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Here are some of the most frequently
asked questions we get about web design:
What is a domain name and how do I
get one?
A domain name, put simply, is the part of the web address after
the www. Take for example http://www.product9.com —
the domain is product9.com. When you enter a web address
into your browser, it is translated into a number called an IP
address (IP stands for "Internet
Protocol"). It's like dialing a phone number that is written
in letters like 1-800-BIZ-NAME.
To keep track of all these domain names, there's a directory called
the Domain Name System. Public and private servers are set up,
called DNS servers, that keep track of which name goes with which
number. There is a master list (so people can't go changing other
people's info). For more info, here's an article about the •history
of the domain name system• (good overview article, but the link may disappear in the near future).
How do you get a domain name? One of the very first steps is to
see if the domain name you want is available. Our very favorite domain registration
tool is www.GoDaddy.com.
Once you are ready, the easiest way to register a domain name
is to sign up through a web hosting company (see below
if you don't know what a web host is). You can also reserve a domain
name if you are not yet ready to commit to a hosting plan (or
think someone might snap up your domain before you). For a long
time •Network
Solutions• was the only place to register a domain name.
Now, there are many many choices. See the list of •accredited
registrars•.
What is a web host and who do you recommend?
A web host is a company that hosts websites. It is different from
an ISP (Internet Service Provider) which generally provides internet
access (dial-up, dsl, cable modem) and connectivity, but doesn't
necessarily host websites (usually with limited features). Generally both web hosts and ISPs offer
email accounts with their plans. If you are a business, using an ISP's email address looks less professional than using your own domain.
ISP's EMAIL
238shnuggly@aol.com
vs.
YOUR OWN DOMAIN
me@mydomain.com
A good host is difficult to find. The key to finding
a good host is in evaluating their customer service. We've been
extremely fortunate to have found •CrystalTech WebHosting•. They
have excellent customer support (even their CEO posts on their
message board!)
I want to sell stuff online, what do
I have to do to get started?
Short answer: Ask yourself if you really really need a shopping cart on your website.
Long answer: Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you are ready for one:
- Do you have a product packaged and ready to sell?
You have to be ready to deliver once your shopping cart is live. Having an actual product is an essential part to selling on the web. Sure it sounds basic, but if you don't expect to have a finished product right away, then you don't need a shopping cart right now.
- Do you have an established business?
You will need to get the legal end of your business taken care of before you hire someone to do your shopping cart. You need a merchant account to receive the money from your website. To get the merchant account... well you get the idea. See Crystaltech's merchant page.
- Do you believe this is the easiest money you'll ever make?
Ha! Gotcha here. It's hard work, so be prepared. There's only one Amazon.com, and only one of you and lots of others competing to be numero uno. Find a niche that works for you. Check out TrendWatch.com for inspiration.
- Do you have goals in mind to measure your success?
Going from the vague to the specific like: "I want to sell 10 propeller sets a month this year" instead of "I want to get rich as fast as I can".
- Do you have a business plan?
While not required, it shows that you have thought about how an ecommerce website fits into your plans. Make sure you specifically address how selling on the web will help your business. It means you're almost ready.
- Have your customers asked if they can buy your products online?
Just because they asked doesn't mean you need to sell it online. It may not be worth it in the long run if it doesn't fit with your business plans. It's a big commitment and lots of work, so make sure it is worth your time and money. Do some research on your customers to see if this will really help them, and make you more profitable too.
- Is this your first experience with having your own website?
Sure you can just jump in and do a shopping cart, everyone's doing it... but be warned, you may want to put up a plain-old fashioned website first. You may find that's all you need.
- Do you want to sell stuff on ebay to make extra money?
This is where most people will be saying "yes yes yes". Your best bet is using Paypal and their simple integrated shopping carts and payment processing. You'll still have to have a product to sell, with pictures!
- Do you sell a service? Or one of a kind artworks?
If you are selling something very unique, highly personal, artwork, a service, you are not going to have hordes of buyers banging on their keyboards trying to buy low and sell high. You need a payment solution, not a shopping cart. You'll sell your stuff in person, over the phone or with previews on the web. Unless you are a well known artist (you know who you are) selling reproductions, you probably don't need a shopping cart, but you do need a website.
- Do you know what you will charge and how you will deliver your product or service?
The details are important. They are everything. Who is your shipper and do you have an account with them? Are your prices realistic? Determining price is an art, and if you have already figured that out (it's in the marketing plan...), then you are ready!
First things first. An online store is a •big
project• and can easily get out of control. It easily
falls vicitm to a phenomenon called "feature creep" -
where a project is ill defined at the get-go and new features (which
should have been included all along) are added to the functionality
mid-way through. This is not any one person's fault,
but usually a symptom of goals not being clearly defined.
So, to get started, the very very first thing to do is to decide
what your real-world procedures are for selling your service or
product, to document those procedures and to make a list of requirements
to web-enable your real-world business. Start with a diagram or
a flow-chart (or just scribbles on a Post-It note).
For example, a collector wants to sell some of his collections
on •eBay•.
He has his collections in several locations and occasionally sells
them to friends or at swap-meets. The first real-world thing he
needs to do is an inventory and store the inventory in a database.
While he's doing his inventory, he should photograph items he wishes
to sell - those photos will be used later on eBay. Since he will
be shipping the items to people in all parts of the country, he
needs to get shipping materials. If he decides to use one carrier
exclusively, like UPS, he can provide tracking numbers to his customers
once an item is shipped. His need for a custom shopping cart is
taken care of by eBay. For payments, he can accept credit cards
through a payment service like •PayPal•.
A more complex online store would require a customizable shopping
cart and integrated back-end tracking features. Going through the
design requirements will help smooth out the bumps later. Here's
a great •tutorial
about e-commerce• on the Webmonkey website.
I don't know how I want my site organized.
Why is the web site structure and organization important?
Trying to build a house before you've figured out where the rooms
go is a lot like trying to build a website without knowing how it
will be structured. Called Information Architecture (IA), it often
gets a cursory glance at the start of a project and is later revisited
when problems creep up. It saves time, money and aggravation to
do as much of the architectural planning in the beginning. Sure,
there are things that are unknowable and things will get changed
along the way, but heading off as much of that as possible is a
noble goal, and saves trips to the medicine cabinet. Another added
benefit to laying plans is that it improves the usability of a website
because the website's purpose is more clear. This means people using
your site will find the info they need faster. They will thank you
for this.
For further reading, go to another fine •Webmonkey
tutorial on IA•, and Jakob Nielsen's website on usability
called •Useit.com•.
I want to design my own site, but I
need a little help. Where can I go? Can you help?
The first stop for anyone unfamiliar with the basics of web design
and who wants a quick overview should be Webmonkey, which has been around since 1996. They have the
most clearly written tutorials for •beginners•
, and handy cheat sheets for •advanced•
web designers. This is a great first step. But when even that first step gets too overwhelming, then you know it's time to call a designer!
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