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A Guide to Starting a Web-site

Basics

Q. " I don't know anything about publishing my own web site. Do I need to have a  web host for my site?"

A. "Yes, to get started publishing your site onto the world wide web  you will need to do two things.  You must first register a domain name and  also obtain a web host.  Many domain names have already been taken! You will first need to find out if the name you have chosen is  available.  You can do this by checking  your name at http://www.godaddy.com.  You may have to come with a suitable variation on your desired name.  If you have problems we can help you come with one.main name.

Q: "Is it expensive to register a domain name?"

A: "Different companies charge different amounts for this service. Godaddy.com is the number one choice for new registrations because they are very reasonable.  A new domain costs about $9.99" 

Q. "What does a web host do?"  

A.  A web host or server offers you a place to store your web pages and other files,  and allows you to publish your site so that others may look at it.  

Q: "Do you provide web hosting?" 

A. No, we do not provide hosting services.  We will be happy to recommend a good host  suitable for your needs

Q:  "Is it very difficult to open a hosting account?"

A.  No.  It is  very simple   Web hosts want your business and they do everything they can to simplify the process. It generally involves no more than giving them your contact information and a valid credit card number.

                                                              Navigation

Q. "Okay.  I have come up with a domain name and picked out  a web host what do I do next?

The first thing you will need to do is plan the structure of  your site.  You will need to figure out the number of different pages ( links) you require and what the content will be for each one. For example, you may want an about us page, a contact page, a mission statement page, a product or services page, a photo gallery page.  If you have any problems figuring out the navigation you can always find inspiration by looking  at other sites that offer the same kind of service or product as yours. 

                                                                                    Content

Q. "Okay,  I have figured out the basic navigation of my site,  what do I do next?"

Once you have figured out the navigation of your site, you will need to start thinking about the content of site.  You will be responsible for creating the text that appears on your site.   It would be helpful if you could supply us with any photographs that are specific to your particular business.  We do image searches but they are usually general in nature.

Q: "What  file formats do you support? 

A.  "Text  files must be in standard word format. Photos  may be either jpegs or gifs.  Videos should be in .wmv format (Windows media).  Music files may be either .wav or .mp3. Simple databases may be constructed in excel spreadsheets.

Q: "What about the appearance of the site?  How do I figure out what my site should look like?"

Once you have a basic idea about the content of your site  you will need to think about what you want the site to look like. It is a good idea to consider  the purpose of your site and  the sort of image you would like to convey   We recommend you take a  look around the net and try to find sites that are similar to what you have in mind.   

Q. " I don't like the generic look of some web pages. Do you ever work from templates?"

A.  "No, we don't use templates  (except by request.)  All our work is original and created solely  for your site  based on your suggestions.  No one else  will have the same design."        

                                                              Shopping Carts 

Q; "Can I add a shopping cart to my site? How much does this cost?

A     We use the a PayPal shopping cart system because it is simple to use. We charge a one time fee of 50.00 for all carts and an additional fee of $2.50 a product,                           

Q : " I would like to be able to accept credit cards on my site  How do I do this?"

A: "In order to accept credit cards you must purchase a security certificate and set up a merchant account with a bank.     We recommend using a  paypal system because it is easier to set up than a merchant account ( which may require a store-front address).  

                                             

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