Building Your Website
So you want to take a ride on the Information Superhighway?

Definition of URL: Uniform Resource Locator or web address such as http://www.crystalbay.net

There are several options for building your website and hosting. They range from high cost to free involving nothing but your time.

Getting Started
If you simply want a site on a tight, or no budget, and are not particular about having your own domain name (for instance, members.xoom.com/yourname/) you can get a free website through GeoCities, Xoom, and other places. The price you will pay, however, is promoting advertising for them on your web page.

A second way to go is to use the web space that you may already have available through your service provider or through a host. Services such as AOL usually have web space in addition to email. Your web page, again, would be at their domain or URL with your page name (for instance: members.aol.com/yourname/). In this arrangement you have more control over your page without having to put their ads on the page.

If you have a business you will probably want to have your own domain name with your own unique URL. You can check to see if your name is still available by using the search box on this web page. If your name is still available and you want to register it, the authority will charge you $70 (U.S.) to register the domain for two years. You will need the IP address of your host.

Once you have your own domain name and URL, you can either develop your site in-house or contract the work out. Numerous books, websites, and software are available to help you get started in web publishing. If you are not able to devote a substantial amount of time to the technological aspects of your site, it might be wise to take advantage of the knowledge of a professional developer and designer.

A professional can utilize their expertise to help develop a site that not only depicts the professionalism that you want, but that will also rank well in search engines and be optimized for the Internet computing environment. A site is no good if no body sees it!

Security
While you can get carried away in the design and marketing aspects of your website, don't forget to secure your site and your PC too. Internet provides tremendous opportunities for you, but it also provides opportunities for hackers. These Internet bad "boyZ" think it's fun to threaten you and hack into your PC. 

Make sure you back up your files and secure your system with software guards or a firewall. (There are some great resources for security below, but keep in mind these are only precautions. Many hackers devote ALL of their free time to their "sport"! )

Once you have a good website, security, and Internet marketing plan in place, you should enjoy increased national and international contacts and have happier, more informed customers. Hold on you're in for an exciting ride on the information superhighway!

CrystalBay web developers, network managers, writers and designers are available to assist you with hosting, development, and Internet marketing and p.r. We have several years experience developing successful web sites, database and network management systems, and marketing campaigns for top U.S. corporations, government, and small business. For assistance, please contact Susan at CrystalBay.

Is the domain name you want still available? Check and reserve here...

Important Note: InterNic and Network Solutions are THE officially authorized, original web address domain registration authorities. Some other services will charge you an additional fee, but you can avoid extra fees by registering yourself online through CrystalBay's affiliate partnership with Network Solutions. The normal fee is $70 for two years.

Resources

1. Fix and prevent hardware and software problems
2. Defend your PC from viruses and malicious Internet code
3. Remove unneeded files safely
4. Protect your work from system crashes
5. Get system updates right off the Web

The Non-Designer's Web Book
 

Professionals/Business Owners

• Do you want to get on the Internet?
• Increase search engine rankings?
• Generate revenue with ecommerce?
• Provide a valuable online service to customers?

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