| It's now widely accepted that web-site is | | | | this mode you hire some web-space from a |
| essential for any kind of business over | | | | larger web-site (not host). Your internet |
| Internet. However, before embarking on | | | | address (URL in Internet lingo) looks like |
| website design - spend some time on planning. | | | | or The later (also called sub-domain or |
| Why do you need a web-site ? What are your | | | | micro site) is little more prestigious and |
| expectations from it ? What is the target | | | | may suit some businesses. While such |
| audience ? How do you blend your | | | | web-presence is inexpensive, convenient and |
| organizational goals with website goals ?To | | | | maintenance free, it may not suit your |
| help you in your thinking process - here's a | | | | purpose in long term for following reasons: |
| checklist of issues and considerations that | | | | Like rented office, the address is temporary. |
| could be helpful in your planning. This is a | | | | If decides to throw you out or closes down |
| general checklist, there may be special | | | | its business - you will have to look for |
| issues related to your business. You may add | | | | another place and consequently another URL. |
| or subtract from this list to construct your | | | | This could be suicidal as your customer will |
| own website design plan.There are essentially | | | | not be able to locate you and all your money |
| four issues - that you should address before | | | | spent on search engine promotion will go down |
| starting work on your web-site. These | | | | the drainYou will never be able to use |
| are:What is the purpose of this web-site or, | | | | business e-mails like There may be severe |
| to put it differently - ask yourself 'What | | | | restrictions on bandwidth usage There are |
| exactly am I expecting from it ?' What kind | | | | many other reasons against such web-presence, |
| of hosting solution should I consider What | | | | but the most important is poor cost benefit |
| will be the content and how to manage it How | | | | ratio. This kind of web presence might have |
| to promote the web-site Purpose of Web-Site | | | | been cost effective during initial days of |
| Design of web-site is critically dependent on | | | | Internet when web-hosting was a costly affair |
| your business goals. Web-sites are used for | | | | - but is no longer so today. Falling price of |
| various purposes, such as: Pure Dissemination | | | | web-hosting has made this option mostly |
| of information. For example, web-sites of | | | | redundant. Virtual Server This is perhaps the |
| very large corporations, Newspapers, | | | | most popular and cost-effective option today |
| Government organizations, Educational | | | | where you enjoy fair amount of independence |
| institutions, Business associations etc | | | | and a permanent Internet address (URL) for a |
| Extension of existing services, such as banks | | | | moderate price. Like apartment in a large |
| using web-sites for on-line transaction | | | | mansion - you get space earmarked for you in |
| processing. Customers can enjoy many services | | | | a server or host along with many others like |
| from home without physically visiting bank | | | | you. Unlike apartments - you will never lose |
| premises Marketing products and services - | | | | your Internet address (URL) as domain name |
| where it acts as online brochure. Most | | | | remains same even if you change server or |
| companies use web-sites for this purpose | | | | hosting provider. You will enjoy almost all |
| Selling Products on-line - where it not only | | | | facilities that a dedicated server or |
| markets products but also acts as store-front | | | | bungalow owner gets like business e-mail, own |
| for selling products and services, popularly | | | | programs, databases etc. Your web-site will |
| known as e-commerce. Customer service where | | | | look and act like independent of anyone |
| customers use web-site for troubleshooting, | | | | though in reality it is not (it is part of a |
| lodging complaints, request information etc. | | | | server) - hence the name virtual server.The |
| Examples are web-sites of hardware, | | | | disadvantages of this mode of web-presence |
| machinery, equipment manufacturers | | | | areBeware of cheap service providers who cram |
| Facilitating interaction among a group on | | | | hundreds of web-sites in a single server |
| subjects common to all group members - such | | | | choking processor efficiency and bandwidth. |
| as discussion boards, consumer activist forum | | | | Your web-site in such a server will be slow |
| etc. Above is merely an illustration - there | | | | to respond, resulting in lose of customers. |
| are many other applications (such as BLOGS) | | | | Research has shown that a typical website |
| and more will emerge in future. Important | | | | visitor does not wait beyond 20 seconds for a |
| point is to decide the purpose of your | | | | web-site to load. Make sure your web-site |
| web-site - which may be one of above or a | | | | does not keep visitors in a queue - else all |
| mixture. A helpful tip is to write the | | | | your investment goes down the drain. Stingy |
| purpose clearly on a piece of paper and | | | | service providers may not invest in server |
| discuss it with your design team. Use | | | | resources or user-friendly web-administrator |
| feedback from your friends, colleagues, | | | | software resulting in slow server and time |
| technical team and customers to evaluate and | | | | consuming web site administration Over |
| if necessary, change your web-site plan. It | | | | enthusiastic hosting service providers may |
| is better to develop a plan first as | | | | impose unreasonable service restrictions One |
| mid-course changes are always expensive and | | | | can not grow beyond a certain limit. An |
| time consuming. Hosting Solution for Your | | | | apartment owner can not build extra rooms. |
| Web-Site Web-Site is composed of html files, | | | | Like apartment owner - you should not do |
| computer programs, databases, Java Scripts | | | | anything that might cause inconvenience to |
| etc. Once this stuff is placed on a special | | | | other apartment owners such as too many |
| kind of computer called server - your | | | | visitors, too much use of common facilities |
| web-site becomes part of World Wide Web | | | | etc. All said and done - this is an excellent |
| (WWW), visible from any part of the world. | | | | option for all "Small and Medium Enterprises" |
| Such servers are called 'Host' in Internet | | | | who take necessary care to select a suitable |
| lingo and the process called hosting. Hosting | | | | hosting service provider. True, there are |
| Solution means zeroing on a suitable server | | | | limits in such web-presence but in reality - |
| that will host your web-site. There are two | | | | it may take quite some time for you to reach |
| broad issues that will largely determine the | | | | that limit. Till that time - it is cost |
| nature and extent of your web-presence - one | | | | effective to use virtual server. Dedicated |
| is technical and the other | | | | Server As the name indicates, you get a whole |
| financial.Technical Considerations Apart from | | | | server to host your web-site - no sharing of |
| technical specifications of host - you need | | | | resources. There are almost no limits in |
| to consider followingOver 90% of servers that | | | | usage and everything is good in this mode |
| constitute WWW are either Windows or Linux | | | | except cost. You need to spend quite a lot |
| Unix based. Windows and Linux are a kind of | | | | for a dedicated server and hire highly |
| computer software called "Operating System". | | | | skilled technical professionals to maintain |
| In internet lingo - they are called | | | | it. Normally, a small or medium enterprise |
| platforms. So, your first job is to select | | | | may not need a dedicated server, not at least |
| the platform for your web-site host. While | | | | in the beginning. Conclusion Apart from above |
| static html files will work perfectly from | | | | basic issues, there are others relating to |
| both kinds of servers, computer programs and | | | | content and promotion. Nature of content |
| databases are largely platform-centric. So, | | | | determines, to a great extent, internal |
| if you are going to use databases and | | | | working of a web-site. For web-sites where |
| software - better select the platform first. | | | | content changes rapidly (such as newspapers, |
| Linux is considered more robust and faster | | | | commodity prices etc.), static html files may |
| than Windows. Besides, it is far more | | | | not be sufficient. Databases may be required |
| capital-inexpensive as most databases and | | | | in such cases for storing dynamic content. |
| software for this platform are available free | | | | Promotion in search engines is another issue |
| (called open source in Internet lingo). | | | | that will surface once basic issues are |
| However, it is easier to find a Windows | | | | resolved. One should be aware of all these |
| programmer than Linux, as most teaching | | | | issues and considerations in the design phase |
| schools use Windows. So maintenance cost of | | | | and earmark resources accordingly.Amit worked |
| Linux software may get higher than that of | | | | in blue-chip Indian and MNCs for 15 years in |
| Windows. Financial Considerations Apart from | | | | various capacities like Research and |
| selecting hosting platform, you also need to | | | | Information Analysis, Market Development, |
| decide the extent of your web-presence - | | | | MIS, R&D Information Systems etc. before |
| mainly dependent on financial consideration. | | | | starting his e-commerce venture in 1997. He |
| Based on budget and other considerations - | | | | writes regularly for Great Indian Bazaar - |
| there are essentially three options in your | | | | export import trade point & business |
| web-presence: Your web-presence is part of a | | | | directory serving exporters, importers, |
| larger web-site - like a rented room in a | | | | manufacturers, buyers and sellers since 1997 |
| building Hire a Virtual server - like owning | | | | You may find more articles by Amit at FAIDA - |
| an apartment in a high-rise buildingDedicated | | | | Newsletter Articles on Export Import Trade |
| Server - like owning a house or bungalow Part | | | | Over Internet. |
| of Larger Web-site Like a rented room, in | | | | |