Hello, I'm a beginner in web design. I am trying to make a website. But I'm stuck on what content must be put on the home page (index.html). Is it the link of all web content? or just some link of content that maybe have a good information? Thank you...

It depends.

What is the topic of your web site?

You can have whatever content you want on any of your pages (including index.html)

Usually its introduction content (text and images) with a navigation menu linking to the other pages, if any.

Originally Posted by phppoddotcom

What is the topic of your web site?

I want to make a web that content lifestyle information and the categories are fashion, techno, event, and maybe about food. And each category still have a sub category, such as tips, info, and product. Each sub category, have many articles/ Titles.

I want to know. Which is better? The home/first page with link of some good articles or the link of all articles. Please give me an idea...thank you

I would suggest you no to start designing anything without clear concept. Just try to draw your project as business document first.

index is an introduction page. some general info about "x" , some important links , and some pictures with a reference about "x".
Step one is to sketch the layout on paper while talking to the customer about the website. Then move on to photoshop/fireworks/gimp and then code the design with XHTML/CSS

Originally Posted by chrishirst

It depends.

What insight.


But seriously, why don't you take a look at other websites, decide on a format you want to use (specific to your content) and model your website accordingly?

Originally Posted by highanddry

What insight.

Yep, but here we have an answer.

Originally Posted by rytryan

I want to make a web that content lifestyle information and the categories are fashion, techno, event, and maybe about food. And each category still have a sub category, such as tips, info, and product. Each sub category, have many articles/ Titles.

So a "portal" kind of site then?

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Yep, but here we have an answer.



So a "portal" kind of site then?

So a portal have a categorization too? Please advice me...

I need more research about web, to increase my knowledge about web. Maybe, someone can help me, by give some web links that contain how to make a good web, or step by step for make a web (such as organize the content, sketching, etc), or maybe other tutorials, please...

Thank you.

^ go to www.google.com
Search phrases like "how to design modern website"
"website standards" "css" and anything else you want to know

Go to w3.org and read up.

It depend on what your site will be about. Content is the most important part of the websit so put some good content that will make your visitors to spend some more time on your website.

Originally Posted by rytryan

So a portal have a categorization too? Please advice me...

Not so much a "category" but a particular style.

With a "home" page for a site that is intended as a "lead-in" to various disparate sections it is somewhat more important to consider the design in terms of a UI (User Interface) rather than a descriptive page.

With web interfaces you only have a few seconds to "capture" the visitor, simply because there are more options than your site / page.

bbc.co.uk, Yahoo!, w3.org are good UIs. But Ananova (IMO) is excellent.

MSN and CNN are not, and strangely enough Usability "guru", Jakob Nielsen's website useit.com, while it is very good for screen readers and text browsers, can be a real PITA for the rest of us.

Break up and organise the page by using borders and colour changes, Use thumbnail images in the corners of the sections to add an attraction to that section.
Don't clutter the effect by trying to cram a lot of text on the page. Use headings, short descriptions and text snippets for accessibility. Just remember this is a page that you are optimising for people to get where they want to be, not for them to read.
When they have "clicked through" to another page, that's when you can start having them reading.

If the "home" page of a portal site makes people think about what their next action should be, you have lost them.

Good day to everyone! I'm new here and want to add

Originally Posted by hrvoje461

It depend on what your site will be about. Content is the most important part of the websit so put some good content that will make your visitors to spend some more time on your website.

Content is surely important part of web site and it should be first of all informational, up-to-date and grammatically right. But web content is not only articles, web design, illustrations, videos and 'web background' in whole should draw visitors' attention too!

grammatically right

Surely you mean "grammatically correct"

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Not so much a "category" but a particular style.

With a "home" page for a site that is intended as a "lead-in" to various disparate sections it is somewhat more important to consider the design in terms of a UI (User Interface) rather than a descriptive page.

With web interfaces you only have a few seconds to "capture" the visitor, simply because there are more options than your site / page.

bbc.co.uk, Yahoo!, w3.org are good UIs. But Ananova (IMO) is excellent.

MSN and CNN are not, and strangely enough Usability "guru", Jakob Nielsen's website useit.com, while it is very good for screen readers and text browsers, can be a real PITA for the rest of us.

Break up and organise the page by using borders and colour changes, Use thumbnail images in the corners of the sections to add an attraction to that section.
Don't clutter the effect by trying to cram a lot of text on the page. Use headings, short descriptions and text snippets for accessibility. Just remember this is a page that you are optimising for people to get where they want to be, not for them to read.
When they have "clicked through" to another page, that's when you can start having them reading.

If the "home" page of a portal site makes people think about what their next action should be, you have lost them.

wow.. good reference. thx.