1. Login to your administration panel: www.yourdomain.com/administrator
2. Click on the Category Manager and add a new category
3. Place your code in the description field
4. Go to the Menu Manager and add an item
5. Choose Articles->Category->Category Blog Layout
6. Fill in the Title and then under Parameters (Basic) select the category you created in steps 2 and 3

Joomla will now display the custom HTML you placed in the description field without changing the code.

You’ve likely heard the old phrase that permeates through online web marketing forums and message boards – Content is King. Why is this? In an online environment where videos are growing in popularity and the average visitor reads about 20% of a page, what makes high quality web content so necessary for success? Well, as you begin to explore the scope and value of content, you might find that there is no single more profitable investment that your online business or web site can make than high quality web content.

Search Engine Optimization

One of the more obvious reasons that high quality web content is necessary for success comes in the form of search engine optimization. Good content is written in a way that includes the main keywords that should be addressed on a specific web page. When the crawlers come to view your site from Google, they will be looking for how relevant your content is for a search term. Although there are other factors, you can generally expect that the more relevant a page of content is to a search term, the higher your web site will rank for that specific term.

However, there is another factor – one that high quality web content can also address. The ranking of a web site also depends on the amount of back links that are pointed at it. A back link is exactly how it sounds – a link back to your web site. However, you cannot secure back links without high quality web content. If the back links are pointing at a web site that is not sufficiently relevant to a topic, the crawlers will know.

Web Site Visitors

If you only need one reason to invest in high quality web content, this should be it. The better the quality of the content on your web site, the more likely a web site visitor will:

• Trust your opinions or statements
• Order your product or service
• Continue reading other information on your web site
• Recommend your web site to your friends
• Consider trading a link with you

This reason makes it apparent why it simply isn’t enough to draft content from an SEO standpoint. The robots may like your content but if the human visitors that you are relying on to pay your bills do not, your web site is worthless.

Consider an example:

Two physical stores are built directly across the street from one another. One store launches an aggressive advertising campaign, clearly states their name and service on the enormous sign and sells the exact same products as store B. However, once you enter the store, the shelves are a mess, the products are broken and there is no one available to assist you.

Now, store B has a simple sign that says only their name and service. Once you enter, the shelves are clearly organized and labeled, the products are in new condition and there are plenty of associates waiting to help you out.

Sure, store A likely had droves of visitors when they first opened. However, you can be almost certain that store B was ultimately successful. When you compare this example to content, the difference between high quality web content and poor content is clear. If you begin with high quality web content and work to improve your traffic as you improve your web site, you have a very good chance of being successful and seeing good results. Start a web site with poor content and you’ve already failed.

Corry Cummings owns a content creation company, called Content Customs. They provide a variety of different writing services for webmasters and small businesses. For more information on developing high quality content for your site you can also check out his blog over at Content Customs.

1. What level of education is required to begin working in the web design field? 
(certificate, AA, Bachelor’s)

There is no required level of education to become a “web designer” if you are a freelancer. On the other hand, if you want to work for a large company, they will likely have some minimum requirements listed in the job description. In this case it is best to do your homework in advance and brush on the skills they will require, perhaps even building some prototypes to demonstrate your skill. At the end of the day, a solid portfolio with many quality testimonials will take you a long way. Begin building those right now. If you don’t have any clients, family membersor local non-profits to help, consider contributing to the open source community.

2. Are there certain courses that would be most helpful?
 (PHP, Microsoft ASP.NET, Javascript/CCS/XML/DOM)

I recommend that you take courses on Software Engineering (at least learn about version control and automation through scripting), HTML,  CSS and Javascript. You should also learn at least one scripting language; I prefer Python, but Ruby and PHP are also good choices. A database class will also be very useful, but you would likely get more value for your purposes focusing on the practical application. You should also master at least one IDE (Eclipse or Dreamweaver) or text editor (Notepad++ or TextMate) as you will spend most of your time with it. A systems administration introductory course will help you administer your web sites. For bonus points, classes in PhotoShop, Illustrator and Flash would not hurt.

3. How much does college training actually prepare you for the skills need as a web designer?

My perspective comes from my journey obtaining a BS in Computer Engineering and a MS in Electrical Engineering. I would say the thing that helped me most as a web designer was my Software Engineering and Operating System classes as a Computer Engineer. After taking these courses my confidence as a programmer was greatly increased and I felt ready to create real projects for other people. When I started my first business, it was the ability to do well in multiple classes with numerous deadlines that prepared me for dealing with real world clients. Also, as a Masters student I headed several projects and was given the responsibility to lead a team; this prepared me for the later expansion of our business when we began to hire employees and utimately receive funding.

4. What personal qualities are most important in a web designer?

I think the following attributes are important:

• attention to detail
• patience
• communication skills
• self discipline
• project/time/task management, even if you are only just managing yourself

5. What work/volunteer experience would be advantageous in web design?

I would start with developing your own personal web page. Then, think of an idea and develop it into an actual web site. If you can’t think of an idea, borrow one from the web or a web design tutorial book. Once you gain some skill and confidence, offer your service to a non-profit that you care about. In short, build a portfolio of live working web sites that you can show off when it comes time to get a job or become a freelancer.

6. What are the duties of an entry-level web designer?

I can only speak from the stand point of a web designer who started a business. In that case, the duties are:

• accounting
• legal
• management
• customer service
• marketing
• sales
• human resources
• oh yea, there is also that thing called web design

7. Is there a kind of social life style or “culture” included within this occupation?

I spent most of my time working with a small team of web developers. Common threads between us were:

• working remotely when possible, usually at some sort of coffee shop
• working weird hours (generally late at night)
• a love for computing and programming in general
• a desire to tinker with all the latest technologies
• too much time spent on sites like SlashDot.com and Digg.com
• way too many energy drinks
• always trying to configure our computers for optimal performance
• Linux!

8. Are there job-related pressures? If so, what is the source of these pressures? 
Are they self-imposed?

Maybe it’s because of my Engineering background, but an obsession with detail and perfection is a great source of stress for me. When dealing with real clients and real deadlines, you simply don’t have the time to engage in the level of detail you would like. I find that most of those pressures are self imposed, but any time there is an unhappy customer, my stress level increases geometrically even when I know its of no fault of mine.

9. Can you describe the cycle of a typical project/assignment of a web designer?

1. A potential client says they need a web site
2. You conduct a needs analysis to determine the requirements
3. From those requirements you create a spreadsheet to determine cost
4. From that spreadsheet you build a proposal
5. You then present the proposal to the client and close the deal
6. If the client agrees to with the proposal, a contract is signed
7. You then take the contract and build out a project plan based on the terms of the contract
8. Execute in iterations, meaning that after you have developed each major component of the overall website, you will review with the client to make sure that the final product is what is expected from the client
9. The client signs off on the project and you make the web site go live
10. The project gets added to your portfolio
11. At any given time you may be called on to fix some issue or perform maintenance on past client work

10. What is the most essential advice you would give to someone considering web design as a career?

Find someone who has already achieved the level of success you desire and and to be mentored. Listen, think and save yourself years of time. While you are looking, spend time at places where web designers hang out, either in person or on the web and get to know your peers.