Every business needs a website. Whether you’re selling widgetson the open market or providing services to pre–screenedclientele, most people go directly to the internet to find out whatgoods and services are available, who is providing them, and even toget contact information for businesses they already deal with. Thephone book is a last resort, if they think about it at all. Having anonline presence is essential, but the problem is this: with so manywebsites out there, how do you make yours stand out? How do youget one at all? What do you need to know to make it work?
This article aims to answer common questions about creatingand maintaining a business website. Some companies are fortunateenough to have in–house IT experts, while others are left to wadethrough the jargon–laden information on the World Wide Web orthe boredom of trade publications – which generally assume youalready know what they’re talking about. A good web developer willwalk you through the process. Unfortunately, many designers don’tunderstand the “big picture” either. Our goal is to give our readersenough knowledge to get what they need out of their websites.
A website is just a set of interconnected digital “pages” pertainingto a business, person, topic, etc. that exists at a single “address”on the World Wide Web. Once you have a site developed, you reallyonly need two things to get it on the Internet: a domain name andhosting.
The domain name is simply the name of your site, which is generallythe same as your Web address, such as www.nsidesa.com orwww.thisisboss.com. The Web address is also called a URL (UniversalResource Location), and it pinpoints the specific set of page filesfor a particular site.
The site is hosted on a computer, called a server, which stores allthe files for any given website. Some businesses have their own servers,but most pay a hosting company to take care of it. Most goodhosting companies boast 95% to 99.9% uptime and they generallydeliver, though some claims are exaggerated. No one can guarantee100% uptime.
All websites, good and bad, are accessed the same way. Whatmakes a website good is how it looks, how it works, how easy it isto find, and how relevant it is. This is where it gets tricky. All of theelements should be so well integrated that the user has a seamlessaesthetic and functional experience that is glitch–free. There’s a lotinvolved in achieving this, and hiring a respected professional webdesign firm is the best way to get the results you want. Still, there area few terms and concepts you should be familiar with to make sureyou get what you need.
Design refers to how the website looks on screen and how allthe visual elements work together. It involves the graphics, photos,fonts, color schemes and overall layout of the site. It’s often referredto as the “front end” of the website.
Development refers to the computer code, programming andapplications used to implement the design. It’s also where the functionalityof the site is implemented: how quickly pages load, howsmooth page or animation transitions are, making interactive formswork, etc. It’s the work that happens behind the scenes, oftenreferred to as the “back end”.
Navigation refers to how information is organized and howpeople move through the site. Large or complex sites often includea site map, which simply provides a clickable list of pages accessibleon your site so people can get the information they need quickly.The first thing to decide is what you want the site to do. Is it astatic site that won’t change much, or do you need frequent updatesto text or photos? If so, you might consider a Content ManagementSystem (CMS). It’s more expensive because it requires additionalprogramming, but in the long run it’s generally cheaper than hiringa developer every time you have an update.
Many websites employ online ordering and payment systems–referred to as e–commerce – so customers can make purchases directlyfrom the website. These are usually database driven and, likeCMS or other applications, are best to integrate from the outset toensure smooth operation.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an important but oftenoverlooked aspect of good websites. SEO means optimizing yourpages so major search engines – Google, Yahoo, Ask, etc. – can findyour site quickly and determine what it has to offer. Ideally, your siteshould appear at or near the top of the results page for relevant queries.Effective SEO involves design, content, and coding elements,and an understanding of how search engines work and what they’relooking for.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or re–designing an existingsite, it’s best to have a framework for understanding how websiteswork, and how they don’t. Future articles will focus on specific areas,elaborating some of concepts introduced here. We can’t make youa tech expert overnight, but we can prepare you for what’s involved,how to communicate with your designer, and how to get the mostout of the Internet.
