Technical terms and concepts related to a small business website
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Contents |
Overview
Creating a small business website can appear to be a difficult challenge for those with limited experience at publishing information to the web. However, if your business is a traditional off-line business (i.e., it is not online service Facebook or an e-commerce business like Amazon), it can be fairly easy to set up a website. Even if you do not actually set up a website, these how-to steps can help familiarize you with the process.
Why establish a small business website?
The list ranges from marketing to customer service to business credibility to investor relations.
Here are a few helpful references that clearly outline why a business might benefit from having its own website:
- Small Business Consultants: Why Should I Have a Website?
- Web Media Solutions: Why Your Business Should Have a Website
- Entrepreneur.com: Why You Need a Website
How a website works
The internet is a network of computers. A website is a type of file (or set of files) that is saved on one computer and viewed by another. When an internet user views a website, they are really just accessing a file that is saved on another computer. The website’s domain name (e.g., www.smallbusiness.com), also known as its [[URL[[ or “web address,” acts like a physical address or phone number: it instructs the web browser on a user’s computer to look on the network for a specific folder in which the files of the website are stored, or hosted.
Users typically access websites through a web browser. Website files are written using special programming code with names like HTML or CSS. The browser translates this code into the words and graphics you see of a [[web page like this. For example, the code on the website file might specify that the background is blue, a picture or logo is shown at the top of the page, and certain text is below that. The user just sees the page, as rendered by the browser.
Today, there are many ways to create a website. For most small businesses that aren't a web-based or technology company, there is no need to understand web programming or even how to set up a website on a computer. Many companies exist to create manage the technical aspects of creating and hosting a website -- many of which even offer free services.
Requirements for publishing a website
Pulling all of this together, there are three basic requirements to publish a site to the web:
- A domain name, also called a URL or web-address is necessary that enable a user’s computer to find your website.
- A place to store the website files. This place will need to be on a computer that other computers can access. Typically, this space is provided by a web host or web hosting service.
- The website files. This includes the site's content, as well as the programming code that tells a user’s web browser how to display the site.
Selecting a domain name
Establishing a domain name or web address is an easy process. However, since the domain name is a unique identifier for a website, no two sites can have the same name. Thus, to avoid duplicates, names must be registered with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).
Web Hosting
In order to make a site available through the web, the website files need to be placed on a computer (or “server”) that other web users can access. The location where a website’s files are stored is referred to as the “host.” While it is possible to use a personal computer to host the website, it is generally not advisable for a number of reasons:
- Many internet service providers put up technical roadblocks which inhibit web hosting from a home internet connection;
- The computer that hosts the website must allow other internet users to access its files, which may lead to security or privacy concerns for any other files that are stored on that same computer;
- The hosting computer must be powered on and connected to the web, requiring technical supervision, at all times. If anything goes wrong with the hosting computer, the website will not be available to users.
Addressing any of these challenges is beyond the assumed expertise of the reader, and beyond the scope of this article. However, note that many large corporations, with their fulltime IT staff, host their websites on in-house computers/servers.
A more tenable solution for small businesses is to use a web hosting service. A web hosting service provides the storage space for the website files, and makes them available to web users. They maintain all of the necessary equipment and internet connections, leaving the small business owner free to focus on the sites content.
There are a variety of different types of web hosting services, ranging from “dedicated” to “shared” hosting. Dedicated hosting means that the server (i.e., the computer where the website files are stored) is dedicated solely to the website it is hosting. This type of arrangement is preferable for a high-traffic site that needs to meet the computational and data transfer demands of many users for extended periods of time. Shared hosting means that a single server—and its technical resources—is shared by multiple websites. A website on a shared host can be thought of like a tenant in an apartment building; it is generally independent of the other “tenants,” but at times it may be impacted by a delay in shared resources, like waiting for the apartment building’s elevator if too many people are coming or going at once.
In between dedicated and shared, there are various degrees of web hosting. The “right” level of service will depend on the specific demands of the website’s owner and the amount of web traffic that goes to the site. For small business owners who aren’t sure what they’ll need, it would generally be safe to start with a shared host and periodically reassess how the service has functioned. The web host can usually be upgraded, downgraded, or otherwise changed without too much trouble.
For additional discussion of general webhosting issues, the reader can refer to: WebsiteHostingWiki.com.
There are many web hosting services in the market. Two familiar internet names, Google and Yahoo, both offer their own web hosting services (see Google Sites and Yahoo Web Hosting). Additionally, there are other hosts that specialize in different types of web hosting. Here is a site that reviews various hosting services: WebHostingGeeks.com.
The cost for web hosting can range from free (with Google) to several hundred dollars per month (Dedicated). However, a basic shared hosting service can typically be found for less than $10 per month. This is usually a reasonable starting point for most small businesses.
Creating the Website Files
As noted above, a website is basically a set of files that are saved on one computer and accessed by another. These files are written in a special programming language or code. The web browsing application (e.g., Internet Explorer) interprets this code and displays the website as it was intended to be seen. So, in order to build a website, the site owner needs to compile a set of computer code (in a language the web browsing application will understand) and store it in a file for the visitor’s browser to read.
One way to accomplish this would be to type out the computer code, line by line, like a computer programmer. However, this approach is beyond the assumed expertise of the reader, and beyond the scope of this article. So there are two primary alternatives to “programming” the website. Both of these options rely on software to translate pictures and page-layouts into the proper computer language. These options are: (1) use an online template provided by the web host, or (2) buy a web design software package.
Option 1 - Online Template
Many web hosts have a “site builder” application that clients can use to construct their websites. These applications are maintained online, as opposed to something that is downloaded or installed on a client’s home PC. Clients simply go to the web host’s website, log-in, and start building. These applications typically offer a range of generic website templates, which the site owner can modify with certain tools that are provided.
The greatest benefit of this option is that it is very simple. To a large extent, the site’s layout and design are already put together by the template. The site owner need only to choose among a list of options (e.g., display the menu on the right or on the left?), and the template does the rest. This allows the site owner to focus less on design and more on the text and other content to be displayed on the site. However, the main drawback of this option is that customization is limited to the list of options that the template offers. Using the template requires the owner to give up some control over what the site will be able to do. For instance, if the business owner wanted to create a section of the site that allowed for customers to post feedback or reviews, they could do so only to the extent that the template had that option.
The depth and flexibility of the “site builder” application will depend on the web host. Some web hosts will have a wide variety of templates with a robust set of customizing tools; others might not. The small business owner who is considering using an online “site builder” application would be well-advised to pay special attention to that aspect when selecting their web host. Also note that some web hosts only accommodate sites that are built using their templates. The Google and Yahoo sites noted above are two such hosts.
Option 2 - Web Design Software
An alternative approach to building a website is to employ desktop-based web design software. Using this type of software is analogous to using Microsoft Word to prepare a memorandum. The software is maintained on the developer’s PC. The developer has a wide range of tools and functions at their disposal to make the document/website look exactly how they want. And when it’s done, the document/website is saved as a file. For a website, this file can then be transferred to the web host.
There are a number of different web design software packages, requiring varying degrees of technical competency. Three popular programs are: Microsoft Expression, CoffeeCup Visual Site Designer, and Adobe Dreamweaver. For reviews on these and other web design programs, refer to ConsumerSearch.com: Web Design Software Reviews.
Various software packages will require different levels of technical expertise. The three noted above offer online tutorials and discussion forums, helping new web developers learn how to build a site with their software:
Selecting the right software will also depend on the business owner’s budget. The CoffeeCup Visual Site Designer is the lowest cost of the three noted here, selling for about $50. The Microsoft and Adobe applications are more expensive, starting around $150 and up. However, Microsoft and Adobe do have a variety of discount programs, including student discounts. For those who qualify, these software packages are available at significantly reduced prices (e.g., Microsoft’s Expression suite is available to students for free).
The tools available and required steps to build a website will depend on the chosen software. However, the end result of any development work done with one of these software packages will be a file (or set of files) that needs to be transferred to the web host. Many web hosts use File Transfer Protocol (“FTP”) to move the website file from the developer’s PC to their server. The procedure to transfer the files will depend on the web host and the software package used to develop the files. The site owner should refer to their web host for FTP instructions.
The Website Development Process
For the small business owner who is just beginning to consider establishing a web presence, the variety of options for creating a website can be overwhelming. To address this point, the business owner might consider building its site in stages. Start with a simple, template-based site, hosted by an inexpensive (or possibly even free) web host. Over time, add new sections or new functionality, within the capability of the template application. Eventually, if the template isn’t able to accommodate a certain look or desired functionality, invest in a web design software package and learn how to use its tools to build a more customized site. As traffic to the site increases, and the demand for computational capacity increases, upgrade the web hosting service to be closer to the “dedicated” end of the spectrum, and so on. The website development process need not be a once-and-done project. Instead, the site can grow and evolve over time.
Other Ways to Promote the Business Online
In addition to developing its own website, there are several other ways for a small business to establish a presence on the web. For example: create a Facebook page for the business or create and maintain a business listing on Yelp.
It may also be tempting to create a Wikipedia entry for the business, but the following article provides some compelling reasons not to take that approach.
Copyright
Depending on the site’s content, the owner may consider registering for copyright protection. The following site provides a basic explanation of copyright rules, some reasons to consider copyright, and a guide to copyright registration.
