In previous issues of Belly Up we have looked at laying
out of web pages to enhance their
appeal. This is helpful if you have already made a start on your website or can
pretty much find your way around the internet. What happens though when it seems
more daunting than learning a new language? This week we will take a look at the
commonly used terms and what it takes to get a website up and running.
URL - Uniform Resource Locator
The first thing you need for a website is an address - a unique location for
people to be able to find you. The URL for Childbirth International is
http://www.childbirthinternational.com.
The URL is what people type in when they want to go to your website. The first
part of the URL (http) defines the way your site works - the protocol used. You
don't need to worry about this. The second part (www.childbirthinternational.com)
is the domain name. This is a name chosen by you. It is a good idea to choose
something that defines your business as it is easier for people to remember and
pass on to others. A domain name of www.ebd.com is not particularly memorable
whereas www.eastbaydoulas.com is more likely to be remembered.
When you first start a website you can purchase the domain name from a company that
makes them available. Sometimes a hosting company (see below) also offer this
service. It costs around US$10-20 each year to purchase a domain name. You will
usually get a reminder from the company who you purchased your domain name from
when it is due for renewal. If you do not renew the domain name within a
specific time frame it then becomes available for others to purchase.
IP Address
The IP address is just another way of locating your website. Every website is
assigned a unique number before the domain name is allocated to that number. If
someone types in your IP address they will locate your website in the same way
as if they types in your domain name. This is not something you usually need to
worry about.
When choosing a domain name you will need to decide whether it ends with .com or
an alternative such as .net, .org or .us.
ISP - Internet Service Provider
The ISP is the company who provide you with an internet service. They are the
company that you pay to provide you with access to the internet.
Hosting Service
The hosting service is provided by a company. They are the company who are
hosting, or looking after, your website for you. They have a bank of computers
called servers that store peoples websites on them. A server is just like a
desktop computer but it works a little differently. The hosting company charge
you to store your website pages on their servers. When someone types in your
domain name, the internet will locate the pages on the hosting companies server
and display that page.
Hosting service prices vary a lot, depending on the service you are getting.
They can be as little as US$2 a year, or run in to the thousands. When looking
for a hosting service it is worth thinking about the support offered. When the
server goes down (becomes unavailable) on a Friday evening, it can be incredibly
frustrating if you have to wake until Monday morning before someone can help
you.
Hosting services may include free software such as shopping carts or marketing
tools as part of the package. They may also have design templates to help you
build your website.
VPS - Virtual Private Server
This is a type of hosting provision. The cheapest form of hosting is on a shared
server - you share the space with many other people. Everyone's website is
protected by passwords but the actual space on the server itself is shared. The
space available for you to build your website is usually ample for a doula or
childbirth educator website but the site may be a little slower. A virtual
private server is also one where the server is shared, but you have a defined
area on the server specified. The most expensive option is a Private Server
where yours is the only site on that server. Large companies will often have
their own server that they run themselves. This requires a fixed internet line
that is open all the time so that people can access the information on your
server.
How do you start?
It can be daunting to start building a website. Think about it as a step by step
process:
-
Think of some possible domain names for your website
-
Check on a domain name providers website to see if
they are available
-
Purchase the domain name you want
-
Choose a hosting service
-
Begin building your website pages
-
Upload your website pages to the server
-
Start receiving visitors to your website!
Once your website is up and running you will want to
maximize the number of people visiting - the more
visitors you get the more likely you are to benefit from
finding clients! In the next issue we will look at how
you get your website listed on the search engines and
what you can do to increase the number of hits on your
site.
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