| You may be familiar with this scenario. | | | | folder on your computer-inside that folder have |
| Representatives from a Web development company | | | | another folder containing all of the photographs and |
| visit your area and invite you to a seminar. They | | | | other graphics you'll have on your site. |
| inundate you with information-most of it true, | | | | 6. A basic knowledge of HTML and XHTML is helpful |
| technically, but they put a spin on it. The message is: | | | | so you can understand how the code translates into |
| if you want to succeed on the Web, you need their | | | | visuals on a Web page and make changes in the |
| services. And to show you how much they want to | | | | code when necessary. Check out your local |
| help you, they'll sell you six Websites for the price of | | | | bookstore and community college. |
| one. But you must act now! | | | | 7. Set up your pages for easy spidering by using |
| For one company with which I'm acquainted, the cost | | | | tables, which are essentially boxes containing |
| was about $715 per Website (but you must buy six), | | | | information. Web crawlers scan a page the same |
| plus a $24.95 per month hosting fee for each site | | | | way we read, from left to right, top to bottom. |
| that you activated. In addition, there was a $999 | | | | Once they enter a table, they read everything in that |
| set-up fee with a company to process credit card | | | | table before going on to the next. When they find a |
| and PayPal transactions, plus monthly fees for each | | | | link, they will follow it. That's why, on my Website, |
| site amounting to about $30-plus a small percentage | | | | the links are down the right side of the page and |
| to the credit card company when a sale was made. | | | | across the bottom-I don't want the spider leaving the |
| These companies pray on people who want to join | | | | page until it has scanned a good chunk of it. |
| the ranks of e-commerce entrepreneurs but have | | | | 8. If you are selling merchandise, PayPal has a simple |
| little knowledge and experience with the Web. But | | | | shopping cart which processes major credit cards and |
| despite what they would have you believe, designing | | | | PayPal transactions. There are no set-up or monthly |
| a Website is inexpensive and fairly simple. This article | | | | subscription fees; the only charge is a small |
| will help you get started. | | | | percentage when you make a sale. Since payments |
| 1. Prices for Web hosting range from free to | | | | are made on PayPal's Website you have the added |
| thousands of dollars per month; however, for a | | | | advantage of PayPal's tight security; if you processed |
| simple site you can easily find hosting for fewer than | | | | the transactions on your Website, you would be |
| $10. You can opt for free hosting, but the company | | | | responsible for security. Call PayPal, and a customer |
| will run advertising on your Website. This is okay for | | | | service representative will help you get started. |
| a personal site, but I don't recommend it for a | | | | 9. After the pages are designed, use an FTP program |
| commercial site because you can't control the ad | | | | like to upload your files to the host. FTP stands for |
| content. | | | | File Transfer Protocol. There are lots of FTP |
| 2. Through the host you can purchase a domain | | | | programs available, some you pay for, some you |
| name for a modest cost. Use a name that contains | | | | don't. I use FileZilla Client, which is free. Filezilla has |
| some strong keywords, which will result in a higher | | | | four windows arranged in two rows. On the left side |
| search engine ranking. Buying the domain name for at | | | | are the two Local windows, on the right are the two |
| least two years also will help your ranking. The search | | | | Remote windows. The top left window contains |
| engines will see this as a sign that you plan to be | | | | paths to all of the files on your computer. Find the |
| around for a while and that your site isn't a | | | | folder that contains your Website files, click on it, and |
| fly-by-night outfit. | | | | it will open in the lower left window. Now put the |
| 3. I caution you against using a template to design | | | | host (your domain name), username and password |
| your site. The main problem with a template is that | | | | (which you set up when you opened your hosting |
| you don't know how old it is. If the hosting company | | | | account) in the proper spaces at the top and click |
| has been using the same template for five years, it is | | | | Quick Connect. When a connection is made, the root |
| out of date, making it difficult for the Web crawlers | | | | directory of your Website will appear in the top right |
| (spiders) to read. This could result in a much lower | | | | window; the root directory is a folder followed by a |
| search engine ranking, which would lead to fewer hits | | | | . The lower right window should contain the files, |
| and fewer sales. | | | | including images, in your Website folder. If any are |
| 4. Two other problems with using a template: a) Your | | | | missing, drag them from the lower left window and |
| design choices are limited, and b) If you decide to | | | | drop them into the lower right (I spent three days |
| switch Web hosting companies, you must build your | | | | going over XHTML code, trying to figure out why |
| site all over again; since the template belongs to the | | | | some of my images were not displaying while others |
| hosting company, you won't be able to take your | | | | were; finally, out of options, I stopped looking at the |
| Website with you when you move. | | | | XHTML and turned my attention to FileZilla-it didn't |
| 5. Design your Website on your computer and upload | | | | take long to notice that the images that weren't |
| the files to the host. This way, if you switch hosts | | | | displaying weren't in the lower right window). When |
| you simply upload the files to the new host (after | | | | everything is set up the way it should be, drag the |
| having your domain "pointed" at the new hosting | | | | Website files from the lower left window and drop |
| company; your host will handle that for you). | | | | them into the Root directory in the upper right |
| Designing a Website is easier than it sounds. You'll | | | | window. |
| need an HTML editor. I used the one CoffeeCup sells | | | | 10. Go online to view your Website. |
| for $49. The software allows you to design using | | | | These are just the basics. There still is much to learn |
| either HTML or XHTML. Be sure to select XHTML, | | | | about building and maintaining a Website but it will |
| which is fast replacing HTML as the preferred | | | | become easier as you continue to study and gain |
| language of the Web. Save all of your pages in a | | | | experience. |