PET CENTRAL - Building a petpage is not as hard as it looks. Seriously. But
why build a petpage? The benefits can be tremendous.
What is a petpage?
A petpage is basically a Web site hosted by Neopets. Each Neopet receives ONE
petpage that their owner can edit, add or remove content. Neopets provides their
own template for every petpage, however, if you want to make your own, you can.
Click here to
edit yours.
How do I make one?
Basically, you can make a petpage using a page builder, or HTML codes. HTML
stands for Hypertext Markup Language (few people actual know what HTML stands
for). HTML is a series of tags, or codes that people use to build a web site.
So, if I wanted to make a word bold, I would have to put tags like this around
the phrase <b>Neopets rock!</b> would look like this: Neopets
Rock! See the Neopets
Guide to HTML to learn more about HTML codes.
Why build a petpage?
There are millions of reasons of why you should build a petpage! You can learn
HTML, you could tell Neopians about yourself and life with your Neopets, you
could win a trophy.... The list is endless.
Getting started : Steps
Decide on a Neopet
Well, as far as I think, it is easier to build one petpage at a time. So, if
you have more than one Neopet, decide which one you would like to start on.
Theme
Pick a theme for your Neopet's petpage. It could be an autobiography of your
Neopets (i.e. How they came to be, likes and dislikes, etc.) or it could be
something different and original. Original themes are unique and interesting;
some of my favourites are HTML guides, the plushie factory, a different world,
etc. Feel free to make your petpages about a fictional place in Neopia.
Content
Decide what you want to include (the actual text of the petpage). Examples are:
a story, likes-dislikes, family, thoughts, lab ray stats, etc. Try to limit
how much you put in a petpage. Anybody with slow connections really don't like
waiting ten minutes for a single petpage to load if you have so much. And people
really don't like spending ages scrolling down a really long petpage. Decide
on much you want. Don't have too much, or too little.
Pictures : Image Hosting
Pictures are a great way of distinguishing your Web site You can use images
from the Neopets Web site as well as pictures from the Neopets fun images. Or
you can manipulate pictures on your computer, or draw them by hand & scan, then
upload them to a host that will host images for free. Some people have slow
Internet connections (like me), so making a thumbnail of your picture can be
just as good as putting the full-size image. Oh yeah, by the way, images are
completely optional :)
Layout
The layout, I think, is one of the most important things about a petpage. It
determines where the content, pictures, etc. should be put, and how they are
organised. For example, you do not want to have the "goodbye" message at the
beginning and the "welcome" message at the end. I would suggest a simple layout
(nothing too complicated, don't make something that has too much information,
which may seem a bit unattractive to someone viewing the petpage).
Precautions
Unfortunately, there are some Neopians who steal graphics and claim them as
their own :( Protecting your site can help prevent some people from doing that.
Disabling right-click can be useful. Or simply by putting your username on all
the pictures that you made can ward of graphic-thieves.
Extras : Things to Include on your site
Decorate your site!
Want to change the colour of your scrollbar, links and shape of your cursor?
You can do all that and more with CSS codes (similar to HTML, but a bit more
complex). You can find a useful guide of CSS codes at http://www.neopets.com/~csshelp.
Links
Create links to things like your userlookup, pet lookup, other petpages you
may have, your shop, your guild, trades and more if you like. (Hint: If you
want a direct link to your userlookup, just type #OWNERLOOKUP without any HTML
codes and it'll display your username as a link to your profile, there are more
useful "shortcuts", edit your pet's petpage to see them).
Updates
You can include an updates section that let visitors know what is going with
your pet's page and your Neopets
Link Exchange
Create a banner for your petpage and provide an HTML code so that visitors can
copy and paste your banner on to their petpage and exchange links with you.
This way, your site can get more visitors.
Some Rules
1. Do not copy other people's sites (that means no plagiarising)
2. Do not use other people's graphics without their permission (you are
allowed to use graphics from the Neopet's site)
3. Anything inappropriate is unacceptable.
4. No foul language or "creative" spellings
5. Remember if you submit your site to the Neopet's Site Spotlight, as
directly quoted from the terms
and conditions: "automatically grant... NeoPets a perpetual, royalty-free,
irrevocable, nonexclusive right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt,
publish, translate, create derivative works from, and distribute such materials
or incorporate such materials into any form, medium, or technology (now known
or hereafter developed or devised) throughout the universe."
Entering the Site Spotlight
If you plan on entering the site spotlight, and you are positively sure your
Neopet's petpage will make it, then here is what you have to do:
• Send an e-mail to fansites@neopets.com
that includes: Mandatory - your username - your petpage URL (http://www.neopets.com/~yourpetsname)
- Brief description of why your site should be the best Optional - A logo (either
attached to the e-mail or hosted on another server)
• Your petpage has to be NEOPET-RELATED, otherwise, you can count on never
ever ever seeing your petpage featured in the Site Spotlight.
• New Site Spotlight winners are posted every 1, 2, or 3 days
The benefits
Learning HTML
I've learned so much HTML ever since I started Neopets; whether it was to spice
up my userlookup or edit my petpage. Neopets makes HTML learning fun! This is
an opportunity for you to be creative and artistic. Some people design petpages
simply because it's fun and they want to. Not for the hits, or the site spotlight.
More Hits
If people visit your petpage, it's likely that they'll want to see your userlookup
to see who made it, check their shop, their guild, and more!
Site Spotlight
You could enter Site Spotlight and if you win (you'll find out in approx. 1.5
- 2 months whether you've made it) you receive a nice shiny trophy for your
trophy cabinet. Also, it is featured on the "new features" page and the "site
spotlight" page. There have been known to be more than 2000 page hits for some
site spotlight winners.
I'm finally done! What do I do next?
There are many things you could do:
• Advertise your petpage! (you can use chat boards, user or pet lookup,
shop)
• Enter the Site Spotlight
• Start working on your other Neopet's petpage (if you want to)
• Tell all your Neofriends how good you are at making petpages, then prove
it to them
• Taking benefit.
I say, check out a couple of petpages to get some ideas (that's right, ideas)
on what you could do for your petpage. When I was building my petpage, I had
a lot of fun. You want to see mine? It's at http://www.neopets.com/~naerou.
If you any questions or comments, feel free to Neomail
me on the subject :) Well, what are you waiting for? Start building your petpage,
right now! | 
