Auction Australian Domain Names - Buy and Sell Domain Names - Web Design - Green Screen Sydney - Video Mastering

... very soon everyone on earth will have 15 Megabytes of fame.

M.G. SIRIAM

A Web page is your electronic brochure, available to the world. It will help you create an image that can be as favorable and impressive as the largest organization's, even though they may have fancy offices in a downtown high-rise and you're operating in the basement of your home. So, how you set up your Web site and how you use it will have a measurable impact on its effectiveness.

1. Getting started on the Internet is probably best done by using an expert. It will make the process much quicker and less frustrating. Deciding on whether to go it alone or use an expert should be based on a cost-benefit analysis pitting the cost of your time against the cost of an expert.

   • Today, experts don't need to cost the earth. You'll find an endless number of Web page designers in your local newspaper, Yellow Pages, local community college, or among your neighborhood school kids. The latter will be most cost-effective, but often prove to be unreliable.

   • To get started you will need a computer. You will need a PC, hand-held, or laptop. The PC is the cheapest, but offers least flexibility from a portability perspective. As a minimum, you'll probably want a computer with

     • a Pentium III microchip to be able to process more sophisticated data and 3-D diagrams;

     • a 56K modem, to ensure a reasonable speed in transferring data to and from the Internet;

     • 700 MHz to process information quickly; and

     • 128 megabytes of RAM to be able to use more than one software program simultaneously.

2. Whe choosing a Web address (URL), bear these principles in mind:

   • Pick something that people will be able to remember. Associate the URL designation with your name. For example if your company is Only Sox Inc., then consider www.onlysox.com.

   • Short is always better. A long URL will invariably lead people to making mistakes when they are trying to access your Web page, causing concern about whether your URL is operational or not.

   • Choose a "first-tier" address such as a dot-com, dot-net, or dot-org. It projects an image of universality. A second-tier URL, such as dot-on.ca, lets the user know that you operate more locally, which in some cases may be an advantage, but in others is less prestigious.

   • An easy way to find a name that you can use is to check with a registry, such as domainpeople.com. If your chosen name is available, you can immediately reserve it for whatever period you want, for a fee.

3. You will need a Web browser, such as Netscape or Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

Learn to use one of the software programs, such as Microsoft's FrontPage or Adobe's PageMill, so that you can update your Web page very quickly as often as is necessary. These programs avoid the necessity of learning to use HTML and other programming languages, which can be intimidating.

4. Use a reliable service-oriented Internet provider. An ideal provider is one that offers

   • 24/7 service

   • patient, knowledgeable people on their help desk

   • high-speed access

   • ability to log in from any major center worldwide

5. Design your Web page with these criteria in mind:

   • The front page is bright, simple, eye-catching, and uncluttered.

   • Text is written in simple, bold letters, which are easy to read. Fancy texts are sometimes difficult to read on a computer screen.

   • The color is the same as your stationery so that it maintains your corporate image.

   • The front page creates an immediate favorable impression. It should contain

     • your logo

     • a short crisp message letting people know what you are all about

     • links to other parts of your site, typically in tabs on the left hand side of the page

     • links to other useful URLs

   • It should be easy to contact you.

6. Encourage people to contact you by registering with you. Create a way to make the process fun and simple by

   • asking a few basic questions such as name, title, organization, and e-mail address. A phone number would be useful, but may bring about resistance, as people might feel that you will be badgering them.

   • limiting the length of the questionnaire to a few lines that require short simple answers

   • highlighting the submit button, so that it is easy to see and use

   • offering some kind of reward for responding, such as a free catalogue, sample, or consultation. Some kind of draw for a prize might sweeten the pot and encourage a larger response.