It pays to spend time choosing a Web page editor
Posted on December 8, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
It pays to spend time choosing a Web page editor that has the right qualities. What qualities should you look for in a Web page tool, and how do you know which tool is right for you? To help narrow the field, I’ve divided this class of software into different levels of sophistication. Pick the type of program that best fits your technical skill.
For the novice: Use your existing programs
A growing number of word processing, graphics, and business programs are adding HTML to their list of capabilities. You may already have one of these programs at your disposal. By using a program with which you’re already comfortable, you can avoid having to install a Web page editor.
Here are some programs that enable you to generate one type of content and then give you the option of outputting that content in HTML, which means that your words or figures can appear on a Web page:
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
Fun with Tools: Choosing a Web Page Editor
Posted on December 5, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
A woodworker has his or her favorite hammer and saw. A cook has an array of utensils and pots and pans. Likewise, a Web site creator has software programs that facilitate the presentation of words, colors, images, and multimedia in Web browsers.
A little HTML is a good thing — but just a little. Knowing HTML comes in handy when you need to add elements that Web page editors don’t handle. Some programs, for example, don’t provide you with easy buttons or menu options for adding tags, which enable you to add keywords or descriptions to a site so that search engines can find them and describe your site correctly.
If you really want to get into HTML or to find out more about creating Web pages, read HTML 4 For Dummies, 4th Edition, by Ed Tittel and Natanya Pitts, or Creating Web Pages For Dummies, 6th Edition, by Bud Smith and Arthur Bebak (both by Wiley).
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
What’s it gonna cost?
Posted on December 2, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Because of the ongoing competition in the industry, prices for Web hosting services vary widely. If you look in the classified sections in the back of magazines that cover the Web or the whole Internet, you’ll see adds for hosting services costing from $9.95 to $24.95 per month. Chances are, these prices are for a basic level of service: Web space, e-mail addresses, domain name, and software. This may be all you need.
The second level of service provides CGI script processing, the ability to serve audio and video files on your site, regular backups, and extensive site statistics, as well as consultants who can help you design and configure your site. This more sophisticated range of features typically runs from $20 per month up to $100 or more per month. At Hosting.com, for instance, you can conduct secure electronic commerce on your site as part of hosting packages that cost between $19.95 and $99.95 per month. MySQL database support starts at $59 per month.
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
Besides these, the other obvious questions
Posted on November 29, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Besides these, the other obvious questions that you would ask of any contractor apply to Web hosting services as well. These include questions like: “How long have you been in business?” and “Can you suggest customers who will give me a reference?”
The fact that I include a screen shot of a particular Web hosting service’s site in this chapter or elsewhere in this book doesn’t mean that I’m endorsing or recommending that particular organization. Shop around carefully and find the one that’s best for you. Check out the hosts with the best rates and most reliable service. Visit some other sites that they host and e-mail the owners of those sites for their opinion of their hosting service.
Competition is tough among hosting services, which means that prices are going down. But it also means that hosting services may seem to promise the moon in order to get your business. Be sure to read the fine print and talk to the host before you sign a contract, and always get statements about technical support and backups in writing.
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
What kind of connection do you have?
Posted on November 26, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
What kind of connection do you have? Your site’s Web page content appears more quickly in Web browser windows if your server has a super-fast T1 or T3 connection. Ask your ISP what kind of connection it has to the Internet. If you have a DSL line, speeds differ depending on the ISP: You might get a fast 1.5MBps connection or a more common 684Kbps connection. Make sure you’re getting the fastest connection you can afford.
Will you promote my site? Some hosting services (particularly online shopping malls) help publicize your site by listing you with Internet search indexes and search services so that visitors are more likely to find you.
What’s in a name?
Most hosts assign you a URL that leads to your directory (or folder) on the Web server. For example, my account with my ISP includes space on
a Web server where I can store my Web pages, and the address looks like this: http://homepage.xo.com/~gholden This is a common form of URL that many Web hosts use. It means that my Web pages reside in
a directory called ~gholden on a computer named homepage. The computer, in turn, resides in my provider’s domain on the Internet: xo.com.
However, for an extra fee, some Web hosts allow you to choose a shorter domain name, provided that the one you want to use isn’t already taken by another site. For example, if I’d paid extra for a full-fledged business site, my provider would have let me have a catchier, more memorable address, like this: www.gregholden.com
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
Shopping and electronic commerce features:
Posted on November 23, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Shopping and electronic commerce features: If you plan to give your customers the ability to order and purchase your goods or services online by using their credit cards, be sure to look for a Web host that provides you with secure commerce options. A secure server is a computer that can encrypt sensitive data (such as credit card numbers) that the customer sends to your site. For a more detailed discussion of secure electronic commerce, see Chapter 7.
Having so many hosting options available is the proverbial blessing and curse. It’s good that you have so many possibilities and that the competition is so fierce because that can keep prices down. On the other hand, deciding which host is best for you can be difficult. In addition to asking about the preceding list of features, here are a few more questions to ask prospective Web hosts about their services to help narrow the field:
Do you limit file transfers? Many services charge a monthly rate for a specific amount of electronic data that is transferred to and from your site. Each time a visitor views a page, that user is actually downloading
few kilobytes of data in order to view it. If your Web pages contain, say, 1MB of text and images and you get 1,000 visitors per month, your site accounts for 1GB of data transfer per month. If your host allocates you less than 1GB per month, it will probably charge you extra for the amount you go over the limit.
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
Shopping cart software:
Posted on November 20, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Shopping cart software: If part of your reason for going online is to sell specific items, look for a Web host that can streamline the process for you. Most organizations provide you with Web page forms that you can fill out to create sale items and offer them in an online shopping cart, for example.
Automatic data backups: Some hosting services automatically back up your Web site data to protect you against data loss — an especially useful feature because disaster recovery is important. The automatic nature of the backups frees you from the worry and trouble of doing it manually.
Site statistics: Virtually all Web hosting services also provide you with site statistics that give you an idea (perhaps not a precisely accurate count, but a good estimate) of how many visitors you have received. Even better is access to software reports that analyze and graphically report where your visitors are from, how they found you, which pages on your site are the most frequently viewed, and so on.
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
Domain names:
Posted on November 17, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Domain names: Virtually all the hosting options that I mention in this chapter give customers the option of obtaining a short domain name, such as www.mycompany.com. But some Web hosts simplify the process by providing domain-name registration in their flat monthly rates.
Web page software: Some hosting services include Web page authoring/ editing software, such as Microsoft FrontPage. Some Web hosting services even offer Web page forms that you can fill out online in order to create your own online shopping catalog. All you have to provide is a scanned image of the item you want to sell, along with a price and a description. You submit the information to the Web host, who then adds the item to an online catalog that’s part of your site.
Multimedia/CGI scripts: One big thing that sets Web hosting services apart from other hosts is the ability to serve complex and memoryintensive content, such as RealAudio sound files or RealVideo video clips. They also let you process Web page forms that you include on your site by executing computer programs called CGI scripts. These programs receive the data that someone sends you (such as a customer service request or an order form) and present the data in readable form, such as a text file, e-mail message, or an entry in a database. See Chapter 6 for more about how to set up and use forms and other interactive Web site features.
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
As the preceding sections attest
Posted on November 13, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
As the preceding sections attest, many kinds of businesses now host Web sites. But in this case, I’m defining Web hosting service as a company whose primary mission is to provide space on Web servers for individual, nonprofit, and commercial Web sites.
What to look for in a Web host
Along with providing lots of space for your HTML, image, and other files (typically, you get anywhere from 50 to 500MB of space), Web hosting services offer a variety of related services, including some or all the following:
E-mail addresses: You’re likely to be able to get several e-mail addresses for your own or your family members’ personal use. Besides that, many Web hosts give you special e-mail addresses called auto-responders. These are e-mail addresses, such as info@yourcompany.com, that you can set up to automatically return a text message or a file to anyone looking for information.
Taken from : Starting An Online Business For Dummies 4th Editions
Skiing and VIP service
Posted on November 13, 2009 - Filed Under Uncategorized
Skiing is a hobby for some people. Sliding skis quickly make this hobby is always fun for everyone. With the atmosphere of a snowy mountain fresh, can cure fatigue after activity. Not infrequently, the workers usually have a ski club to distribute their favorite ski areas. They usually rent a villa or apartment in the ski, and play in the area.
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This Sites which offer Ski Accommodation Finder will help you to Find Ski Accommodations appropriate to your needs and desires.
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