1	So you think you want a web site? Catherine A. Parvensky Barwell Integrated Learning Technology, Inc. http://www.integrated-learning.com http://www.iltwebsites.com http://www.ilthost.com
2	Benefits of a Web Site Generating new clients Make prospective clients feel they know you Let prospective clients know your areas of specialty Gain the trust of clients Increase targeted leads Providing a service to current clients Resources (links, newsletter, presentations) Worksheets Tools (calculators, links, templates) Online Bills / Payments Produce on-line bills your client can view and pay Accept payments via credit card
3	Benefits of a Web Site Make your life easier Provide worksheets for users to print and use List resources to decrease number of time consuming phone calls List services and specialties to prevent “do you handle _______ cases” phone calls List office hours, locations, and directions to decrease the number of phone calls Increase the use of e-mail which you can answer when you have time, rather than being interrupted Use autoresponders to automatically send information requested by users via e-mail
4	What do visitors really want most? Ease of use (navigation) Good content (accurate, timely, thorough) Readability (visually pleasing) Good clean graphics (meaningful) Speed (load time) Current information Accurate information
5	Attracting visitors Things that attract prospective clients: Helpful advice Good information Continually changing information Easy navigation Well advertised site Directories Search engines Yellow pages (online and print) URL on all correspondences (business cards, letterhead, forms, etc.)
6	Things that keep visitors away Difficult navigation Cannot find what they want quickly The site doesn’t look professional Buttons and links don’t work Error messages that appear Typographical errors Poor design Poor graphics
7	Things that keep visitors away Poor choice of colors or backgrounds Stale or outdated content Requiring personal information before giving them any useful content Frames Small windows which make the viewer scroll horizontally and vertically to read text Slow download times Obvious errors in content
8	Things that keep visitors away Inaccurate information Poor use of space No knowledge that the site exists Poor design (colors, fonts, graphics) Poor navigation (can’t find what they want) Confusing entry point (don’t know where to click or where to go)
9	Costs associated with web sites Web site design and development Domain name registration Web hosting Marketing of site Maintenance of site
10	Costs associated with web sites Web site development Wide range of costs ($50/hr to $500+ per page) Lower range is often associated with lesser quality (Front Page, template type sites) Additional costs for advanced features Custom navigations Creating custom form pages Transferring logos from print to web Special effects Rollover effects Database integration Flash integration Shopping carts
11	Costs associated with web sites Domain name registration An annual fee must be paid to ICANN by registrars every year There are many registrars that offer this service A registration period can be from 1 to 10 years The customary cost had been $35 per year ILT charges as little as $14.95 per year (with multiple year registration) .biz, .info, .name, and .us names usually require a 2 year minimum registration period If you do not renew a domain registration, the name becomes available for others to purchase
12	Costs associated with web sites Web hosting Very wide range of costs $5.95/month to $2500/month Dedicated servers are set up for only Rates depend on the services you need Know what options you need before selecting a host or a plan Watch out for costly “add-ons” Many providers require an annual contract for the lowest rates
13	Costs associated with web sites Web hosting (cont.) Highest rates are for dedicated hosting or co-location E-commerce sites are generally more expensive Require database support Shopping cart software is often included More storage space is needed Greater bandwidth is needed
14	Costs associated with web sites Marketing of the site Submitting the site to search engines Banner ads Listing site with local directories Bulk mailing (web cards announcing new site) Adding web address to all current correspondences Letterhead Business cards Brochures Newspaper advertisements
15	Costs associated with web sites Maintenance of site Webmaster services FTP Identifying and repairing broken links Site statistics Creating monthly reports of site usage Identifying areas for improvement Modification to site contents and design
16	Where to Start Phase I – selecting a domain name Phase II – developing a site Phase III – finding a hosting provider Phase IV – marketing the site Phase V – maintenance of the site
17	Selecting a domain name A Domain Name: is a unique directional address that clients type into their browser to find your site replaces the numerical IP address (e.g., 264.283.223.43) computers use to direct information to each other consists of two parts Second level Top level Ex: “http://www.secondlevel.toplevel”
18	Selecting a domain name It is estimated that a domain name is registered every 5 seconds Register your domain name now, even if you do not plan on launching a web site until the future Domain names can be “parked” for as little as $5/month with an “under construction” page available on the site
19	Selecting a domain name Top level domains .com .org .net .info .us .biz .name .gov .edu .pro (coming soon)
20	Selecting a domain name Top level country code names .cc - Cocos (Keeling) Islands .tv – Tuvalu .us .ws .bz Every country has a two-letter code
21	Selecting a domain name Second level domains Must always begin and end with a letter or number May not exceed 63 characters excluding the .com, .org, .net, etc. Must be letters or numbers Hyphens are the only accepted non-letter character They are not case sensitive
22	Selecting a domain name The domain name should include something to help clients: Find you easily Know what kind of business you are in Use your current company name Use your product name Use a snappy, arbitrary word or phrase www.homesforsale.com www.bestdarndonuts.com www.ivoteno.us
23	Selecting a domain name Check the availability of the name If name is not available, try a modified name: Use abbreviations Add a prefix or suffix Register your name Registration period can be 1-10 years Find a registrar with the best rates
24	Selecting a domain name Information needed for registration: Domain name to register Name, address, e-mail address, and phone number of the administrative contact and the billing contact Number of years of registration period Host server name and IP address If unknown, registrar may use their name server and address If at any point you change hosting providers, the registration must be changed to the new host’s IP address
25	Selecting a domain name Maintain ownership of domain name Once initial registration period is over, the ‘owner’must pay a “renewal fee” to keep the domain Failure to pay the renewal fee will result in relinquishment of the domain The domain then becomes available for others to buy Some sites have a waiting list of people waiting for domain names to expire
26	Selecting a domain name Ensure ownership of domain name Some web site design firms (less reputable) will register a domain name for you, but place their name as the “registrant”. They do this to ensure you use them for any changes to your website. The “registrant” is the legal owner of a domain. If you are not listed as the “registrant”, it may be difficult for you to manage, transfer, or access your domain/website. Don’t let this happen to you, have www.iltwebsites.com register your domain.
27	Developing a web site Decide why you want a web site Advertising only Customer service/support Online store Combination of the above Provide information (community groups) Discussion/debates (open forums) Marketing tool
28	Developing a web site Decide what information you want to place on your site Each new topic should be on a new page Examples: Company information Client information Services offered Areas of concentration Resources Links
29	Developing a web site Examples of resources Forms that might be needed Worksheets of data a client should bring for a first meeting Links to sites that may be helpful Tools to help the user (e.g. calculators, graphics, downloads) Articles or tutorials Directories
30	Developing a web site Decide on how you want your site to look Colors Logo Navigation (buttons, graphics) Across top On side Combination Use same basic scheme as current items (letterhead, business cards, etc.) Make sure the site is optimized for search engine submission ranking
31	Developing a web site Compile the text and graphics you want on the site Brochures or other current material can be very helpful Submit material in electronic format if possible Most developers charge extra for scanning text or images Write new articles of interest to viewers
32	Developing a web site If desired, compile a list of resources Links to useful web sites Forms or worksheets Decide if you want any special effects Flash intro Banner type animated graphic at top of page Ex. A banner that lists types of services one at a time Transition of images Note: Check out ILTs portfolio of special effects at: http://www.iltw3.com/
33	Developing a web site Special effects (cont) Current date or weather that appears on the site A calendar of events Popup screens Animated graphics Photos that change periodically
34	Developing a web site Find a web developer to develop your site Look for a professional and reputable firm Identify costs up front Look at the terms of the contract Some developers maintain copyright of the design/template of the site Look for “add-on costs” Be certain of the template/layout before work begins Changes can be very costly
35	Developing a web site Making Your Own Website There are software programs and hosting companies that offer programs to “make your own website”. They are often time consuming to create If you don’t know what you’re doing, the site can be difficult to navigate causing viewers to leave The sites often look amateurish, leading viewers to question the professional quality of the company It is often just not worth it ~ Hire a professional
36	Finding a web host provider Decide how much storage space you will need Statistics indicate the average web site is 10 MB or less Text takes very little space on the web Graphics, audio, and video can significantly increase the size of a site Downloadable files can be very large Adobe PDF files can be 100 to 800 KB each or more Database files can also be very large
37	Finding a web host provider Decide how much bandwidth you need The amount of data transferred to or from your web site Usually measured in Gigabytes per month 1Gigabyte = 1000 Megabytes Decide how fast you need your site to be The type of connection your host has to the internet will determine how quickly and easily your site’s content can be viewed by visitors
38	Finding a web host provider Speed of web hosts: T1 (1.5 Mbyte per second) T3 (45 Mbyte per second) DS3, OC3, OC12 (very fast connections) Redundant connections Multiple connections to ensure content is available at all times Ensures 99% up time
39	Finding a web host provider Determine the level of technical support you will need E-mail support Phone support 24/7 support “Uptime guarantees” Backup frequency
40	Finding a web host provider Determine how you will handle your web site’s e-mail POP3 e-mail accounts E-mail forwarding E-mail auto-responders Mailing list support Web accessible e-mail
41	Finding a web host provider Evaluate the host’s tools for monitoring and maintaining your site Control panel Allows you to make rapid changes to e-mail accounts and passwords without requiring you to have experience Allows you to upload files on your own without going through the host provider E-mail or phone requests The host handles the administrative details themselves Test the host to see how quickly they respond to requests
42	Finding a web host provider Determine how you will access and modify your site Use a webmaster FTP (file transfer protocol) Telnet access FrontPage extensions
43	Finding a web host provider Explore the extra services a web host offers Web design services Dedicated server Co-location Domain parking Domain pointing Unique IP address Special programming and customization Video and audio Adult content allowed
44	"Why care about hosting adult..." Why care about hosting adult sites? If a server allows adult content sites on the server, it could significantly slow upload times of you site due to increased bandwidth use of adult sites
45	Finding a web host provider Compare costs across several hosts and plans Price ranges Setup fees Domain registration Money-back guarantees Annual rates vs. monthly rates Watch for costly “add-ons” (e.g. FrontPage extensions, SSL, e-mail accounts, space, domain parking, shopping cart)
46	Finding a web host provider Test your prospective web host Data transfer testing Clear out browser’s cache Go to the host’s web site See how long it takes for the host’s site to come up Try the test at different times of day and night Technical support testing Send a detailed e-mail question to the support team See how long it takes to receive an answer See how thorough the answer is Does the response answer your question?
47	Marketing your site Submit your site to search engines Register site with local directories: Business directories Yellow pages on-line Locallife.com or other local directories Saturate all correspondences with your new web address Business cards Letterhead Advertisements Publications
48	Maintenance of your site Periodically check for broken links Check site usage Site statistic programs track the number of visitors to your site Make changes based on feedback Modify your site when new services are added, personnel change, etc.