As well as sketching out the page designs, you will find it useful to make a diagram showing the site design. Many of the more complex web design tools will actually do this for you, but the kind of quick sketch you can make yourself is still a vital tool in planning your site. The software doesn't normally do it until you have written the files, and you really want it beforehand. (Some software gets you to start by setting up this plan, before writing the pages, which is a very good idea.)

For each page of your web site on the sketch, list:

• page title
• filename
• name and size in kb and pixels of any images on the page (leave off small gifs present on multiple pages.)

Use arrows to show links between pages. Where you have a large number of similar pages - for example the pages showing each picture in a set of work - it keeps your diagram simple just to show the first and last of them with dots in between. You can keep separate lists of their filenames, image names and sizes for these.

It helps to have a logical kind of design for a site - both for you when you are building it and also for your users. Most photo sites will have some kind of hierarchical structure, starting at the top level with your front page. (This might be preceded by an intro, but if you are thinking of this, be sure to read the previous article in this series, 'Using the Web' - see the box at top left.) Links from the front page (often called the 'home page') will lead to separate items such as your resumé, your links page, and also to your front pages for various projects or sets of pictures. Each project/picture set front page will probably give more information about your work, possibly thumbnail images of the pictures (as links) or a link to the first of a sequence of work. If you always want your work to be viewed in a particular sequence, don't use thumbnails.

The actual pictures will then be on pages below this in the hierarchy. I normally write a page for each picture, though it can sometimes make sense to show a small group together. Always bear in mind the loading time of the page when you put more than one picture on it (again see 'Using the Web.') Make sure there are clear links on these pages to take the viewer on to the next picture. Never rely on them using the browser 'Back' button - it can get very tedious to do this. I usually either have buttons or text for the next and previous images - and usually one leading back to the front page for the section. Normally I also make the actual image a link to the next image - often more convenient for your site visitors.

Possibly the most important part of site design - and one most often neglected - is to think of the keywords for your site. Keywords are the words you expect people to type into search engines to locate your site, and should highlight its main features. Most will be pretty obvious, 'photography', 'photographer', the kind of photography you specialize in, the subjects you have photographed, your name... You need to try and put yourself into the position of a potential client and think what they might type into Yahoo or Google.

These keywords should be used not only in the 'Keywords' section of the web page header (which doesn't appear on screen) and also in its description, but also try to include them as much as possible in the page titles and in the first 50 words in the source code after the body tag. However, don't just put them in gratuitously as some search engines will penalize you for this.

Source: photography.about.com