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Establishing a Web Site
Now that you have access to the Internet, you are probably interested in using Internet technology to market your organization. This can be done by building your own Web page. A Web page is a hypertext or hypermedia document residing on the Internet. Hypertext is text that contains links to other pages on the Web. Hypermedia consist of text, graphics, video, and sound.
The requirements for establishing a Web site are not as difficult as you might think. Listed below are the steps for building a Web site:
The following Web authoring tools are available for the PC:
- Get access to the Internet through an Internet Service Provider.
- Create a Web site.
- Have your ISP host your Web site. In order to have a Web presence, your Web pages must be stored on a host computer. Since the majority of ISPs host Web accounts, hosting is relatively inexpensive. Starting prices are about $20 and can increase according to your hosting needs. Hosting a Web site often includes storage space, a domain name, e-mail accounts, and Web site traffic allocation. For an example of ISP hosting and the different services offered, view Concentric Networks' site (http://www.concentric.net).
- Secure a Domain name. This will be the name of your Web site and serve as your Internet address. (e.g., http://www.artsite.org)
- Secure enough Web space. Make sure you have a minimum of 5 Mb of Web space.
- Open CGI access. CGI access allows interactive programs such as sound and video on your site.
- Design your Web page. A Web Design Firm can help you from start to finish. However, if you are ambitious you can build your own Web site. With the influx of user friendly Web authoring tools, building a Web page is no longer confusing. Conventional methods of writing text (HTML) on Web pages can now be replaced by software programs that do it for you. HTML, or Hyper Text Markup Language, is a programming language used to create Web pages on the Internet. HTML creates links between Web pages and lays out how the text, pictures, and other elements are arranged on Web pages. Web authoring tools commonly include "wizards," which can guide you through the Web creation process and edit your Web pages. It is important to remember that not all Web authoring tools have Web editors. Below are a list of some of the most popular Web authoring tools. For a more comprehensive list, you can view the Editors Choice (http://www.zdnet.com/products) and HTML Editors and Templates (http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu).
The following Web authoring tools are available for the Macintosh:
- Microsoft FrontPage 98 (http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage)
- WebberActive (http://www.expertelligence.com)
- Visual Page (http://www.symantec.com)
- NetObjects Fusion (http://www.netobjects.com)
- Dreamweaver 1.0 (http://www.macromedia.com)
- CyberStudio 1.0 (http://www.golive.com)
- Adobe PageMill 2.0 (http://www.adobe.com)