Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. You must have stumbled upon my new site:
Spectacle. Spectacle is a site tutorial with the goal that every person who walks through here will learn how to make their site an
amazing spectacle that no one will ever forget! My name is
Madolyn, or
Lynda (
pinktwirlz) and I will take you on a tour of how to make a high-quality site.
Counter Started March 27, 2010
Site no longer being updated
Last update: May 15, 2011 - added final section of tutorial, and added toy images to sections
I am sorry for a slight issue in which the site was reverted to default. There was a transfer issue when it was temporarily deleted, but is now up and running. Thanks. :)
About the Site
What is going on here!?!?
Okay, so you are probably wondering what the heck is going on here. So I dedicated this section to explaining myself. Spectacle is a tutorial to make your site a
Wonder. My inspiration for starting Spectacle was actually from my review site,
Falling Petals (now closed). After a while I started to notice that lots of people were making a lot of the same mistakes, so I thought,
What if I could make one giant review that covered everyone's mistakes, and how to make everyones' sites better! So I decided to make a Petpage tutorial on making
everyone's site a Spectacle! The tutorial starts at the very beginning, at choosing the site type. And ends with making your site grow and grow, and grow until I can't help you anymore! Good luck guest!
Note: This is not an HTML guide. it is a site tutorial. This site is made under the impression that you already know at least basic HTML. If you are having trouble with coding, I cannot help you. My time away from neo these past few months have made me forget the more advanced things. I'm sure if you need HTML help, guides like Soroptimist and The Little Black Book can help you find the right tutorial for you.
The Guide
Step One: Choosing the right site for you
Are you new to neo? Well then I expect the entire "site making business" is rather confusing, even overwhelming. Well, here I shall explain the entire epidemic.
As you probably know, every user can have a maximum of four neopets per account, and each neopet has a homepage you can edit. TNT (TheNeopetsTeam) has a default page for every species of neopet. If you are above 13 years old, or have parental permission, you can edit these pages to your extent. Well, I don't know how it started, but I think someone a long time ago decided that they could make a mini site out of this, and started making tutorials, help guides, screenie pages, etc. Now, almost half the users on neo have their own "site"! Some people made graphics and premade css, some users made directories to other sites. Some people give reviews of other users sites, telling how good they are, and how they can improve. Well, as more and more people were introduced to neo, more and more people made sites. Now, there is an entire mini site network going on, and some people only come on neo just to do it.
Now that you know the story, are you ready to make one of your own? Well, here is a basic list of all the different site types in neopets.
1. Adoptables & Pixels Recommended for people who love to draw or have a good hand in MS Paint
2. Adoption Agencies Recommended for people who hate to see disowned or abandoned pets
3. Button/Banner/Graphic Requests Recommended for people who are skilled at graphic making and don't mind taking requests
4. Dailies/Neopoint making Recommended for people who love np making and neopet's site games
5. Directories (site/pet) Recommended for people who love to be organized and neat.
6. Font Premades Recommended for people who are good with fonts and hexadecimal colors or just for neoboard lovers.
7. Guides/Tutorials Recommended for people who want to help other users
8. Music Codes Recommended for people who like to get funky!
9. Premade Css Recommended for people with skill at coding and HTML
10. Premade Graphics Recommended for people who are skilled at graphic making and don't like taking requests
11. Review Sites Recommended for people who like to make other sites better
12. Screenies Recommended for people who love to take pictures of funny stuff X3
13. SOTM/Contests/Ranking Recommended for people who love contests and prizes
14. Untaken [Pet/Site/User] Names Recommended for creative people who can make up cool pet names
Got a site type picked out? Okay, time to move on to naming it.
Step Two: Giving your site a name
This step is very important. Your site name is what people see on your buttons, in the directories, under the sitely. If you have a lousy name, no one will want to visit the site. If you have an awesome, eye catching name, then you will get visitors by the truckload! There are a couple of methods for choosing a site name:
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Method 1: Grab a Thesaurus You can take a simple word like dance for example, and make a great site name out of one of it's synonyms, like Pirouette. Pirouette would be a great site name. Play around with a thesaurus and come up with some names of your own!
Method 2: Use a premade Many resource sites list site names that no one has taken. My other site, Mesmerize (now closed), got it's name from a site called εxpressions. Below I will list a few site names I made up.
Method 3: Random Sometimes a perfect site name will just slap you in the face when you least expect it. You might be lying in bed thinking about blueberry waffles and suddenly, BAM! A perfect name hits you like a punch in the gut. Just think about your site for a while, and brainstorm a few names that would work, and choose one! It's not that hard!
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One thing I might add: Never tack on the site genre after the name unless it has your name in it. Example: a site like Amber's Pixels is fine because Amber's name is in it. But a name like Falling Petals Reviews sounds really bad. So as a general rule, don't put the site type after the name.
Untaken Names
From my site Mesmerize. If you use one please neomail me
End of the Rainbow
Polar Ice
Enchantment
Cherry Tree
Fake Sorrow
Strike Out
Fool's Gold
Laugh Out Loud
Eternity
Speechless
Forever More
Epic Failure
Dead End
Here are some other sites with untaken site names:
Step 3: Getting A Layout
On to step three! getting a nice layout can take minutes if you are lucky, or
hours if you are not. Depending on what site type you have, your site may be suited for different layouts.
Some sites (like Foomanshu) have lots of content, and are spread across multiple pages so the loading time doesn't take forever. Some sites (like Soroptimist Directory) use anchored layouts, with a navigation that is the only way to get around the site. Layouts like mine only have one page to navigate around in. Some sites have sidebars, with the sitely on the side of the main body. Below I will give example of different kinds of layouts and the sites that work best in them.
One Column
One coloumn layouts (like mine) are for simpler pages, that don't have need of a sidebar to fit in extra stuff, like the sitely. You can find one coloumn petpages,
here, here, and
here. One column petpages are recommended for:
Premade css
Screenies
Untaken Names
Guides/Tutorials
Dailies
Sites I would recommend
NOT to use a one column petpage would be:
Review Sites
Directories
Adoption Agencies
Of course, there are always exceptions!
Two/Three Column
Two/Three Column petpages are for pages that have more information they need to store in the site then can fit in one column. You can find two column petpages
here, here, and
here. Two+ Column Petpages are recommended for:
Directories
Contests
Review Sites
Requests
Adoption Agencies
Anchored Petpages
Anchored petpages (like the one
here) are for people with sites with content that is really extensive. You can find anchored petpages
here, here, and
here. Anchored Petpages are recommended for:
Adoptables/Pixels
Contests
Premade Fonts
Sites I would recommend
NOT to use anchored petpages are:
Directories
Graphic Requests
Simple Templates
one column
Here are some recommended premade layout sites:
Step 4: Adding the Content
Okay, you have your layout established, the site name figured out, and are ready to make your site a reality. First of all, you won't finish adding content in 15 minutes, or even 3 hours I'd bet. If you want a good site, it will take days for it to open properly. Also, if school is insane, and you hardly have any time to dedicate to the site, I would recommend rethinking the idea of making a site until you have the time to properly dedicate to it. Remember, as much fun as neopets is, real life priorities should come first. Okay, enough of that. If you still want to follow through with the site, look for your site type below and I will describe everything you will need in it.
[Note: I will only include the site genres I listed above. If you are making a different site then what I listed, you will need to figure out the content on your own.]
Adoptables/Pixels Pixel sites can range from little kawaii muffins and resource bullets to large layout vectors and scribbles. If you are new to pixeling I recommend looking at a pixel tutorial. I am not very good at it so I wont be of much help. Yes, pixels ARE considered graphics. Not very easy to make and only recommended if you are VERY good at it. Here are some high-quality pixel sites:
SITE TIPS:
-Make all your pixels transparent
-Include Pixel resources (counter bases, envelopes, bullets, etc.)
-Include Custom requests
-Include scribbles and vectors
AVAILABLE SITE NAMES:
-Muffin Bakery
-The Bakery
-Pixel Parade
-iCafé
-[namehere]'s Pixels
Please Neomail me if you use a name!
Adoption Agencies Usually (but don't have to) belong to guilds or are an extension of a guild webbie, however, they can be normal sites like everything else. Not requiring any graphic skills. I used to own a site called
Sparkles Adoptions. I got most of the pets by advertising on the
Help Boards and the
Pound Chat. Look around at some other agencies to see what I am taling about. Here are some high-quality agencies:
SITE TIPS:
-Try to include painted or rare pets
-Offer lots of UFA and UFT pets
-Try to not require petpage aps.
Button/Banner/Graphic Requests Obviously, a graphic site. Graphics can include: Buttons, banners, icons, fake avs, shields, backgrounds, blinkies, glitters, etc. Button sites are better when you have original borders, fonts, and effects. Banner sites are better when you offer cool effects and nice fonts.
If you don't have a good program, do not start a graphic request site. MS Paint isn't a good program. Good programs include: GIMP, Photoshop etc. Buttons, avatars, and icons are better if you offer animation. Banners don't usually have animation. You can't make a blinkie w/out animation, it just won't work, so don't even try. Here are some high-quality request sites:
SITE TIPS
-Try to keep requests constantly open
-Have good animations
-Do not use an anchored layout for a request site. Then we have to constantly click back and forth between links to request and rules and borders and, well, it's just not as good.
Dailies/NP making
If you are going to make a dailies site then it would be better if you made clickable links to games and freebies, and organized them in a table. Does not require any graphic skills at all. If you need help with tables and links check out
this guide. Here is a recommended dailies site:
Font Premades Premade Fonts can be used on the neoboards, in siggys, or just as fonts. It is different from HTML. I would recommend reading a few tutorials, like
this one. If you need some help with colors, go
here, or
here. Here are some recommended font sites:
Music Codes Okay, I hardly know anything about music codes, because music doesn't work in Safari. I dunno why. Anyway, basically you put a code in your layout and then it plays music. *shrug* Music sites give you premade codes so you don't have to do it your self. Beats me how they get the codes. I really can't help you much here. I deeply apologize for my lack of knowledge on the subject. Here are some recommended music sites:
Premade Graphics Premade graphics can include icons, blends, pixels (see adoptables/pixels) blank banners, fake avs, or resources. Premade Graphics have a lot of rannge to what they can be. If you want to make graphics besides pixels, you better not be planning to use MS Paint. Try GIMP, Photoshop, GIMP Animator, etc. Avvies, icons, and lookup shields are better if you have animation. Banners and resources tend not to. This site has everything you need:
Review Sites Review sites are a form of grading for you sites. Most review sites give a grading scale that covers all aspects of your sites, like the layout, content, organization, etc. There is also a criteria called Pros and Cons, where they list all the good things about your site, and the bad things about your site. These are all directed on making your site better. Here are some high quality review sites:
Basic Scale:
Pros and Cons:
Step 5: Growing Popular
This is the final step that I should have gotten into sooner. Growing popular.
There are many ways to achieve this. First, you need to get your site listed. This means finding directories willing to list your site, and affiliates as well. Affiliates, or affies, are generally sites that are similar to yours. Usually, pixel sites' affies are only other pixel sites, etc. Directories take requests for them to list your site. Some directories have categories that include *Looking for affies* Try to locate some of those. Enter contests and submit for reviews. these are other ways to get your site noticed. And, you can always link to your site on your siggy on the boards, or add links on your lookup, shop, and gallery. Remember, sites don't achieve popularity overnight. You have to work for it. Prove you are dedicated to your site, and everything will eventually work out. :)
There is very little more that I can do to help you. I have taught you the basics, but experience with this only comes over time. Keep working at it, let your site grow and grow until I cannot help you anymore. ;D
~Lyn
Link Backs
Make me famous!
Credits
-Counter from boingdragon*com Counter base from KTL
-Css by KTL Edited by me
-Bullets by εxpressions
-Banner by Sequins
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