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Essentially, a Web site is a way to present yourself online.
Your Web site is a place on the Internet where anyone in the world
can visit whenever they want to find out more about you, ask you
questions, give you feedback, or even buy your products. Think of
the Internet as the world's biggest trade show, and your Web site
is your booth.
What is a Domain Name?
Your Domain Name is your address on the Web. Just like people
use your phone number to call you on the phone, your Domain Name
allows people to access your site on the Web. Clever, simple, or
easy to remember Domain Names are most desirable as they can play
a large part in attracting visitors to your site. Most Domain
Names end with ".com" (such as E Network-Solutions.com), but other
extensions such as ".net" and ".org" are also
available. In addition Domains can be used with your e-mail
accounts allowing you to send and receive e-mail with addresses
such as "support@yourcompany.com"
Why do I need a Web site?
Five years ago having a Web site was a vanity.
Two years ago having a Web site was trendy.
Today having a Web site is a necessity.
People are using the Web for everything from researching
schoolwork to buying dinner. It's quick, it's convenient, and you
never need to leave your desk. Even people who prefer to shop
off-line are researching products on the Web. These days when
people are trying to find you, the first place they look is on the
Web - and if they don't find you, they will probably find someone
else!
What can a Web site do for me?
Your Web site can be used for a large number of tasks such as:
- Making public announcements
- Providing support to your customers
- Receiving feedback from your visitors
- Sharing/distributing files and images
- And, of course, selling your products
Those might not sound impressive, but don't forget that you'll
be able to do those things for people around the world at any time
of day or night. You have the potential to become a house-hold
name 10,000 miles away.
How does a Web site work?
A Web site is simply a collection of files that reside on a
computer connected to the Internet. When someone visits your site,
they are actually contacting that computer, and that computer
(called a Web server) gives the visitor the files they want to
see. It sounds very simple, but most normal computers don't have
the power or the software needed to constantly respond to all the
requests made by all the visitors to a site. And even if they did,
they'd need an extremely fast connection to the Internet to keep
up with all the requests. Most people and small companies don't
have the resources to run a Web server, and that is where Web
Hosting comes in.
To have a Web site on the Internet you first need to have a Web
server. Unfortunately, owning a Web server can be very costly and
requires technical expertise that most businesses don't have. This
is where Web Hosts come in. Web hosting companies provide the
equipment and other technical resources that you need without the
headaches that come when you have to do it yourself.
Think of a Web Host as the landlord of building. A landlord
rents out storefronts to various businesses. Each business
decorates and runs their store differently, and doesn't worry
about the maintenence of the building. In a similar way a Web Host
rents out space on a Web server, (or entire Web servers), to
various businesses. Each business builds their own Web site and
never has to worry about the maintenence of their Web server.
In other words, the Web Host provides the place on the Internet
where your Web site lives. It's a lot cheaper than buying you own
server, and you don't have to hire the technical staff to take
care of it.
The first thing you need to do when establishing a Web presence
is decide on a Domain Name. Choosing the right Domain Name is very
important, as it directly affects how easy it is for potential
visitors to find your site. Try for something that's easy to
recognize, easy to remember, and to easy to guess. For example, if
your business is "Barb's Beach Balls" then "barbsbeachballs.com"
would be a good Domain Name since it's logical, easy to remember,
and easy to spell. It's also a good idea to think of alternate
Domain Names in case the first one you think of is already taken.
If you are not planning on building your Web site right away,
you might still want to consider registering your Domain as soon
as possible. Thousands of Domain Names are registered every day,
and there's no guarantee that yours will still be around when you
decide to build your site.
Most people start by browsing through the hosting plan
descriptions on this site. We offer a plan for everyone, but it's
not always easy to decide which one is for you. Here are some tips
to help narrow down your choices:
- If you plan on selling anything from your Web site, take a
look at the e-commerce plans.
- If you plan on using Microsoft Office extensions or
databases, or plan on having a dynamic Web site, consider the
Windows 2000/NT plans.
- Consider the Bronze plans if you're an individual.
- Consider the Gold plans if the site is for a business.
Another way to find the service plan that's right for you is to
use the Web
Hosting Wizard. The Web Hosting Wizard asks you questions
about your Web site to figure out exactly which plan you need.
E Network-Solutions also has many Web site Consultants dedicated to helping
you establish your site. You can give them a call at
1-888-438-8374. They can help you decide on a hosting plan, answer
any questions you might have, and even walk you though the order
process.
When you have decided which Web hosting plan best meets your
need, click on the buy button on that plan's page to start the
ordering process. Placing the order is easy and your site will be
running in a matter of hours.
Build and Publish Your Web site
Building your own Web site can be very gratifying, but doesn't
have to be very difficult. There are currently a lot of software
packages available - such as Microsoft FrontPage 2000 - that make
creating and publishing your Web site relatively quick and
painless. E Network-Solutions supports the use of most Web site design and
publishing tools.
If you find that you need help publishing your site, or are
interested in more advanced Web site features, E Network-Solutions
provides
extensive online documentation as well as excellent Technical
Support by both phone and e-mail.
Promote Your Web Site
To really succeed on the Web, you need more than just a Web
site. You need "traffic" - a steady stream of visitors
coming to check out your products, services, information, and
everything else you offer online. In order to draw people to your
site, you need to be listed in the Web's most popular search
engines and Web directories. Services like www.netannounce.com can
help you get traffic to your site by listing your site with search
engines and giving you tips for making your Web site more easy to
find online.
Analyze the Results
The success of a Web site is generally measured by how many
visitors it gets. Your Web server automatically logs each time
someone accesses one of your Web pages. Looking at these logs can
tell you how much traffic your site gets, how popular different
parts of your site are, and when your site is the busiest.
Analyzing your traffic can even give you an idea of which parts of
your site may need to be improved or expanded.
All E Network-Solutions Web hosting plans come with built-in tools that you
can use to help you analyze your traffic. Once you become a E Network-Solutions
customer, it is easy to log into a custom control panel and access
current site statistics.
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