What do I need to do to build a website?
Requested and Answered by Gene Amtower [pcbgene] on 30-May-2009 09:24 (2672 reads)
Small question with a big answer! There are a lot of different ways to create a web presence for your business, hobby, or passion. The problem for those interested in joining the millions of existing web sites on the Internet is wading through all the hype and confusion surrounding the web. So, let's define some basic terms before deciding which option is right for you.
Internet Addresses:
First, you need to understand a little bit about an Internet address - this is called the URL or Universal Resource Locator (I know, big name for something simple). This is the stuff that you begin typing after the "http://" in the web addresses. The URL is an important consideration because it determines how people view your web site before they ever get to the actual content. Besides text, it can include slashes, periods, a question mark, and ampersands that break the URL into functional pieces. Because it is an important basis for all websites and the page content on them, let's break down an imaginary URL into these pieces to help you understand the concept completely.
Consider an imaginary page that you might view at the following address:
http://www.google.com/maps/directions/viewmap.html?a=2&b=3
http:// tells your web browser that you want it to find something on the Internet. If an address begins instead with https://, this tells your web browser that it will need to use encrypted communications for greater security.
www.google.com is the server address. It includes everything after the // characters and before the first slash (/), and it is separated into distinct pieces by the periods (.) within it. Internet systems translate these pieces of text into a numerical server address that is then used in any communications between your PC and that server. This translation is done in reverse order (Don't ask me why), starting with the last two pieces, which we'll define next...
google.com is called the domain name and includes the two pieces of the server address (defined in the previous paragraph) separated by the last period (.). The last piece (com) is called the TLD, or Top Level Domain, and serves to break up the Internet into major categories. You will need to decide if you need your own domain name or are willing to build your site on somebody else's domain. We'll talk about this in more detail shortly, as it is probably the most critical decision you will need to make.
www is called a sub-domain of the google.com domain. Any text in front of the domain name defines a unique website within that domain. A single domain can contain many sub-domains by using different prefixes before the domain name, and the sub-domain can include one or more pieces separated by periods (.). www has become the standard sub-domain for the main website for a domain. Each website defined by a sub-domain can be hosted anywhere on the Internet separately from all other subdomains, so large organizations are able to host lots of different websites by using different sub-domains.
maps/directions/ is called a path and includes all of the text after the first slash / and through the last slash /. It defines the location of the site content within the website located at the server address www.google.com, and allows the server to locate the requested content at the server. This piece is optional and only serves to break up the content into logical pieces on a large website. Small, simple websites may not have a path at all, with all of the content existing in a single location on the server known as the document root.
viewmap.html is the actual site content in the form of a file requested from the website and can exist with a wide variety of names. In our example, the files has an extension of html after the last period . that tells the web server that this file contains HTML markup. This is typical of a regular website with fixed content, but other file extensions are used when building more complex websites that must perform actions at the server before delivering the content to the web browser.
a=2&b=3 defines variables used by the server in responding to the request and includes all of the text after an optional question mark ? in a URL. Any ampersands (&) separate the text into individual variables, with the variable names before the equal signs (=) and the value of the variable after the equal sign (=). These variable values control either the action taken at the server or content returned to the web browser. The question mark ? and any text after it are optional, providing additional functionality for the website. Regular websites that only deliver static HTML content will probably not include the question mark ? and variables, ending instead with just the site content filename.
Web Servers:
Each website on the Internet must be setup and configured on a Web Server, which is nothing more than a computer that has a fixed connection to the Internet that never changes. A home computer may have a constant connection to the Internet, but it's numerical address on the Internet is probably generated by the Internet Service Provider from a shared pool of numerical addresses. Web Servers, on the other hand, must have a fixed numerical address so that their location is always known to the myriad of systems that form the World Wide Web and can be located whenever a page is requested from a website on that web server.
When you build a website, you'll need to decide who's Web Server is going to store and deliver your website content to anybody that decides to view your website. There are literally millions of Web Servers on the Internet from a huge number of hosting providers - with varying cost, capability, security, and dependability. Website hosting will incur a monthly or yearly expense to the selected site hosting provider, so include this in any financial decisions you make - if you don't pay your hosting provider when you get the bill, they will disable your website even if you still have a valid domain name registration. Costs can range from $5.00 per month and up, depending on your site complexity.
So, this decision can be overwhelming to anybody wanting to build a new website. There are a number of factors to consider in this decision, so we'll try to break them down next.
Your Domain Name:
First, you need to decide if your web site needs to have a unique Domain Name. For simple sites that don't need a strong business identity, you have some options that use an existing Domain Name. You could build your site with an existing website builder service where your site URL begins with their Domain Name and ends with a unique path for your site, or your site might be hosted as a Sub-Domain of somebody else's Domain. Which form your website URL takes will depend on who hosts your domain and how their servers are configured. If you select this path, the biggest drawback is that moving your website will be more difficult because the URL is tied to their hosting service.
If you decide that the Domain Name for your website is a vital part of your website's identity, then you'll need a domain name that is available for only you to use for your website. Even though some people refer to buying a Domain Name, you're not really purchasing it but instead are registering it for some fixed amount of time. Once your registration of a domain name expires, it becomes available to someone else. So, getting your own Domain Name is going to require a small, periodic cost to extend your registration period - referred to as domain name renewal. Longer registration time periods will cost proportionately more, but the cost per year may be slightly less. So, you'll need to decide how long you think you'll need your domain name balanced against the fact that you have to pay for the entire registration period up front.
You can get a domain name from a variety of domain name registrars, or your selected hosting provider can get a domain name for you. In most cases, a specific domain name doesn't have to come from a specific registrar, so selecting a registrar can result in the cost of registration varying widely.
If you trust your chosen hosting provider, it can be beneficial to have them register your domain name for you in order to get the best rate. Just be sure that your hosting provider registers the domain name in your name, not their company name. Once a domain is registered under somebody's name, it may be difficult (but not impossible) to get it changed to somebody else's name. With domain names, ownership is 10/10ths of the law!
A hosting provider may refuse to transfer your domain name to you if you decide you want to move your site to another hosting provider, so take the time to select a hosting provider that you can trust. Some of the cheaper hosting providers will pull this trick on unsuspecting new website owners, causing problems for them in the long run.
Web Design:
You need to decide on the look and design of your site. Depending on the route you take above, you may have more or less creative freedom in this area, so consider this when deciding on a site-building service versus a custom website. Of course, site-building services attempt to give you some flexibility, but a custom website will allow you complete freedom in site design, limited only by your time and money.
Some of the design considerations you need to consider include...
- Content: what information are you providing with your website
- Site Map: the distinct pages in your website and content on each page
- Layout: how page content and links to other pages are arranged
- Colors: background, text, and graphic colors
- Images: any logos, graphics, or separators needed on each page
- Database: any optional data that your site needs to deliver to visitors
- Advanced Features: any user interaction, contact forms, or search functionality required
Each of these areas of design can be done yourself or provided by a site designer. The more design you leave to someone else, the more your site design and construction will cost you. Also, the more design effort you take up-front, the faster your site can be created and implemented.
Also, as you consider these design considerations, also give some thought to whether you want to construct the site pages yourself or allow somebody else to build the separate pages. There are many software packages available that allow you to actually create your own website, but some of these may come with specific hosting requirements. So, be sure to decide who will provide your site hosting before undertaking any page creation yourself.
Implementing Your Website:
Now that you have your site design, it's time to get it on the Internet. If you've taken all of the steps above, you should be ready to get your site up and available for viewing. Depending on how much design you've done yourself, you will need to finalize agreements and maybe provide initial payments to get started with domain name registration, design contracts, page building, and site hosting.
There is a lot of flexibility in creating a website for the Internet, but take the time to insure that your new website meets your needs and provides value to you. If you need help with this process, feel free to contact PC Backup by calling us at (937) 478-7624 or submitting an inquiry through the Contact Us form on this site.
Internet Addresses:
First, you need to understand a little bit about an Internet address - this is called the URL or Universal Resource Locator (I know, big name for something simple). This is the stuff that you begin typing after the "http://" in the web addresses. The URL is an important consideration because it determines how people view your web site before they ever get to the actual content. Besides text, it can include slashes, periods, a question mark, and ampersands that break the URL into functional pieces. Because it is an important basis for all websites and the page content on them, let's break down an imaginary URL into these pieces to help you understand the concept completely.
Consider an imaginary page that you might view at the following address:
http://www.google.com/maps/directions/viewmap.html?a=2&b=3
http:// tells your web browser that you want it to find something on the Internet. If an address begins instead with https://, this tells your web browser that it will need to use encrypted communications for greater security.
www.google.com is the server address. It includes everything after the // characters and before the first slash (/), and it is separated into distinct pieces by the periods (.) within it. Internet systems translate these pieces of text into a numerical server address that is then used in any communications between your PC and that server. This translation is done in reverse order (Don't ask me why), starting with the last two pieces, which we'll define next...
google.com is called the domain name and includes the two pieces of the server address (defined in the previous paragraph) separated by the last period (.). The last piece (com) is called the TLD, or Top Level Domain, and serves to break up the Internet into major categories. You will need to decide if you need your own domain name or are willing to build your site on somebody else's domain. We'll talk about this in more detail shortly, as it is probably the most critical decision you will need to make.
www is called a sub-domain of the google.com domain. Any text in front of the domain name defines a unique website within that domain. A single domain can contain many sub-domains by using different prefixes before the domain name, and the sub-domain can include one or more pieces separated by periods (.). www has become the standard sub-domain for the main website for a domain. Each website defined by a sub-domain can be hosted anywhere on the Internet separately from all other subdomains, so large organizations are able to host lots of different websites by using different sub-domains.
maps/directions/ is called a path and includes all of the text after the first slash / and through the last slash /. It defines the location of the site content within the website located at the server address www.google.com, and allows the server to locate the requested content at the server. This piece is optional and only serves to break up the content into logical pieces on a large website. Small, simple websites may not have a path at all, with all of the content existing in a single location on the server known as the document root.
viewmap.html is the actual site content in the form of a file requested from the website and can exist with a wide variety of names. In our example, the files has an extension of html after the last period . that tells the web server that this file contains HTML markup. This is typical of a regular website with fixed content, but other file extensions are used when building more complex websites that must perform actions at the server before delivering the content to the web browser.
a=2&b=3 defines variables used by the server in responding to the request and includes all of the text after an optional question mark ? in a URL. Any ampersands (&) separate the text into individual variables, with the variable names before the equal signs (=) and the value of the variable after the equal sign (=). These variable values control either the action taken at the server or content returned to the web browser. The question mark ? and any text after it are optional, providing additional functionality for the website. Regular websites that only deliver static HTML content will probably not include the question mark ? and variables, ending instead with just the site content filename.
Web Servers:
Each website on the Internet must be setup and configured on a Web Server, which is nothing more than a computer that has a fixed connection to the Internet that never changes. A home computer may have a constant connection to the Internet, but it's numerical address on the Internet is probably generated by the Internet Service Provider from a shared pool of numerical addresses. Web Servers, on the other hand, must have a fixed numerical address so that their location is always known to the myriad of systems that form the World Wide Web and can be located whenever a page is requested from a website on that web server.
When you build a website, you'll need to decide who's Web Server is going to store and deliver your website content to anybody that decides to view your website. There are literally millions of Web Servers on the Internet from a huge number of hosting providers - with varying cost, capability, security, and dependability. Website hosting will incur a monthly or yearly expense to the selected site hosting provider, so include this in any financial decisions you make - if you don't pay your hosting provider when you get the bill, they will disable your website even if you still have a valid domain name registration. Costs can range from $5.00 per month and up, depending on your site complexity.
So, this decision can be overwhelming to anybody wanting to build a new website. There are a number of factors to consider in this decision, so we'll try to break them down next.
Your Domain Name:
First, you need to decide if your web site needs to have a unique Domain Name. For simple sites that don't need a strong business identity, you have some options that use an existing Domain Name. You could build your site with an existing website builder service where your site URL begins with their Domain Name and ends with a unique path for your site, or your site might be hosted as a Sub-Domain of somebody else's Domain. Which form your website URL takes will depend on who hosts your domain and how their servers are configured. If you select this path, the biggest drawback is that moving your website will be more difficult because the URL is tied to their hosting service.
If you decide that the Domain Name for your website is a vital part of your website's identity, then you'll need a domain name that is available for only you to use for your website. Even though some people refer to buying a Domain Name, you're not really purchasing it but instead are registering it for some fixed amount of time. Once your registration of a domain name expires, it becomes available to someone else. So, getting your own Domain Name is going to require a small, periodic cost to extend your registration period - referred to as domain name renewal. Longer registration time periods will cost proportionately more, but the cost per year may be slightly less. So, you'll need to decide how long you think you'll need your domain name balanced against the fact that you have to pay for the entire registration period up front.
You can get a domain name from a variety of domain name registrars, or your selected hosting provider can get a domain name for you. In most cases, a specific domain name doesn't have to come from a specific registrar, so selecting a registrar can result in the cost of registration varying widely.
If you trust your chosen hosting provider, it can be beneficial to have them register your domain name for you in order to get the best rate. Just be sure that your hosting provider registers the domain name in your name, not their company name. Once a domain is registered under somebody's name, it may be difficult (but not impossible) to get it changed to somebody else's name. With domain names, ownership is 10/10ths of the law!
A hosting provider may refuse to transfer your domain name to you if you decide you want to move your site to another hosting provider, so take the time to select a hosting provider that you can trust. Some of the cheaper hosting providers will pull this trick on unsuspecting new website owners, causing problems for them in the long run.
Web Design:
You need to decide on the look and design of your site. Depending on the route you take above, you may have more or less creative freedom in this area, so consider this when deciding on a site-building service versus a custom website. Of course, site-building services attempt to give you some flexibility, but a custom website will allow you complete freedom in site design, limited only by your time and money.
Some of the design considerations you need to consider include...
- Content: what information are you providing with your website
- Site Map: the distinct pages in your website and content on each page
- Layout: how page content and links to other pages are arranged
- Colors: background, text, and graphic colors
- Images: any logos, graphics, or separators needed on each page
- Database: any optional data that your site needs to deliver to visitors
- Advanced Features: any user interaction, contact forms, or search functionality required
Each of these areas of design can be done yourself or provided by a site designer. The more design you leave to someone else, the more your site design and construction will cost you. Also, the more design effort you take up-front, the faster your site can be created and implemented.
Also, as you consider these design considerations, also give some thought to whether you want to construct the site pages yourself or allow somebody else to build the separate pages. There are many software packages available that allow you to actually create your own website, but some of these may come with specific hosting requirements. So, be sure to decide who will provide your site hosting before undertaking any page creation yourself.
Implementing Your Website:
Now that you have your site design, it's time to get it on the Internet. If you've taken all of the steps above, you should be ready to get your site up and available for viewing. Depending on how much design you've done yourself, you will need to finalize agreements and maybe provide initial payments to get started with domain name registration, design contracts, page building, and site hosting.
There is a lot of flexibility in creating a website for the Internet, but take the time to insure that your new website meets your needs and provides value to you. If you need help with this process, feel free to contact PC Backup by calling us at (937) 478-7624 or submitting an inquiry through the Contact Us form on this site.
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