Website building tools
You can do without the services of a web designer to build a website. With the right tool and a little bit of practice, it is possible to create a website that tells your story successfully.
Although you don’t need expensive tools, using an HTML editor with at least the following is highly recommended:
• visual help for syntax (colouring, indentation and markup options)
• syntax checking for pages and across the site
• link checking for pages and across the site
• spell checking for pages and across the site
• repeat edits within pages and across the site
• translation for special characters
• relative file paths, line numbering and spell checking
There are many tools available to the layman for designing websites. Microsoft FrontPage is by far the easiest product to use for designing websites. If you are familiar with Microsoft products, you’ll be fairly comfortable with the user interface and should have no trouble getting started. Microsoft FrontPage generally comes as part of the Microsoft Windows operating system package.
Macromedia Dreamweaver is another good website building tool. Dreamweaver is known to be a much more robust and effective website building tool compared to FrontPage. However, it is more complex than FrontPage. Macromedia Dreamweaver costs around $400. Remember that you will need some time to learn to use these tools and reach some level of proficiency. There are several other tools available from other vendors including Adobe.
While you can design and build a site yourself using the above tools, remember that your site is your business establishment. If your site is just a single section with a sign up and a download section, maybe you can venture to try your hand at building your site. In all other cases, leave it to a professional web designer or a firm with the experience. There are far too many aspects of the website that have to work together, and you should go in for the best resources to build the most important component of your business.
Domain Name registration
In the physical world, you can distinguish a business because of its structure, window displays, or signs. You can tell that a bank is a bank, or a clothing store is indeed a clothing store.
In the Internet, however, it is an entirely different story altogether. Your domain name is the only clue to your online business. You do not have visual clues: no location, no look, and no store design. Instead, users have to type in a word or a set of words to reach your site. Your prospective visitor has no way of knowing what your site is all about until he/she finds it and reads its contents. Who can ever tell that Amazon.com sells books? Or that Excite is a search engine?
Your domain name can spell your success on the Internet. A good domain name is the best asset you can ever have. It can make your business stand out in the crowd, or just float aimlessly in space.
The need to provide immediate clues to an online business led to the prevalence of generic domain names. Generic names instantly provide the user with an idea of what a business is all about, what to expect and look for in a site. For instance, Etoys.com is a toy store.
The temptation of the generic name has been so powerful; that some companies even paid ridiculously high prices to get the name they want. The domains Loans.com and Wines.com were both bought for $3 million each. Telephone.com was acquired for $1.75 million, while Bingo.com sold for $1.1 million.
However, generic names do not necessarily create the “buzz” that you’d like surrounding your website. Branding has always been about proper names: McDonald's did not name their store Hamburger. Hertz is not called Car Rental. FedEx is not Mail Carrier. Kodak is not Photographs. Microsoft is not Computer Software.
For better branding results, your domain name should be memorable and easy to remember. Remember the following tips when creating a domain name.
• The domain name should be short
• The domain name should be simple
• It should be suggestive of your business category
• It should be unique
• It should be easy to interpret and pronounce
• It should be personalized
• It should not be difficult to spell
• It should not be difficult to remember
Domain names can be registered through many different companies (known as "registrars") - a listing of these companies is available at ICANN: http://www.icann.org. You can register for 1 to 10 years - prices can vary anywhere from $10 to $20 per year. Most web hosting companies, as explained later, will handle the registration process for you, but make sure that you are properly listed as the owner of the domain when it is registered. If you have registered a domain name for a specific period, make sure you renew it in time. You can be surprised at the number of cases, where site owners have let a domain name slip by if they have not renewed in time.
Selecting the Platform and Server – Windows Server, Linux, or UNIX
When planning a paid subscription site, one of the basic questions for any Webmaster is what platform to base the web site on. The most popular platforms, Linux, UNIX and Windows Server are widely available and offer various options and have different abilities. Your choice of platform will define the utility and type of software that you can use, the kind of applications that your site can run, what kind of server can host your site, the amount of control you have over your site and how efficiently your site will work as it grows in scale.
When deciding on whether or not you will choose a Linux, UNIX or Windows Server platform it is important to keep in mind what web host will host your site. Established web hosts offer service on all these platforms, while others offer service only on one of these. Above all, make sure when choosing a host that they have a skilled technical support team that is knowledgeable about the platform you choose.
The fundamental difference between these platforms stems from how they came into existence. UNIX was designed to integrate with large network systems, while Windows Server was made to serve the needs of individual users or companies that don't want to deal with the complexities of UNIX administration.
UNIX has been around, in one form or another, for the last twenty years. Because of this, the system is very well developed and stable, and there is a lot of software and applications designed to work for it.
Windows Server, on the other hand, was created more recently by Microsoft as a system specifically designed to handle the user-friendly software, which it has developed for web page design. With Windows, you get a platform that runs a series of naturally compatible programs and applications that mesh easily within the ubiquitous Windows environment.
However, Linux by far is the most widely used platform. This is because Linux is open- source. That means that for the entire base system, you have access to the source code as well as the right to modify it. Thus, you can write new extensions and drivers as needed for your website. Linux is less prone to crash and is considered more efficient than any other platform.
Linux is also “free” in many senses. In one sense, the Linux consumer is free to modify the system and do anything he or she wishes with it. In another sense, acquiring Linux does not necessarily require any cash outlay at all. Linux offers a host of other benefits in terms of reliability, compatibility, and network friendliness.
A reliable web hosting service would suggest you the best possible option for your website. However, it is always good to be informed about the advantages of the different kinds of servers. Here are a few tips that would help you decide.
How will your customers or visitors view your site?
When you are planning your site, think of how your visitors view your site. The technology is improving every day and users are upgrading their systems in kind, but it is important to remember that a great number of users are working with technology that is a few years out of date. This concept is important at every level of web site planning, even when deciding what platform to use. Creating a complex web site that requires a lot of data transfer will be slow on older equipment and this may be counter productive for you.
Remember to think of your visitors when deciding what software you are planning to use. This is important because the software you want can some times determine what platform you must use.
What programs and application will work for you?
FrontPage by Microsoft, ColdFusion by Allaire/Macromedia, and Java servlets are just a few of the many names and buzz words that float around the Internet business. Deciding what software you need and what features you want, and therefore what kind of platform you run your site on, is one of the most important decisions you will make. Microsoft’s ASP and Java Server Pages (JSP) are often used for designing the web interfaces if your site is database driven. If the entire content is largely static and not dynamic, the pages could well be designed using HTML and the use of scripts.
How large do you expect your site to grow?
When you are making the plan for your web site try and think of how large it is going to grow. Is your web host going to need to support a lot of features? Do you need Real Audio, Video or Chat capability? Are you going to have a number of web pages and a lot of traffic, e-mail accounts? In the beginning, even if you start out small, on a virtual host (or shared host), remember that one day you may grow large.
How much administrative control do you really need?
In this category, UNIX is generally considered superior. This is because its system allows for programming closer to the base of the programming hierarchy. Find out about these when choosing your web host. But the question is 'how much administrative control do you really need?' Some users do not need the kind of direct control that Linux or UNIX
provide and are better off with the simpler, pre-prepared (and integrated) programming that Microsoft supplies for the Windows Server platform.
Security and other considerations
Security is another important aspect that influences the selection of a platform. Java and UNIX are considered more secure compared to Windows.
The Web server you use for your website is again dependent on platform. Hence, selection of a platform also depends on the Web server. IIS runs on Windows, Apache will run on Linux, and so on. If the site is extensively transaction based, you may need to have an Application Server – these are also platform dependent. WebSphere and WebLogic are Java based, MTS is Windows based.
In the end, it will be the needs of you and your visitors that will define what programs and applications you want to work with. Once this is decided, the kind of platform you need will become apparent. If you need help answering these questions, ask a professional web developer or sales representative from a reputable web hosting company. They will be able to help you wade through the details and decide whether you should use a UNIX, Linux or a Windows Server platform.
Web hosting arrangements
If you have a business site on the web then you should aim for nothing less than a professional hosting site providing 24 hours support. There are lots of different web hosting companies all offering different services, some offer free hosting but they may put adverts on your site (free hosting is not at all recommended).
When looking for a host there are a few important things to keep in mind, for instance, you may need help with basic things, which some hosts simply won't do. Other things to consider are the contractual parameters for your particular site, for example how much space you need to store your pages, how much bandwidth you need, and what if you need any special extras to create your site. It is better to let your web hosting company take care of all the technical requirements.
Let us look at how much space you might need. How much physical space you need to store your web pages and images? If the site is going to be less than say 20 pages then 5 Mb will be ample as the average web page should be between 2Kb and 50Kb; so this would leave plenty of room for any images you want to use. If you are using a database, you have to consider the size of data that it will hold. Add to all this, the space that you may need for all the mailboxes associated with this domain. Perhaps a space of 10-15 MB would be adequate for a small sized site. You must ensure that your hosting provider allows you to upgrade the space allocation at incremental costs. Remember that having adequate space for your site is important.
Bandwidth is a measurement of how much data (information) can be transferred over a set period of time; for instance every time someone looks at a page / image on your website this increases your bandwidth use. The average hosting company offers between 1Gb (1024 Mb) and 5Gb a month, which should be plenty if the site isn't going to be another “Amazon”. So the calculation for the bandwidth would be the size of the pages/images viewed by each visitor times how many visitors per month. Some packages do not set a limit on the amount of traffic to your site.
An important consideration while selecting a web hosting Company is the infrastructure facilities, the flexibility and the support provided. Most hosting providers have contracted for bulk space from a data center and offer bundles of shared space to you. The infrastructure of the data center is an important consideration. What is the bandwidth available to the data center? Does it have redundant provisions for its connection to the Internet? What is the security provision including that for fire safety? What has been the track record of the service provider and the data center?
There are two primary options for hosting your site on a Server. You can have a dedicated server or you can rent space on a shared server. In the case of the shared server, the main server holds several websites, including yours. A shared server turns out far more economical to you. If your site has extensive transactions, important security considerations and you want much greater control over your site, you may consider having a dedicated server. Several institutions and large companies may even host their websites on their own internal and dedicated server, which is then exposed to the Internet.
One of the most important aspects of a paid subscription site is the database to store and retrieve information; the two most common database systems are MySQL and Microsoft Access - which one you use will depend on your application and your host. The other options for selecting a database are Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, Sybase and several others. Selection of the database is an issue that has to be decided with your Developer. The factors are compatibility with your web application and interfaces and your hosting platform, scalability, robustness and reliability and costs. If your database platform has been decided, ensure that this is offered and supported by your web-hosting provider.
Here are some other guidelines to follow when choosing the right web hosting Company.
What type of customer/technical support does the hosting company offer?
Find a company that offers 24/7 tech support. If you're working on your site at 2 am and run into a problem, you don't want to wait until 9 am the next day to get it fixed. Make sure the company has a detailed FAQ page or online manual so you can get answers to some common questions immediately. You should prefer companies that offer a toll-free number as well, in order to avoid long distance charges in the event you have a problem that can't be solved online or via email.
How long has the company been in business? Who are some of the clients?
Before you look for package specs, prices, etc, check out the company and make sure they're reputable. Look into how long the company has been in business and, if possible, check out some of the sites hosted by that company. Many web-hosting firms won't provide you with a list of clients, so if you're unable to get that information, find out how many clients they have.
What is the length of contract that you are required to sign? Are there discounts for paying several months in advance?
You'll find month-to-month contracts, quarterly contracts, annual contracts and almost any other arrangement. Decide what is best for you. Once you settle on a company you like and want to stay with, it's nice to have the option of paying several months in advance at a discounted rate should you decide to do so.
How much will it cost?
Web hosting fees vary greatly. For the most part, though, you get what you pay for. Companies that charge $2.95/month usually don't offer everything a company that charges $24.95/month does. Generally, you should find a high-quality host and a decent plan from $15.00 - $35.00 per month.
Is unlimited FTP access provided?
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a method of transferring files to your server. It is highly recommended that you shop for unlimited, 24 hour FTP access. Access to your control panel to enable management of your site is important.
How many email addresses are provided? Are auto-responders provided?
Some plans offer numerous email addresses with their hosting packages, so you can set up you@yourdomain.com, sales@yourdomain.com, info@yourdomain.com, etc. Look for hosts that provide auto-responders as well. These are neat little programs that send a pre-set reply to any mail addressed to a specific email address. Check other facilities that are offered with the mailboxes. The space for each independent mailbox is important along with a pooled facility for ‘catchall’ to make sure you do not lose important mail, just because your mailbox is overflowing. Does the provider offer you a web mail facility? What are the security features offered including anti-virus, anti-spam and such others? While you could use these features with the mail client on your desktop, having additional security layer at the mail server level is useful.
Is some sort of stats package included?
Several hosts offer some type of statistics package. It is much easier to use the package they provide rather than trying to install one yourself - not to mention it's usually less expensive as well. Statistics show you the number of visitors that have accessed your site, showing where they came from (IP address), when, what pages they visited, duration of their stay at any page and so on. A separate section in this book deals with monitoring the traffic to your site for analysis and strategic purpose.
Backup and Business Continuity arrangements
Creating a Back-up and Business Continuity plan is vital for your subscription website. Business Continuity includes arrangements for disaster recovery. The disaster may occur due to a natural event such as a hurricane affecting the data center or maybe due to the work of man (computer theft or security violations), or a hardware or software failure that leaves your current computer system useless or the data corrupt. The disaster recovery plan must cover restoration of software and potential replacement of hardware and, most importantly, recovery of all sensitive and critical data.
Business continuity or business resumption planning prepares your company to recover after some interruption of your business operations. A business continuity plan should comprehensively address all issues, from the ability to replace key personnel, if required, to restoring the ability of the computer system to process information.
All mission critical data, including your client and product database should be backed up at least daily and stored in a format where it can be accessed quickly. Make sure the data can be restored quickly. Consider building redundant systems. For instance, create a “mirror” for your paid subscription website at an alternate location.
Outdated operating systems and backup software can create difficulties. Keep all your systems up to date and secure. Firewalls and Security certifications and encryption reduce the chances of any interruption due to malicious attack considerably.
Security and Firewall
Every company on the Internet today, regardless of size, requires some measure of perimeter access control (firewall). Even Microsoft, with all its in-house expertise and intricate security measures has been susceptible to outside intrusion. With the emergence of more insidious and sophisticated viruses/worms, security measures are more urgent than ever.
There are several different options available, all of which depend on the size of your organization, how much money you are willing to spend, and how important it is to your website to ensure that your information is secure. It is important to bear in mind, that there is no "silver bullet"; no absolute guarantee when it comes to Internet security that your information will be foolproof. However, there are a number of measures that can at least ensure a maximum level of security.
All firewalls act as a gateway between two networks. Generally this gateway exists between a corporate network and the Internet. The firewall is set up to let a pre- determined group of people onto the network while keeping others out.
There are 3 basic types of firewall designs. Moreover, firewalls differ greatly in terms of functionality and feature requirements. There are firewalls that are extremely flexible and configurable operating on dedicated computer systems. This type of firewall is often used by those organizations that require the ability to configure it to suit their own needs, and have the resources and personnel necessary to do so.
At the other end of the spectrum is the type of firewalls that come as part of an appliance or some other system, and that have limited configurability and flexibility. Finally there are those firewalls that are built into routers and VPNs.
One important factor in determining security requirements is the structure of your company and website. Obviously, very large websites with huge Internet transactions will require more sophisticated firewall solutions than the smaller websites.
Copy Writing
You have got your web design tools and your web hosting service. However, it is the content of your website that will determine the number of customers you can get for your products (or services). Your web pages have to be created such that they tell your story effectively.
Your website content should convince visitors that your product is either unique or superior to that of your competitors in terms of quality and/or is competitively priced. It should show your prospective clients that you can provide the solution that they are seeking. Your offering will solve their problems, answer a dream, enrich their lives, and/or improve their businesses. You are offering them value for money. You are the dependable expert that they want and need!
Your website copy plays a major role in establishing and growing your customer base.
Website copy creates the “voice” of a company, just as the look and feel of a site put a “face” on the company and on otherwise intangible products and services. On a paid subscription site, the copy plays a key role in closing sales as well as in up-selling and cross-selling products and services. Good copy delights first-time visitors, encourages return visits and propels both customer acquisition and retention.
People read a web page differently than they do a brochure or a newspaper. They scan, scroll, click, hit the back button, and hit the forward button. “Reading” is about moving around and being in control. You have one chance to make a first impression – to quickly convey the benefit of staying on your web site. The layout, functionality, message and overall look and feel of your web page determine who stays – and who clicks away.
Your story should be clear and to the point. The goal of any web page should be to get the visitor to DO something: to move on to the next step in a purchase sequence or to click for more information about a product. Without readable, compelling copy and clearly organized hypertext links, visitors are much less likely to complete a transaction – and return to your site again.
Writing for your web page should always start from your visitor’s perspective. What is your web site visitor looking for? Why is he/she here? How can you make his/her visit as quick and efficient and positive as possible? You should take the time to clarify the goal of each page before starting to write. If the page is part of a transaction sequence, identify what may be hindering the buying process. Be sure instructions are clear and easy to read.
If you are selling a service on your website, your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is your service’s most powerful benefit, in combination with the strong, unique features of your business.
Tell your customers what service you are selling and explain what does a membership provide. What is the key benefit(s) to your customers? Compare your service with that of your competitors and highlight what makes you stand out from the competition? Keep working on this until you can clearly separate yourself from the others. As stated earlier there must be a convincing reason for doing business with you, instead of your competitor.
Summarize the above into one tight, powerful, motivating phrase that will persuade your customer to do business with you and to trade their money for the benefits delivered by your service.
As you start to work through the above four steps, you may find this to be a lot harder than it looks. Don’t blow it off and give up! You must have a USP. If it were easy, everyone would have a great USP! Come up with a tight, sharp USP that sells your products to your customer.
Write tight, get right to the point, be keenly aware of the audience for the page, and don’t use a three-syllable word when a one or two-syllable word will do. Use “call to action” language and be interesting. The page should be so clearly organized that, in seconds, visitors can understand and get convinced to buy your product and be able to anticipate where a hypertext link – or a “Continue” button – will take them. Studies show that “ease of use” is the winning factor on an e-commerce site.
If you’re going to promote your products and expand your customer base using your website, potential clients have to be able to trust you. Their confidence in you and your products has to be boosted. Endorsements on your website from a valued friend or colleague, or a referral from a strategic partner are the types of “leads” that boost your credibility. You and your product must be perceived as being trust-worthy before your visitor will be confident enough to contact you or even buy your product.
Show prospects that you have their best interests at heart and that you can adapt or customize your service to meet their individual needs. Foster an ongoing relationship that steadily increases their trust level and cements a view that you are an “authority” in your field.
Another important aspect of convincing prospective customers is to keep abreast of recent developments in your field. Check what your competitors are writing about, and watch for new trends. This will keep your website current, razor-sharp and unique. By keeping your eyes open, you will be able to grab an angle or niche that hasn’t been well covered yet by your competitors. Portray this angle or niche on your website.
Finally, be wary of broadening the theme of your site too much. Try not to dilute your product’s targeted niche simply to expand your base of merchant partners. Remember, focus on selling your service. That’s where the “meat and potatoes” of your business will come from.
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