If you have any questions that you would like to see added, please feel free
to ask them and I will be happy to include
them here.
What is the internet used for?
What's a Domain name, URL, HTML, a Link?
What's is the difference between a Web Page and
a Website?
What are Fundamentals of Good Web Design?
Should I have a Web site?
How much does a Website Cost?
Should you design it yourself?
Where do I find the Software to build
it myself?
How do I find a designer?
How do I/We prepare to build a Web site?
Additional Resources (E-mail, Search 101, e-commerce, etc.)
What is the internet used for?
The Internet and the World Wide Web
can be used for e-mail, checking stock quotes, sports scores,
news, weather, shopping (e-commerce), sharing and gathering
information, Advertising, PR, sales, making contacts, finding
employees, downloading software (voted 5th
Favorite from the Berst
Report) and all from the comfort of your desktop. It's no
wonder that, "The amount of people on the Internet is poised
to double every 12 to 16 months."
What's a Domain name, URL, HTML, a link?
- A Domain name is the name/URL of an entity on the Internet.
(ie; www.yournamehere.com) When you purchase
a domain name, it is important to make sure that you are designated
as the owner with Internic (billing and administrative contact), otherwise
you may be in for a big surprise when you try to move or alter your
sites location.
- A Uniform Resource Locator
specifies the location (and name) of a World Wide Web resource such
as a Web site or an HTML document.
- Hyper Text Markup Language is the rendering language that is used to create World Wide Web documents which can theoretically be viewed on any platform. A users Browser interprets the HTML in order to display the Web Page for the user. It is
important to note here that Different Browsers interpret the
HTML code differently.
- A link is the text or graphic in an HTML document that
cause a web browser program to load another document or graphic.
What's is the difference between a Web Page and
a Website?
One big difference is that virtually anybody can throw together a "Web page". Take a look at my daughter's pages (she was 12 when she did these 2 pages). Single Web pages are usually treated as "one page internet ads" which are rarely revisited and are not generally done by some of the bigger design shops. Websites on the other hand are a whole different monster and require a much larger degree of planning and flow charting before any of the HTML coding begins. A Website's content is not generally static and may contain any of the following which work behind the scenes contributing to the overall success of the site:
- Database (collecting information, dynamic page generation)
- Search Capabilities
- Log files/Access statistics
- Submittable Forms (using CGI)
- Larger content (changing)
- Multimedia (streaming video audio)
- Interactive content = programming
- Online ordering capabilities = programming
As you can see, a Website can be a complex creature and once created, must consistently function as a unit and should be updated often in order to keep visitors coming back. This is the nature of the internet. Anybody who steers you towards an ad page does not understand this and/or is not concerned with your best internet strategy.
What are the Fundamentals of Good Web Design?
You might think of Good Web Design as 3 points
on an equilateral triangle: great graphics (not stolen web-art or overused cheap clip-art), quick download (due to image indexing and compression) and
ease of navigation (good pre-planning). Good Web Design does not include gratuitous use of those pesky little web animations. Web animations should be used to communicate messages effectively by drawing the eye to the message and not annoying the eye. One other thing to remember is that all the new Bells and Whistles which work on the newer Browsers Do Not work on older browsers. (which a good majority of people still use)
More Importantly, Good Web Design solutions must solve the problem of the client, must communicate their voice and brand, and must speak to their intended audience.
Good Design is all
of these and more!
Should I have a Web site?
First, determine what you want to gain from having an Internet presence - image, sales, exposure, referrals, leads, expanding your business into high tech, etc. or just making information available about your business? If you'd like to gain any of these then you will most probably want to put up a Web site. Second, think about commitment, who will answer the e-mail, update the pages, are you prepared for the long-term? Remember, this is interactive and slow response may jeopardize a potential market. I have been known to check out new businesses that I might order from by testing their
response time, because if they're unresponsive online...
How much does Website Design/Development cost?
A hard Question to answer, since every Website is a totally different solution. Our shop hears your vision and dreams and puts together a detailed proposal/quote based on our hourly rates and your budget. Everything is on a per quote basis except a few of the extras which can be added to the solution for "x" amount of dollars.
There are a few general pricing guides available:
- How much is a singing Website?
- EarthSong Graphics general pricing range.
- NetMarketing's Web Price Index is a good resource for US regional pricing for a variety of web design services.
- Get ready for "sticker shock" if you are used to looking at $25/per page prices and remember that these are some of the "Higher-End" shops. There is affordable Quality Web Design out there and there is just the opposite. Be careful.
Should you design it yourself?
If you feel like attacking the learning curve and have the time, patience and software, I would say, give it a shot (I'm a daredevil at heart). But shouldn't you bring it to a professional, one who studies and pushes the boundaries of web site creation, one whose business it is to know the ins and outs of Web site Design? I wouldn't think you'd bring your Porsche or Harley-Davidson to the kid down the block because he recently tore apart his Chevette and says he can fix anything, you'd most likely bring it to an expert mechanic knowing full well that they have studied their craft and
will complete the job right.
Menu
Where
do I find the Software to build it myself?
To be a webmaster you'll
need to become "master of many apps". The Top-notch
Software applications cost more but are heavy duty tools
fit for professionals. It is my opinion that you can get
started using shareware and freeware and build and maintain
a small to medium site without a lot of money spending.
The Software you need can be found
here.
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How do I find a designer?
This business of Web site Design is so relatively new that there are a lot of "desktop" web publishers out there, in fact almost every "computer kid" has "coded" an HTML document or two and it'll be awhile before they are weeded out. First begin by asking questions of the prospective designers. Find out prior "design experience". Take a look at their previous work to evaluate their skills. Is it ,cleanly designed, well organized and easy to navigate. Is it intuitive? Is the copy well written? Are there mis-spelled words, broken links, etc.? (Remember, they will present your image to the world.)
Find out if they test on all browsers
and a few platforms, use the cross-platform web palette, know
when and how to index colors, compress graphics, use which
file format and when to use which format and understand the
nonlinear aspect of the World Wide Web. Note that a good designer
usually costs more and that if you are just looking for a
"quick fix" for a much lower cost, you usually "get
what you pay for". The major flaw with this "quick
fix" is that "just getting it up there" will
not drive traffic to your site or will it help your company
turn a profit from it's venture. Ultimately, you will be throwing
your money away as it makes no sense to spend a little money
on a poorly designed site which has to be eventually redone,
thus doubling your initial cost. Also Remember to get competitive
bids and importantly, compare quot;apples to apples"
when doing so.
It really doesn't take much to put together a web page, and with some of the new software out there you don't even have to know HTML. Does this mean you can design a world class site? Quite Possibly! But Expect to tackle the learning curve and have plenty of free time to devote to your site.
How do I/We prepare to build a Web site?
The best way to begin is by pulling together your "web team" and by putting together a RFP (Request for Proposal) to submit to the design shop/designer you choose. Your RFP should contain everything you wish to include in the website and the scope of your companies desired web presence. (ie: goals, focus/mission statement, qty. of photos, sections, catalogs, project schedule, deliverables, etc. By composing this RFP beforehand (whether it be large or small), you will be assured that the quote/proposals you receive will be based on the same data and that you will be comparing "apples-to-apples". If you are unsure of which direction you should go or what you should include on your website, feel free to call the prospective shop/designer, most will be more than happy to offer an initial consultation for no charge.
Additional Resources?
- Free
On-line Dictionary of Computing
- Searchable Dictionary of Computing.
- Exploring
the World Wide Web
- A very good explanation of the Web, complete with sections devoted
to browsers, search tools, hardware, cool sites, etc.
- Search
101 on ZDnet
- Want to learn more about Search Tools, What are these "Spiders,
crawlers, and bots" I hear about? This is a good place to start
in your quest for search engine knowledge.
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