Make your new template into your very own website
Having decided to use a website template, and chosen your template carefully (you bought it from a well-supported store full of original designs, like this template store ), you now need to customize the website template to create your very own website.
The way you go about this will depend on the type of website template you have purchased. Some template designers sell templates that will only work with Microsoft FrontPage. Some sell templates that will only work with Dreamweaver (or Microsoft FrontPage 2003, which now caters for the same template format). The majority of template shops have generic HTML templates for sale, which will work with any web page editor – FrontPage, Dreamweaver, Hotdog, Coffee Cup, even a plain text editor like Notepad.
If you own and particularly like FrontPage, then you may choose a FrontPage-specific template. The same goes for Dreamweaver. Remember though, if you're not sure, a generic HTML template will work with anything.
Steps you can expect to follow
You will purchase and then download the template – or it may be sent to you by email.
Usually it arrives as a .ZIP file, which you must extract (using any unzip program, for example WinZip). Extract it into a folder on your hard drive of your choosing.
The next step is to start adding your content, and your own navigation, and often your own product images to the template. To get started, you will want to edit the home / landing page of the template.
This page is usually called either index.htm, index.html or default.htm or default.html. Open this in your editor of choice, and start customizing your website.
A good, multi-page website template will include instructions, and possibly a link to further instructions on the designer's website. Be sure to read through the whole template before you make any changes, so that you are familiar with how the designer has structured the website template and what changes you need to make.
A good test to do, before you make any changes, is to upload the unchanged template, as is, to your web host. If it looks fine, as you would expect, in your web browser after doing this, then you know that any bugs or gremlins introduced thereafter are as a result of your changes. This will help the designer greatly in supporting you and troubleshooting any difficulties you may have.
A good template will be very clear about any server-side software that it needs in order to function correctly, and you will be able to ascertain that before you make your purchase. For example, if a FrontPage Web Template needs FrontPage Server Extensions to function correctly (and most don't!), expect to find that out easily before you buy it.
You should be able to edit the template, and then upload it via FTP (file transfer protocol) to your web hosting provider. Contact your web host to find out exactly how to do this.