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