with one of the above programs is one of the best ways to get started in "Doing Your Own Web Page," but be careful to learn the background and strategies for using keywords, titles, etc. to help search engines find you. And keep in mind that graphics play an important role in web design - not only do you need some sort of overall design, but your photos and art need to be "optimized" so that they load quickly....

The Net again is the best place to learn about Doing Your Own. Here's just a few:

http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html - The original guide.

http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Facility/6678/#lessons

http://www.hooked.net/~larrylin/web.htm

Getting started is half the battle.