TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

Your Move to the Internet, Part II:
Content and Getting 'Published'

by Jennifer Johnson, Little Rock, Ark.

When you're building your Internet site, the real work starts after you decide how you'll construct your site. This month, the second of my two columns on building your own Internet site will aim to help you decide what kind of content to put on the 'Net, and how to "publish" your site so others can actually view it.

The Content Question
Quality content is critical to drawing attention to your web site. One of the main reasons people venture onto the Internet is to get information. High-quality content that's updated frequently is crucial for attracting visitors to your site and bringing them back.

Graphic elements are the next key ingredient. You can design these yourself, purchase a clip art/graphics collection or hire someone to design them for you. If you choose to purchase a clip art collection, read the license agreement carefully, particularly anything pertaining to the use of images in a web page or electronic document. You don't want to violate any copyrights.

Developing text and graphics is the bulk of the work in designing a site. There are other elements with names such as CGI scripts and Java applets, but these are more advanced features. You won't need them to get up and running.

When thinking about design, keep these few principles in mind:

    • Keep your images small in terms of file size. This will allow your pages to load quickly.
    • Choose a background/text color combination that's easy to read.
    • Spell-check your documents.
    • Check your site on different color settings and screen sizes if possible. Don't design for a specific screen size.
    • View your site in at least Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

Getting 'Published'
After you've designed your site, you must put it somewhere it for the world to see. For many small businesses, purchasing server space from a host company—many Internet service providers offer this service—is the best option. Here are a few reasons why.

The host company will take care of the hardware and software necessary to have your site accessible to Internet users (hopefully) 24-seven. Essentially, you provide and maintain the site, and the Internet service company takes care of the rest: equipment maintenance, upgrades, troubleshooting and the like. This does not mean that the company performs any services on the site itself. It simply means that if you had your own server and the system crashed, you would be responsible for getting it up and working again. If you use a host company and the system crashes, the host takes care of that and troubleshoots other problems.

To find a host for your site, try performing a "Power Search" at HostSearch (www.hostsearch.com ). Besides any special services you might require, the host company you choose should have a customer support department that's easy to contact. Spend some time finding the right hosting company. It's not uncommon to hear horror stories about people who chose a host hastily or without enough information, and encounter frequent downtime, lost data, uninformed and/or unreachable tech support, etc.

When it's time to actually upload your pages—in other words, "publish" them—consult with your host company to determine exactly how to do this. The company should give you some form of instruction, such as a manual to guide you through the process.

Once you've uploaded your pages, web surfers worldwide can potentially view your site.

More businesses are going online every day. Why shouldn't your practice be one of them?

Ms. Johnson is the owner of ASPiRE Internet Marketing (www.promotingyoursite.com) and an optometric assistant for Kirby Smith, O.D., in Little Rock, Ark. Her e-mail is jenny@promotingyoursite.com.

 

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