In an effort to help new Abandonware Webmasters create their first sites, or improve their existing sites, I have created this tutorial of sorts. It was my intetion to make it as comprehensive as possible, but theres always a chance I left something out, so if you wish to see anything added to this tutorial, drop me a line and I’ll consider it. Thanks to Muaddib for the idea. : Click Here for Muaddib’s Useful Scripts :

Step One: Picking a Host

Our Host Compare feature is invaluable for helping you select the right hosts for your needs. Please always remember, there is NO such thing as unlimited space and bandwidth. Also, many hosts have file size and extension limitations which they do not tell you outward. When you are starting your first site, I suggest using one of the Abandonware Friendly free hosts until you gain enough experience to purchase some hosting and really get your site off the ground.

Step Two: Content, Content, Content!

A site can have the greatest layout and the most features but if its reviews are of low quality then it may as well have nothing. Please remember at all times that the content (reviews, screenshots, manuals and other documents) is the most important part of your site. If your content is good, all else will follow. Even the best scripted and designed sites are nothing without great content!

THE DO NOT’S OF SITE CONTENT:

Do NOT plagiarize reviews from other websites!
Do NOT plagiarize screenshots from other websites!
Do NOT use any content whatsoever without permission from other sites!

THE DO’S OF SITE CONTENT:

DO write long, in-depth reviews about each game
DO offer four or more screenshots per game
DO offer manuals and other documents for each game

Remember, in the Abandonware “scene”, our motto is always quality over quantity. Do NOT create a site with 3000+ Commodore 64 ROMs with nothing but download links. Even if your site is small but has good reviews it will receive recognition. Your game count means nothing! The quality content is what the other webmasters, ring owners and your visitors really care about.

Step Three: Designing Your Layout

You should consider three primary factors when choosing a layout.Loading Speed (56kb friendly)Easy Navigation (search and categories)Good Color Scheme (light, contrasting colors)You do not need a ton of images and expertise in graphics design to have a top notch layout. A few simple tables with good colors will do. I suggest to first draw out your design on paper, then create it a program such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver and finally recode it manually in NotePad to optimize the code so that it will load faster. Try to keep the images to a minimum though a good header does wonders. Most rings now a days allow you to put up text links instead of buttons which helps your design and improves loading time.

It is common practice to have three types of navigation, alphabetical, categorical and of course a search. Using all three in conjunction and making them easily accessible will greatly improve your site. Lastly, keep the colors light and easy on the eyes. You can try searching the web for good color schemes.Some effective color schemes:Beige, WhiteLight-Gray, WhiteLight-Blue, WhiteLight-Blue, GrayColors such as dark-blue, dark-red and dark-green are highly affective for links.

Step Four: Getting the Word Out

Whatever you do, do NOT go around spamming every forum with massive posts regarding your site. However, one well worded post in the popular forums (for example, 4Ham and the Pub) combined with an article at Da Fast Lane can help you amass some visitors for your opening day.

Rings are key to getting visitors! Join all the quality rings in the scene and update regulary to keep the visitors coming. Make sure to follow the rules and regulations of each ring to the word or you may run into problems.

List of Rings To Join:
Abandonware Ring
Abandoned Places
AbandonWeb
Desert of Oldies
EchoRing
EmulationRing
TART
TUOL

What ever you do, do NOT join any topsites! All or most of the rings forbid their members from joining topsites. You may NOT have forced voting or forced clicking systems in place either.

GENERAL NOTES:

Remember the definition of Abandonware, software which is no longer sold or supported. Make sure to check the Echo and TUOL OldWarez lists to make sure the title you wish to add is trully AbandonWare and not OldWarez. If you still wish to add the title, simply omit the download link or provide a Shareware or Demo version which is freely distributed.

When choosing the type of games you wish to offer, choose something which interests you in specific. Do NOT create a site about Commodore 64 Adventure games if you find them to be a bore. Your site should be about your nostalgia towards games which you have played, loved and wish to share with others.

Try to be original when it comes to choosing a title for your website. Too often is the word Abandoned, Abandon or Abandonware used in the title of a site. Instead, you can try integrating the name of your favorite system, your own name, or even one of the moons of the planet Jupiter. Your sites name should be easy to spell and remember.