Transcript What You Need to Know About Owning a Website

A Website Primer
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
What You Should Know About
Owning a Website
presented by
Joan M. Hale
e-Media Services
www.e-mediaservices.com
Agenda
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
• Set up Internet access and e-mail
accounts.
• Choose and register a domain name.
• Contract a web hosting company.
• Determine your objective for owning a
web site.
A WEB SITE PRIMER: Getting Started
Set up Internet Access
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
• An Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides
access to the Internet and e-mail accounts:
– Comcast, Verizon, Cox, AOL, MSN, etc.
• Types of Service:
–
–
–
–
Dial-up: (56K Modem - phone line)
DSL:
(High Speed - phone line)
Cable: (includes Digital Voice)
Wireless (Wi-Fi): (no phone line
uses radio signals)
A WEB SITE PRIMER: Getting Started
Set Up Your E-Mail Account
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
• Business E-Mail
- Business professionals should,
use your domain name as your
e-mail address, for example:
[email protected]
• Free E-Mail
- Free e-mail provided by MSN Hotmail, Google gmail, etc.
- A “Hotmail” address is suitable for family and
personal use.
- The service provider’s promotional information
will appear at the bottom of every e-mail you send.
A WEB SITE PRIMER: Getting Started
Register a Domain Name
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
• Domain Name Registrar
- Network Solutions, GoDaddy, Register.com, etc.
- Detailed instructions are provided on the main
page.
- Yearly registration is from $9 - $35/yr, with
discounts for multiple year registrations.
- You will need to provide a credit card to secure the
domain name.
- The contact information you use when registering
will be the permanent record with the Registrar.
You will be given a User Name and Password to
access your account.
A WEB SITE PRIMER: Getting Started
Choose a Domain Name
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
• Choose a Domain Name for Your Web Site.
- Choose a name that will relate to your business,
be easy to remember, and not be too long.
- Choose an extension:
.com (commercial)
.net (internet)
.org (non-profit)
.info (informational)
.biz (business)
.ws (website)
.us (United States)
A WEB SITE PRIMER: Getting Started
Web Hosting Company
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
• Contract With a Web Hosting Company
What is a web hosting company?
A web hosting company is where your website files
are stored on a server (computer) that operates 24
hours a day, 7 days a week.
Does the web hosting company need to be located
in my city?
No. The web hosting company can be
located anywhere in the U.S. or the world.
A WEB SITE PRIMER: Getting Started
Web Hosting Company
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
• Using an Internet search engine, type in “web
hosting” in the search field. A list of web hosting
companies will appear for you to choose from.
• Check out the various hosting packages and
pricing. For a simple website, you may choose a
basic package, and upgrade as necessary.
• Most web hosting companies provide e-mail for an
additional fee, or for free.
• Be sure your are listed as the “Registrant” or
owner of your domain name, because some web
designers may list their name as registrant when
they register domain names for customers.
A WEB SITE PRIMER: Getting Started
Why Have a Website?
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
As an
information
source about
your company
or services
As a personal
site for sharing
information
with family and
friends
Conduct online
sales of your
products or
services
Decide Your Objective for Owning a Website
Marketing Your Business
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
A website
as an
information
source
about your
company or
services
Highlight:
• Your company’s services
• Company experience
• Special offerings
• Provide educational information
• Informational links to related to
your industry
• What makes your company stand
out from the rest.
Focus on what you can do for your clients.
Free vs. Custom Web Sites
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
Free
• $0 cash output
• Limited control over
design
• Ad banners for
hosting company
on your pages
• No search engine
placement
• No choice for
domain name
Custom
• Professional site
for your company
• You have control
over design
• Search engine
placement to help
visitors find your
site
• You choose your
domain name.
In the end . . . You get what you pay for.
A Website Optimized for Search Engines
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
What is a search engine?
Search engines are special websites on the Internet
where you can go and search to find information on
any subject.
Some examples of the major Internet search engines
include:
- Dogpile
- Google
- Alta Vista
- Bing (MSN)
- Ask
- Yahoo
- AskKids (search engine for kids)
- AOL
- Wikipedia
Information at Your Fingertips
Search Engines & Keywords
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
Choose 25
keywords or
phrases that
best describes
your company,
products and
services.
Keywords are
coded into each
of your web
pages for
search engine
spidering.
What is a Keyword?
Keywords describe your business
products and services.
accountant
certified public accountant
accounting
taxes
income tax preparation
cpa
tax consultant
tax preparation
Keywords are Key to Search Engine Listing
Related Links
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
Informational links on your website might
include industry related sites or online
magazines, etc.:
U.S. General Accounting Office
www.gao.gov
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
www.aicpa.org
Financial Accounting Standards Board
www.fasb.org
National Association of Tax Professionals
www.natptax.com
Provide Educational Information for the Visitors to Your Website
Search Engines Results
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
Keywords may also have lots of competition!
Website Design
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
Static Site
• Contains no video, Flash animation or animated
GIF files or movement on pages.
Animated Site
• Contains Video, Javascript,
Flash animation or animated
GIF files.
Interactive Site
• You participate in the site, e.g. play games, fill out
forms, purchase online, etc.
Use animations sparingly on your web pages!
Market Your Website
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
MYTH: “If you build it, they will come.”
Include your web address on:
•
Business cards & stationery.
•
Ads for newspapers, mailers,
magazines, and yellow pages.
•
Beneath your signature on every
e-mail you send.
•
Your Facebook or Twitter
accounts.
www.myweb.com
Promote your website on all your marketing materials!
Training for Web Updates
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
Consider learning how to do your own
website updates
•
Use web authoring
software such as
Expression Web or
Dreamweaver.
•
You will be in total
control of your
website.
•
Seek a qualified training professional or visit your
local college that offers a course in web authoring
software.
Being Self-Sufficient = “Efficiency”
Food For Thought
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
• Your web site will project your
business image globally.
• It’s expected that a business
owner will have a web site.
• Carefully weigh the decision
to go with a free site, or invest
in a custom site.
• Keep your web site fresh!!!
- Old information could project an image that your
business is not in keeping with current trends,
or new and innovative ways of doing business.
Stay competitive, with current information.
Resources
Good
Luck!
What
You
Should
Know
About
Owning
a
Website
Domain Name / Web
Hosting Companies:
• NetworkSolutions.com
• GoDaddy.com
• Web.com
Internet Service
Providers:
•
•
•
•
Comcast.com
Verizon.com
Cox.com
MSN.com
Or, use one of the
following Internet
search engines to
find a service
provider:
•
•
•
•
Google.com
Yahoo.com
Bing.com
Ask.com
For more information contact [email protected]