Help with building a website in HTML

[Acousticx]

I am currently using Dreamweaver to make a website for my friends company (construction type stuff) and I need some help making the website look more professional and just better. Keep in mind that the section under "About" will be filled in with info on the company and that there will be a background.

http://jrj-enterprise-contracting.com/

[karamazovmm]

I have tried to answer your question several times on the day, but here it goes:

The problems:

- There is too much vertical space, there is too much wasted space, there is no connection between the contents on the site

- Better use of headings

- You have to use CSS

- The poor layout as mentioned, you should also work on the site identity

- The text that is there is quite superflous, not to mention it wont give the users anything

What I would do:

- Converge the company motto with the company logo

- Rework the company logo

- Connect the link bar with the Company logo

- Rework the link bar

- Rework the news section, you have to integrate it for the sake of people seeing it and using it, either it being the text on the homepage or a side bar

- Plan the site, make the hierarchy of it

- Remember to maintain the same identity of the site across all the pages that it would have

- Do some usability tests (photoshop mock up of different site layouts) (friends and families = free)

What you need to read:

Code books (HTML, CSS, XHTML)

Database books (PHP, and so forth)

Design Books (specially the ones geared to the web, or you can go for the usual fare of graphic designer books)

w3school.com is a good place to start

WYSIWYG editor arent that good for beginners, better start with notepad ++ and photoshop, since thats all you need to make a site.

[Acousticx]

Appreciate the assistance but I do not recall any assistance from you in the past.

[karamazovmm]

ah no, the post was ready, but somehow there was always some problem posting it, either chrome failing or me forgetting and closing the tab before posting.

So you got the drift that there is a need to connect and clean the site, and that there is a dare need to use CSS.

HTML is a mark up language, it marks things

the taste from the internet comes from CSS, its the tool to use for style and format

and dont forget to do the usability tests, I generally go for friends, family and co workers for that, its free, and only takes 5 min tops

[Acousticx]

I am currently using CSS from Blueprint. I am not entirely sure on what blueprint is and how to use it. What would be some ways of using it to say, make the text look more professional? Also, how would I make the middle white page transparent, so the background image can be seen a little?

[karamazovmm]

Do you know how to ''code'' html? if not start from there, all your question are about CSS, and if you dont know how html works, you are going to be sol to understand CSS.

The best thing that you can do regarding the image is to put some filters on it in photoshop to make it fade.

btw here are some sites that you can take a look on the layout: http://www.webdesignbooth.com/60-bea...malist-design/

[Acousticx]

Also, how would I make the middle white page transparent, so the background image can be seen a little?

This question again, because every time I put a background image it is got color to it. Like a blue overlay. How do I get rid of that and make the middle div tag transparent?

[karamazovmm]

the easiest way is to make a transparent pic and use it as the a overtop background. Its going to be resource intensive might I add. So its not recommended, as I said the best thing would be to use filters on the picture that you want as a background so that its faded.

Mind I remind you that it would like the prescription that several doctors use, a faded image aint the prettiest thing.

have you taken a look at the 60+ sites that I linked to you? they are gorgeous and well made, try to take a look at their code (use chrome right click and view page source