~~~~~~~~~~~Contents~~~~~~~~~~~
=> Where do I start?
=> Definitions
=> Lesson One-(1) - Begin!
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WHERE DO I START?
You've come to the right place! WebSite101 will give you the
tools you need to get started on the internet. A thorough review
of these suggestions will have you geared up for your own activity
on the web in no time! We'll be discussing all of the available
options for establishing yourself online.
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DEFINITIONS
It all started with a military scheme to rule the world, but
we won't get into the roots, just a quick look at the visible
part of the tree! The net was proposed by nuclear physicists in
1989. It didn't become a reality until 1991. The web was a private
network for eggheads (yes this could be rocket science) stored
on a single computer (called a server) for about a year until
it was made public in 1992. That year the number of internet servers
(computers) took a jump to fifty, a year later in '93 there were
over six hundred of them! 1994 saw an increase to more than twenty
five hundred servers, and the growth has been phenomonal since
then! Now (July of 2005) there are an estimated 67 million servers that
make up the web, all of them connected online. You can
see where the analogy of a web came from!
Could you send the "server" for more coffee?
As you spend more time on the internet you will see confusing
references and technical terms scattered about the place like
toys all over the floor of a kid's room. Most often you can ignore
them because even if you knew the definition, it still won't mean
anything to you. Try talking to your mother about servers. Web
authors will use terms that they believe the whole world knows,
when really, only web authors understand them. They forget that
only one percent of the human population has a computer, yet they
think that every visitor to their web page should understand the
lingo!
For a longer list of definitions and web terms visit our definitions
page at http://www.website101.com/define.html"
. We offer a fun look at the list of geek terms and acronyms there
as well as examples to play with! Our definition for "Search Engine"
actually has one available to search WebSite 101 for anything
you want to learn more about! Try it out! Our definition for HTML
(HyperText Markup Language) actually provides a glimpse of that
odd foreign language!
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Lesson One (1) Begin!
It is becoming a business imperative to have a web site for
your company. Just as we went from, "Do you have a fax machine?"
to "What's your fax number?", we are moving rapidly from "Do you
have a web site?" toward, "What is your web address?" It's critical
now to be able to say to your clients, "Look at our new service
or product at www.mycompany.com"
At WebSite101, it is our firm belief that it will become an
absolute necessity to have a web site for your small business.
If you don't believe this we suggest you think about all those
radio and television advertisements you hear with a web address
mentioned. Big business understands the incredible value and new
opportunities opened up by the internet! Not only is it important
to establish a web presence, it is becoming a detriment to your
company to be without that presence! The time to begin is TODAY!
For more details on this issue visit our page at http://www.website101.com/youmust.html
where more reasons are outlined in a pro and con format. Now that
you are learning the importance of a company website for your
customers, we'll take a look at just what is involved in getting
started.
WYSIWYG or HTML or PROFESSIONAL?
No one knows better than you what is best in your particular
situation when it comes to creating your web site. There are basically
three major options for the do-it-yourselfer and a multitude of
web site designers from your nephew (who is learning web page
design in grammar school) on up to the pocket protector geeks
who insist on calling themselves "Information Technology Specialist"
(Sheeesh! . . . ITS).
You can learn to do it yourself by going many routes from the
simplest browser-based online freebies at Geocities or AOL (America
OnLine) to learning how to do HTML coding by hand from scratch
(often referred to as "Raw HTML") The other major do-it-yourself
option is to get the software known as "What You See Is What You
Get" authoring tools (Also known as WYSIWYG). The software provides
all of the HTML tags behind the scenes so that you don't need
to learn a new language. Visit the WebSite101
HTML Tutorial to get a gist of the basics of HTML, then follow
links from there on to further learning!
Having said all of that we provide links on WebSite101 to several
online tutorials for basic HTML as well as a "Turn-key" template
based service that helps you to build your web site in just about
an hour! Hop on over to our links page at http://www.website101.com/wlinks.html
and see some of the options at our "Resources for Webmasters".
The real key is that you must get started soon before you and
your business are left in the dust!
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What's Next?
Why lesson two of
course!
~~~~~~~~~~~Contents~~~~~~~~~~~
=> More Definitions
=> Lesson Two-(2)- Move On!
=> What is "CONTENT" ?
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More Definitions
Last time we gave you an introduction to our definitions page
at http://www.website101.com/define.html
where you can become familiar with terms you are certain to see
on a regular basis. If you have not taken the time to do that,
it could be fine if you are going to pay someone else to do your
web pages for you. It would still help to have those basic terms
down so you are able to talk to the web designer when they start
tossing terms around. We're convinced those words'll fade from
common usage at some point soon anyway.
Do you know that when fuel injection was first used it was displayed
proudly on the fender of cars it was used in? Now, virtually all
cars use it and nobody talks about it at all. We hope that in
a couple of years that nobody will use the geeky acronyms like
HyperText Transfer Protocol (http to you Bub). Maybe we used to
need to know what was in our CPU was microprocessors on "tiny
silicon chips"! But who really cares as long as it continues to
do what it's supposed to do? The other thing that's likely is
that web terms will come to have meanings for other parts of our
lives - "You've got mail!"
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Lesson Two-(2)- Move On!
O.K.! So now you've decided that it's important to have a web
presence for your small business and you've either hired a web
designer or begun to learn HTML or bought some web authoring software.
But you're ready to proceed and it's time to take the first steps.
Now what? Well right here is the place to ask yourself a very
important question. "Will I reserve a domain name? We take a very
strong stance at WebSite101 that an effective and memorable domain
name (www.mycompany.com) that we've devoted a page on our site
to discussing the issue.
There is a very good article written by Michel Fortin PhD.,
also known as the Success Doctor in web circles. We very strongly
recommend that you read that article reproduced on our http://www.website101.com/Domain_Name
Domain Names page. Then you can enter your name choices (be creative!)
in the search box and see if it is still available for you to
use! Domain names are being snapped up at a dramatic rate and
the perfect one to represent your business may be gone soon!
Get
your Business Domain Name for only $7.95,
Right Here, Right Now!
Whew! Now that you've decided to reserve the domain name, you
need to decide where your site will be "hosted" which is a much
more important decision than you may realize for a business web
site. The host will provide you with services which must be as
reliable as your telephone or electric services and offer domain
name hosting (also called domain multihoming), forms processing
(also known as CGI access), e-mail services, fast data transfer,
adequate storage capacity, excellent customer service and several
add-ons like site search, counters, server logs, maybe access
to digital subscriber lines (DSL) and the likelihood of a significant
commitment to growth and adopting new technologies such as wireless
access.
Man this could get to be a bit complex! Yep. And we've only
just scratched the surface here. O.K. Lets see, We've reserved
a domain name and chosen a host for our web site. Now you can
start designing or having your site designed for you. Whomever
you choose to do that should be very clear about your objectives
and have a solid understanding of your business. No matter who
does this part, you need to maintain focus and clearly target
your market!
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What is "CONTENT" ???
Again, we feel so strongly on the topic that we've devoted a
section to the subject. There is also a great guest article and
an archived newsletter we sent to the subscribers of the WebSite101
Reading List (which you could benefit from subscribing to
as well!) You can view this newsletter to see just what we mean
by focus and get clarity on what you will offer visitors to your
website. Don't confuse them with all of your separate interests
from gourmet cheeses to long distance service! If you do that,
you will lose your visitors very quickly. They want you to be
specialized! This is known as niche marketing and it is the only
way to succeed on the web.
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What's Next?
Why lesson three of course!
~~~~~~~~~~~Contents~~~~~~~~~~~
=> MARKETING
=> Lesson Three-(3)- PROMOTE!
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YOU MUST MARKET AGRESSIVELY!
Last segment we nudged you in the direction of getting started
with your site, if you haven't started already. If you're still
wavering then it's time to jump in the pool head first! There's
a lot to do and it will take longer than you expect to get your
site up and running smoothly! Don't worry! We provide you with
all the resources and advice you'll need to get your business
bobbing on that vast ocean out there. Jump!
"Pssst! Hey Pal, come on over here!" Here's the secret, you
have got to work constantly at marketing your web site to get
it noticed in that vast ocean of web wanna be's! Print your web
address on business cards, letterhead, promotional item give-aways,
Never miss an opportunity to talk to your friends, relatives and
yes, even strangers, about your website and pass out your cards
and promotional items to everyone you meet!
The thing that surprises many newcomers to the web is that need
to constantly market your site. This isn't the field of dreams
kind of "Build it and they will come" fantasy that so many entrepreneurs
believe it is! You've gotta wanna work at it or you might as well
be putting a baseball diamond in a corn field! Don't get me wrong,
if you're hearing voices that are telling YOU "Build it and they
will come", you may be due for some good karma after several lives
spent serving your fellow man selflessly. I don't claim to know
whether you will channel the "next big thing" from the UNIVERSAL
ONE but most of us will just have to work hard at it to succeed!
Don't, under any circumstances send Unsolicited Commercial Email
(UCE), also known as SPAM, to anyone, for any reason, ever. Got
it? For more on this subject, visit this URL:
http://website101.com/SpamFilter/
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Lesson Three-(3)- PROMOTE!
O.K.! So now you've reserved a unique domain name and signed
up with a host for your net access, e-mail and web space. Now
it's time to start the process of promotion, that's right I said
the process! It's endless, sometimes tedious and even seems as
though it never ends, because it doesn't! As you design your site,
you need to keep in mind a unique market position for yourself
and be prepared to stake your claim to fame and fortune by looking
for something you want to spend a lot of time with! If you are
bringing an existing business online, give it a unique twist or
flavor that will attract the attention of a world that is awash
in fantastic new and exciting developments carried worldwide on
the web. If your site is a plain old, buy-your-widget-from-me-site,
you better take a creativity pill and don a genius cap before
you make another move!
I hope you've taken the time to go to our newsletter file at
Reading List Archive to look at the articles on "FOCUS!" and "Internet
Integration" I suggested to you last lesson so you could get clear
on the concept of carving a niche for yourself. In the competitive
market of the internet, not a few deluded yo-yo's believe they
could get rich offering mom's recipe for candied perch and selling
handmade beaded jewelry that they create on weekends. While they
act as resellers or affiliates for everything from viagra to video's.
SO!! All of that as a preface to designing your website from
the very beginning with a "unique" marketing angle that will attract
attention from other web site owners, the press, your community,
online reviewers and award sites. Because although you may have
heard that submitting your site to search engines and directories
will bring you tidal waves of visitors washing over your web site
all at once. It just ain't so! Many netters see search engine
placement in the top twenty as the be-all and end-all of web promotion.
Often you will find well positioned but dull web sites in searches
that would not ever entice you to visit them with their descriptions,
but they sure are well placed in the search engines!
Guess what will entice visitors to come to your business website
if they DO find you in their search? Offering them a service or
product they can use, and a reason to buy it from you! I once
saw an orange juice advertising campaign that showed the carton
and said simply "BUY THIS!" (Ya hadda be there) I thought it was
hilarious, actually looked for that brand in the store. But do
you think that brand of orange juice was better than another?
Nope! It was just an innovative ad that got my attention above
the noise of everyone else's ad campaigns.
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"CONTENT" is KING!
Again, I will emphasize that what you choose to put on your
website IN ADDITION to your product or service is what will make
the difference. This time I'd like you to go look at http://www.website101.com/Sharing.html
and see just what we mean by content. Get clarity on what you
will offer visitors to your website! Don't confuse them! If you
do that, you will lose your visitors very quickly! They want you
to be knowledgeable and interesting! NOW, sit down and contemplate
how you can be unique, how you will promote that uniqueness and
THEN build your website. Once you decide what you want to emphasize
on your web site, you'll need some text to put on that site. Although
you will need to carefully craft your "About Us" page
and tell visitors about yourself, it is unnecessary to write everything
yourself. We offer a place to get free content to put on your
site if you like! Just visit Publish101.com
for over 12,000 articles on web issues that you can use on your
own site!
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Don't stop there! Come to the small business e-commerce tutorial
and ask questions, explore the topics and learn some more!
This concludes your WebSite101 Short Course! Thank You!
Email
Mike Banks Valentine
