Customizing the Perfect Myspace Page

Myspace is quickly becoming one of the most popular websites for people wanting to get the word out about themselves, as well as meet others. It's a great way to look up old friends and catch up on things through the features Myspace provides such as posting comments, sending messages, and an instant messenger feature. Because your Myspace page is so personal, you'll want to customize your layout so that it suits your personality. For those not familiar with Java and HTML code, there's an easy way to spice up your layout with just a few clicks of your mouse.

When you sign up for Myspace, which is a free website, you'll receive a link for your account. Once you sign on, the process begins. Myspace provides you with a basic black and white template that doesn't have much character. The space is completely empty, so the first thing you need to do is edit your profile. By clicking on the "Edit Profile" link it will immediately direct you to the internal page that allows you fill out your personal information. The first tab, Interests & Personality, lets you enter information about yourself, your favorite movies, books, television shows, and even a section on people you'd like to meet. Feel free to get as creative as you want.

The second tab deals with your name and how you want it displayed when others pull up your Myspace page. Some Myspace users will have nicknames for this section while others take the opportunity to use a phrase or quote as their name. The Backgrounds & Lifestyles tab requires you to fill out personal information such as relationship status, sexual orientation, and other social status questions such as whether or not you are a smoker, drinker, or if you want children. Users that land on your page will get a better feel for who you are with these types of questions. The most important tab, I believe, deals with the schools you have attended. This is a very important step if you want to look up old high school or college friends. This feature is an effective method of letting others pull up your page by doing a school search. Don't forget to do this. When I originally signed up for Myspace I didn't fill this part out and I had no one contacting me. After I took two minutes to fill this section out within just a few days I had received messages from fifty old high school friends.

Once you're done with editing your profile with personal information, click on the "Add/Edit Photos" link. This will direct you to another page that allows you to upload up to twelve pictures of yourself. Myspace allows you also to post captions beneath your picture that describes the content or nature of the picture. However, be careful about the pictures you post. Myspace is a website that is open to all users, and there could be consequences if you post provocative or hateful pictures. First of all, your Myspace account could be reported and deleted if you violate their agreement. Second, friends or family members could discover your page and be disappointed in you. I've even heard cases where an employer didn't hire a person because they saw their Myspace page beforehand.

Blogs are another great way to add a personal touch to your Myspace page. Blogs allow you to write about anything or any subject. Again, try to use reasonable guidelines when writing your blogs and be careful about the content you post. Some examples of blogs include writing about your stance on a political issue or to chronicle a recent trip somewhere.

With all the basic personal information out of the way, it's time to personalize your layout. Myspace layouts are like clothes. The appearance of your website is the first impression that users will get of you, therefore you need to dress it for success. It's easy to find a nice layout. There are literally hundreds of different sites out there and I can't possibly name all of them. My first suggestion is to go to Google.com and enter some type of search such as "Free Myspace Layout." Pre-made Myspace layouts are everywhere and the search will retrieve numerous results. This will allow you to sort through the different pages to find the perfect layout. These layouts will appear in the background of your Myspace page, so make it something that is visually attractive and suits your personality. The layouts can range from sports teams, actors, musicians to simple layouts with an abstract art theme.

Freeweblayouts.com is one of the biggest online warehouses for pre-made Myspace layouts. The site is easy to navigate and you'll find a large selection. Just thumb through the different layouts. Once you've selected one that you want to use, copy and paste the HTML code that is provide in the box nearest the image. Go back to your Myspace page, click "Edit Profile" and paste the code into the "About Me" section of the profile. Save your changes and then view your profile to assure the changes have taken place. On most layouts, there will be some sort of line such as "Layout created by Free Web Layouts." I think this de-personalizes your website, so to take it out go to where you pasted it and look in the code for the line that says this. Just delete where it says the line and nothing else. Save your content.

Another great way to customize your Myspace page is by adding a custom contact box. The contact box is the part on your page that says "Send message," "Add this Friend," or "Chat with Friend." Pre-made layouts usually come with a standard contact box, but a lot of users like to add different boxes to take the customization to a different level. Some of these boxes have graphics and icons. Again, go to Google.com and search for the free Myspace contact boxes. Pimpmyspace.com has some very stylish contact boxes. Once you find the one you like then follow the same procedure you did before with the layout and paste the code into the "About me" section.

If you want one more way to make your page special then add music to it. When users land on your page they'll be welcomed by a song from your favorite artist. How do you do it, you may ask? It's simple. Click on the music link toward the top of the page. This will direct you to a search portal where you can search for your favorite artists. The artist's page will be displayed and will have a Myspace Music Player box where you can select a few songs they've posted. Next to the song title you'll see the button "add." Click add and it will then load that particular song onto your page.