The Web Design Group

Getting Down to Basics


The Planning Stage

Good Web Managers will be constantly aware of the manner in which they present their information. Sometimes merely including a small graphic in the page can liven up an otherwise dull run of text and help draw in the readers attention! And it never hurts to add some variety to the layout as well. But all of this must be planned for.

The planning stage is very important to a sites level of organization. And there are a few rules which should always be followed here.

  1. Decide on which server is going to host the site.
  2. A site map should be drawn to visualize the relationship of documents in advance.
  3. No page on the site should contain more than 50k of data without first warning the client.

Rule 1: Pick a Server

This step can be as simple as having a service provider that grants free Web space, or as complex as setting up a new server. Several things need to be considered during this step. The most notable of which is whether or not a registered domain name is necessary? A registered domain name is a name such as www.htmlhelp.com. Having a domain name makes it easier for clients to remember where to find the site again. However, it can be quite costly compared to other options.

Another item which must be taken into consideration is whether or not you will be conducting business through your Web site. Almost all internet service providers exclude business use from their free web sites. If either of these are the case the best alternative will be to contact a Virtual Server provider and inquire about the options they have available. (Check out our growing list of Virtual Servers.)

If one is only interested in setting up a personal site, and the ISP provides free space, there isn't much work to do here. If the ISP isn't providing space, first consider pressuring them to do so (or leave them for one that does), and then as a last resort check our list of "free web page providers".

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