The following checklist contains items you should consider before developing your web site:

1. Design and organize web pages that are easy to navigate, maintain and accessible to those with disabilities
2. Learn about Copyright / Intellectual Property Rights at SFSU
3. Identify your target audience
4. Have a statement of purpose (explain the objectives of your site)
5. Gather information and images you will use
6. Plan how you will layout and organize the information and graphics
7. Refer to our guides about images, text colors, backgrounds, and tables
8. Download web publishing software
9. Official University web sites must follow the SFSU Web policies listed on the checklist

Once you complete the checklist above, you are ready to create a web page. A web page/homepage consists of one or more text file(s) marked-up (coded) using HTML tags and accompanying image, sound, and other multimedia files. These files are placed in a special directory in your internet account.

This information is provided to assist you in publishing your homepage using your Personal SFSU Internet Account or Dept./Student Organization Account for recognized Student Organizations . Please follow these instructions carefully and note the instructions for Personal and Dept./Stud. Org. differ slightly.

When instructions differ by type of platform used, the following key will be used to identify the platform specific instructions.
Macintosh MS-Windows Unix

Step by Step Instructions

1) Create your HTML document. Name your main document Welcome.html if you would like it to be the default document delivered from your account

• Add HTML markup codes to your document using one of the following methods:
• Use the 'export/convert/save as HTML file' command found in many programs.
• Use a word processor or text editor to manually type the codes. Remember to save as plain ASCII text!
• Use an HTML editor
• Use any text editor and type the HTML codes. Use an HTML tutorial to learn the codes.
• Files used in a homepage should follow a strict naming convention. The main document must be called welcome.htm. All other HTML files should have a lowercase filename of 1-8 characters followed by a '.htm' extension. Graphic files should have a lowercase filename of 1-8 characters followed by a '.gif or '.jpg'' extension as appropriate. No spaces should be included in any filenames.

2) Test your HTML markup locally using your browser's 'open local file' command - look for it under File.

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Last modified March 26, 2008 by the Web Team