BASIC WEBSITE INGREDIENTS

(We have simplified this information in order for those new to or learning about the Internet to gain a greater understanding of what is required in order to have an "online presence".)
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Below is a list of requirements that are necessary in order to have a website on the Internet. Click on underlined words to learn more: 

1. Domain Name (www.yourname.com)
2. Hosting (stores your website)
3. Website (your web pages and images)
4. Maintenance (keep your content current)

Article by Pacific Web Effects © COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 2003
NO PERMISSION TO REDISTRIBUTE

1: Domain Name - A domain name is similar to your own name in that it identifies you in a way that is easier for you and others to remember than, say, your social security number.  Domain names were invented to identify a unique number on the internet called an IP address.  The Internet is actually based on IP addresses.  Each time you type in a domain name, such as a www.yourwebsite.com, a DNS service translates the domain name into the corresponding IP address behind the scenes. 

Domain names must have two parts: the part on the left that you create to describe your small business, organization, or whatever you would like, and the part on the right (the domain name extension) that identifies the highest sub-domain.  From .com (Commercial) to .edu (Educational) and even country-specific names such as .jp (for Japan), every domain is registered under a top domain such as these.

With over 38 million domain names registered, the market is booming with names being purchased on a highly rapid basis.  The great thing about domain names is that once you purchase a name, you own it and it is unique to you.  This is because all names are recorded in a central database.  You can purchase a domain name without having a web page or website.  This is known as "parking".  If you've seen a page that says "Under Construction", it usually is because the owner has parked their site on a web server.  This is great because you can own a name before someone else does, while waiting for your site to be developed.  One of the negatives of this is that people ("cyber-squatters") purchase domain names with the intent on selling the name at a much higher price than what it was bought for.  This can be frustrating for those interested in using the domain name for more legitimate purposes, such as for a website or redirection.  Sometimes, domain names violate trademarks, tradenames, and intellectual property.  Disputes over domain names are handled according to the ICANN Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.  ICANN is the governing body of the Internet, created to preserve stability and adherence to global standards.

Regardless of who you purchase your domain name through, domains are renewed on an annual basis.  Depending on the extension as well as the company you purchase through, domain names vary in price.  You can purchase brand new names as well as already-owned or expiring names.  Originally, Network Solutions was the company that acted as the sole registry and registrar for the .com, .net, and .org top-level domains from 1993-1999, pursuant to a cooperative agreement with the United States Government.  Then in October 1998, the US Government allowed companies to compete directly with Network Solutions.  Now that the former monopoly is over, domain names can be registered for much lower prices.  

But buyer-beware: not all domain name registration companies play nice.  Hidden fees, inadequate customer service, and other technical problems may arise if you work with a company that isn't up to par.  That is why we highly recommend Directnic.com.  They are #1 in delivering exceptional service, quality, reliability, and $15/year domain names.  They continue to be a leader in the industry.

    View a List of All Domain Name Registries World-Wide

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2: Hosting - Hosting is a term to describe a company that provides hosting services.  Basically, your website files (pages and images) are stored on computer systems called servers.  Each time a user, who is connected to the Internet, types in your domain name, a request to the server is sent.  The server fetches the page named index.html (your homepage should always be named index or default) and sends it to the web browser for viewing.

Depending on the hosting provider, the client is offered a variety of hosting features, such as a certain amount of storage space, data transfer (which uses bandwidth), POP E-mail accounts (yourname@yourwebsite.com), CGI-bin, site statistics, and support for various programming languages, programs, and multimedia.   Hosting fees occur on a monthly basis and are typically paid annually.

We can provide hosting with our complete website development packages, as well as anyone who uses our design services.  And with our convenient billing, you can have one bill for three services!

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3: Website -  A website is a location on the World Wide Web that contains a homepage and other pages.  Websites can contain text, images, graphics, and files such as .pdf in which the site visitor can download from their web browser (program used to view websites).  Like any other specialization, you can try to "do-it-yourself" and manage to post a website to the Internet.  So why is it best to leave it to design professionals? Their years of expertise & experience provide them with the skills and knowledge to create a site that is viewable on multiple browsers and platforms, usable by the general public (including those with disabilities), and is skillfully designed to optimize your chances of being one of the top listings in search engines, among many other important reasons.

We offer budget-friendly custom website & graphic design.  Our professionally-designed websites feature quick-loading graphics and photos, ease of use (even for beginners), free optimization using metatags and text content for search engines, and much more!  If you'd like a website, we can design a competitively-priced site for you, register your domain name for you, submit to search engines, provide hosting, and maintain your site to keep it fresh and updated.

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4: Maintenance - And finally, your site is up on the Internet.  Now you need to keep it updated and fresh to keep visitors coming back!  Site maintenance can take the form of entire site redesigns to freshen the look, changing broken hyperlinks (broken meaning the page that you linked to no longer exists or has moved), or changing content so that visitors have something new to read.  We also maintain client sites and provide maintenance plans based either on a monthly fee or an hourly rate.  Maintaining your website is important and is similar to caring for plants--you must tend to it in order for it to grow...