A layout is the first thing someone will see when going to your site. So of course you want to give a good first impression.

HOSTING

This is not a life or death thing, but it is always nice for both the member and owner to have a hosted TCG. I hate the ads and popups that freesites have and know that the owners must get sick of them also. There are many sites out there that offer hosting and even offer it on my domain. Just take some time and find someone who can host you.

LAYOUT

Some things to consider with a layout is how appealing it is to the viewer. The layout does not have to be the best ever created, but it is nice to see a layout that shows some skill. One thing I also like with a nicely constructed layout is it usually reflects how the cards will look. When I see a TCG with a great layout I really wish to see how the cards look to see if they are as good as the sites layout.

NO SKILL?

If you aren't very skilled at making a layout then you can always get a premade layout from sites such as Day Dream Graphics that offer many layouts to choose from. If you don't want a downloadable layout you can ask friends or see if someone will be kind enough to make one for you. Another idea is to have a layout making contest for your TCG and use those for your site.

SET UP

Even if a layout looks awesome, it wont matter if it doesn't work for your site. Table and Div layouts work wonderful but Iframes and horizontal layouts tend to be something you want to stay clear of. I also REALLY suggest having your site in PHP. TCGs tend to be really big sites and PHP makes it very simple to upload. You can find many tutorials on the web for PHP if you don't know how to use.