This is another of those if-only-I-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-I've-been-asked questions
So here's the answer:
If you want to make changes to your website, the first thing you need to do is go to college. I would recommend a course of no less than three years. This should equip you with the basics of web development. You will learn about scripting and coding and other essentials.
You won't learn about search engine optimization, keyword density analysis, image manipulation & artworking, color testing, ADA compliancy, load-time testing, browser testing, search engine algorythms, third-party applications and a host of other things but never mind, you'll be able to edit your website copy correctly.
Of course, you will first need to purchase a series of not-inexpensive softwares and install them on your computer which, hopefully, is a newish one. If your computer is more than a year old, I'd recommend that you upgrade.
Remember that your website will be seen on a variety of different browsers, platforms and hand-held devices such as cellphones, so you need to be sure that your website displays correctly on all of them. So at the very least, you should own and Mac and a PC and I'd suggest that an iPhone would be essential too.
I would suggest that you then spend a few months building a few websites to understand exactly how they operate. Nine months or so should give you the basic knowledge you require. School-learning is one thing, but you'll need the practical hands-on experience of building websites before you are ready to do anything other than basic copy changes.
As time goes on, you can invest in additional software and, given a few years of daily practice, you may master basic flash, javascripting, accessibilty issues and more.
Make sure that both your Mac and your PC have all versions of major browsers installed. We test for over 65 different browser/platform combinations, so you'll need to have Explorer, Opera, Safari, Firefox, Netscape, Konqueror etc., and even, sadly, AOL. Make sure that you have all the older versions and that you install any new or beta versions as they are released.
Make sure that you read at least half a dozen search engine newsletters every day. Search engines change daily and to work on your website, you'll need to know the current developments. Keep a close eye on viewer behavior, internet standards, news and protocols. You want your website to be usable for everyone and up to date so don't skip this.
By now, you probably know the majority of the tags, scripts and codes necessary to perform web work. There'll still be huge gaps in your knowledge of course, but you'll learn new stuff every day. I do, and I built my first website twelve years ago - everything changes all the time.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that, because you spent three years at college learning the web, you are proficient. You're not. Remember "those who can do. Those who can't, teach". Only a solid ten years or so in the industry will allow you to call yourself proficient.
There, now you know.
Comments