Getting Started

     For as many times as I helped others build websites, and have redesigned my own, I have found that the best place to start is with the visual design.  While consideration needs to be given as to what will be in the content of your site, the overall look and feel should be the first consideration.  If there are gadgets or externally hosted scripts that you are currently using on your OL site, you should determine if they are something you would like to have on a page or in your sidebar (or sidebars).  No matter what the default page is your blog.  This can easily be altered to look like a normal home page by editing the content, but if at all possible it would be good to keep the blog as a normal functioning Search engine ranking tool.  SE's love blogs and changing content so at least consider it.  After any widgets, gadgets, scripts and whatever have been located in the sidebar, the layout will not need to change.  The designer breaks down into two basic parts.  The template designer is basically the editor for the aesthetics of your site, and the rest is for adding or editing the content.  I intend to cover more about each of these elements in the future, but for now I am having quite a bit of fun just finding it all out for myself.