Guide to Internet Business - Website Setup

After planning the design and content of your website, it's time to actually physically set up your website. This is the step where you put all your designs and plans into action, creating a website that will attract visitors and earn income.

a) WEBHOSTING

A webhost is a company that stores the pages and pictures and other files of your website. When a person visits your website, they will request these files from your webhost's server so they can view the website. When choosing a webhost, be careful to choose one that is reliable. After all, if your webhost has problems for any reason, people won't be able to visit your website, and you won't be earning any money.

In addition, different webhosts have varying services and tools that they offer. Some of the more important points to consider when choosing a webhost are as follows:

* SPACE AND BANDWIDTH - Space refers to how much file storage space is available for your website. For a standard website with about 20 pages with graphics, 30MB is plenty. Online stores might require more space depending on how many products and pictures you have. Bandwidth refers to how many files can be downloaded and viewed by visitors per month. A normal website with reasonable traffic (200 visitors a day) will need about 2GB bandwidth. Again, if you own a business with lots of products and webpages, you might need more bandwidth.

* DOMAINS AND SUBDOMAINS - Usually, webhosting accounts are charged per domain, with $10 per domain being a reasonable price. However, you can buy larger hosting packages that allow you to host multiple domains and websites on the same account. Subdomains are just different sections of your website's domain, with 5 subdomains the rough standard. You will need to make sure how many domains your account entitles you for, in order to calculate which is the better webhosting package.

* EMAILS AND AUTORESPONDERS - Emails are the various email addresses that visitors can write to you. Most websites will use about 2 or 3 emails (maybe a webmaster email and a support email). Autoresponders are email addresses that will reply someone with an automatic email. You will only need autoresponders if you are on vacation and wish to leave an automated reply in case anybody emails you.

* SCRIPTS - If you want to add extra functionality (such as forums or polls), you will need to be able to run scripts. Make sure your webhost allows you to run scripts for your website. The more common scripts are Java, PHP, Perl and CGI.

There are a number of companies out there that offer free webhosting, but they usually have severe limitations, and might place their own ads on your website. If you are serious in building your internet business, it is recommended to sign up for a proper webhosting service. We recommend HostGator, which provides different levels of webhosting depending on your requirements and budget, with various useful tools as well. In any case, you shouldn't be paying more than $10 a month per domain for basic webhosting services.

b) PROGRAMMING

Some people with sufficient HTML knowledge use word processing programs to directly code the HTML for their websites. For the rest of us who don't have such skill, we recommend one of the popular graphical programs like Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft Frontpage. These programs allow you to create your webpages with mouse clicks with little need for knowledge in HTML.

If you want to make your website look like another website, you can "copy" their HTML and modify it to fit your website. In Internet Explorer, click the "View" menu, then click the "Source" option. This will show you the HTML code for the website. You will need some HTML knowledge to make sense of this and use it on your website.

If you need more information and examples on the many things that HTML can do, you can visit the online tutorial at W3Schools.

c) FILE ORGANIZATION AND TRANSFER

Once you have your webhosting set up and your webpages completed, you need to transfer the completed pages to your webhosting server. If you are using a graphical program like Dreamweaver to work on your webpages, you can configure Dreamweaver to transfer the files for you.

If you are doing it manually, you need to transfer the files via FTP. Your webhost will provide you with an FTP server, with a user id and password for you to access your account on the webhost. Once you connect to the account via FTP, you will be able to upload (transfer files from your computer to the server) or download (transfer files from the server to your computer) or modify files as required.

You can FTP to the server using your computer's Windows Explorer, by entering the FTP server's address in your explorer's Address Toolbar. Or you can use specialized FTP programs such as AceFTP.

d) ADDITIONAL SCRIPTS

If you want to add extra functionality to your website, such as polls, newsletter subscription forms and other interactive programs, you will need to install scripts onto your website.

If you are looking for scripts to create a newsletter mailing list, do note that some webhosting services also provide mailing list scripts. If your webhost doesn't provide it, BigNoseBird has a good email list management software.

For other scripts and functionality, you can check out the popular scripts at websites such as BigNoseBird and HotScripts.

Steven is the webmaster of http://www.onlinebiz-help.com. His website contains various resources on affiliate programs and internet marketing advice to help you succeed in your internet business, including a Step-By-Step Guide to get you started.

---

Lead Generation How to -- 10 Tips On Generating More Internet Sales Leads

Many millions of dollars are being wasted on promoting and... Read More

Build a Web Site that Works...Even for a Safari Hobby!

My life's greatest passion is a safari hobby. And what... Read More

KISS Your Website!

Many web developers today are starting to KISS their website,... Read More

Website Survival Guide

In the big, wide online world there are millions of... Read More

Creating Websites that Cater to Exam Preparations

One of the things that Internet excels is disseminating information... Read More

Your Website Reflects Your Business

Some left shoes are in isle 5, while the right... Read More

Build It and They Will Come

Build it and they will come is not always true;... Read More

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) & Web Accessibility

There's been widespread speculation about the new legislation being introduced... Read More

Search Engines and Customers Want Focused Web Site Content

How do you decide on the content, products and or... Read More

Web Site Optimization: How To Speed Up Your Web Site By Minimizing Your GIF and PNG Image Bit-Depth

Are bloated images slowing down your web site and causing... Read More

Let Your Customers Redesign Your Website!

When you purchase a new item from a Yahoo! Store,... Read More

Having a Domain Name And Web Site Gives Your Business The Key To The Door

Just like all things in life, the ways to run... Read More

4 Steps to Selling More With Your Web Site

Most web sites are more like stage sets than real... Read More

Allocating Your Web Site?s Budget Properly

I had a client say something to me the other... Read More

Web Measurement: What You Don?t Know Would Make A Great Book

"What's in it for me?" you ask. "Why should I... Read More

Why Is No-one Buying From My Website?

Are you, like many other website owners, frustrated at the... Read More

Maintaining Your Business Website

QUESTION: Should I build and maintain my business Web... Read More

Learn to Build a Better Online Business Website Using Keywords and Content

Are you aware that 90% of the websites on the... Read More

Using Mini Websites - Powerful Way to Direct Marketing

Mini Websites are the most powerful and cost effective solution... Read More

7 Reasons YOU Need a Website

1) A marketing necessityI still hear it said from time... Read More

Get to Know People through Websites

Web sites are not just places to sell things; they... Read More

Getting a Web Site Can Be Fast, Easy, and Inexpensive When You Know Your Options

So what do you do if need to get a... Read More

But My Business Doesnt Need A Website!

Revenues are often lost because many business owners don't see... Read More

Functions and Subroutines in ASP

Functions and Subroutines in ASP If you read... Read More

Three Way Linking - Webmaster Strategy

Three way linking and concerns.For many years SEO experts were... Read More

How to Build a Database Driven Web Site

If you ever want to create a state directory, article... Read More

Launch Your Own Website Today - Its Easier Than You Think!

Thousands of people are now making a living online and... Read More

Why You Need A Web Site

"I have a small business with just a couple of... Read More

Content Management ? The New Standard in Web Design

The evolution of web development parallels the model of technology... Read More

Tips to Protect Your Downloads or Products

1. Upload robots.txt file in to your root directory and... Read More

The Cost Of A Web Site

Just starting out, you can start with a simple informational... Read More

Nonsense! Why Do I Need a Website?

"I don't sell anything online, I don't advertise online, in... Read More

Do You Need a Web Database?

Does My Web Site Require A Web Database?If your web... Read More