We have included a basic site structure with common pages that you may use to start with. You may rename the pages, add more pages, and add your content.

Important note for FrontPage Users

This template uses CSS-based layout, which means that the layout and columns are placed using CSS instead of in a table grid. Using CSS-based layout is W3C recommended and results in cleaner code, which means that your pages load faster and search engines may rank your pages better than they would if they were in a table format.

These benefits do come with a trade-off, however. Because the FrontPage "design view" is not as sophisticated at displaying CSS properly, the heading fonts will seem very large, and the content areas may "wrap" underneath other content areas. This can be frustrating if you are used to getting a good "preview" of what your site looks like, but you'll find that it is almost just as easy to keep previewing your site in a browser as you make changes. You will still be able to edit your text and add content as you normally would; after you save, go to File > Preview in Browser to view your site in a browser and make sure that it really looks as it should.

Also, occasionally FrontPage's Normal/Design view may "lose" the formatting. When this happens, just hit "F5" to refresh the view and the styles will return.

By offering you CSS-based layout instead of tables-based layout, we are helping to ensure that your web site is compliant with current web standards.

Flash Detection Script

This template uses the SWFObject (v1.4) Flash detection and embed script provided by Geoff Stearns at http://blog.deconcept.com/swfobject/. This script detects whether or not the user has the Flash player, and if it does, it loads in the Flash movie for them to view. If they don't have the Flash player, it displays your alternate content. The alternate content is what you see in your web editor (a static image or text).

The SWFObject script also resolves the IE update issue where embedded Flash movies require an extra click for interaction; using the script will allow viewers to interact with the Flash movie directly. The SWFObject script also allows your web site to have fully validated HTML.

Please be aware that the script may be updated occasionally, and it is your responsibility to visit the SWFObject site to check for updates and implement them.

Source Files Included

Photoshop CS2 files
Flash 8 files

Photoshop and Flash files are licensed for use with this web template only.

General Instructions

1. Make a new web...
   1. Unzip your web package.
   2. Look for the "productname_web" folder.
   3. Copy this folder to your "My Webs" or "My Web Sites" directory.
   4. In FrontPage or Expression Web, go to File > Open Web or Open Site and browse to this folder to begin editing your site.
2. Preview your new web...
   1. Click on any page and go to File/Preview in Browser.
   2. Click on Internet Explorer and click Preview.
   3. A browser window will open with your new web. Preview the pages of the web and decide what pages will be in your web site. You may keep this window open and return to it and refresh to see your changes.
3. Modify your new web...
   1. Add new pages
      Open a page that has the layout the way you want it, then go to File/Save As. Save the page under a new name - be sure to change the page title as well! Edit the menu if necessary (see specific instructions below).
   2. Rename existing pages
      If you would like to use an existing page but want to rename it, you may easily do this in Folders View. Right-click on the file name and/or the page title and choose "Rename" to rename your file. You may then need to modify the menu links with the new text.
   3. Delete pages from your web
      Right-click on the pages you wish to delete in your Folder List, then select "Delete."
   4. Edit the Copyright statement
      The copyright statement is in an include footer page for your editing convenience. Open the include page and edit the text, then save. All your pages will be automatically updated.
   5. Add your own layout if necessary
      This page has been very carefully formatted with divs so that it resizes both vertically and horizontally. Do not drag on any div corners - you may "freeze" the page so that it no longer resizes properly.
   6. Add your content!
      Type your text! Add your pictures! It's easy!
4. Publish your web!
   1. Go to File/Publish Web.
   2. Type in the URL of your web site. For example, http://www.yoursite.com. If you don't want to overwrite your existing web site but just want to publish it temporarily to preview it, publish it to a subfolder like this: http://www.yoursite.com/test.
   3. Type in your user name and password when prompted.
   4. If you are publishing to a new folder, FrontPage or Expression Web may prompt you to "create a new web." Go ahead and click OK.
   5. Then, click Publish. FrontPage or Expression Web will publish your web. When it's done, you'll be able to click to view your published site!

Template Details