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Web Sites 101
You want a web site, so where do you start?. Here are some basics:
You'll need an address, aka Domain Name. Like appalweb.com or appalweb.net, but unique to you. Domains are acquired through a service, like us, who are licensed to 'sell' domain names. Domains are licensed to you by the year at a cost anywhere from $8-$35 per year, depending on the seller. You can get up to a 10 year license. Domains are made up of your unique name and common domain identifier (.com, .org, .net, etc), so the two appalweb examples are two licenses. Although .com is the most common identifier, always check for other identifiers if the .com you want is unavailable.
You'll need a host. This is the web-server where your site lives. Hosting plans vary wildly in cost and features. Costs are tied to amount of storage space needed, amount of traffic the site might receive, whether or not the site has online sales, and the amount of other interactivity the site is capable of. Smaller sites can get by on shared servers, but heavy traffic or complex sites often need dedicated servers. We generally recommend starting at minimum levels and adjusting as your site gains exposure and growth. Hosting services are generally based on monthly contracts (with discounts for long-term agreements).
Your site will need to be designed and built. The design of a site falls into two categories: the 'look' of the site, and the structure of the site. Obviously, 'look' is the overall aesthetics (key colors, page layouts, graphic treatments). The 'structure' is the underlying programming that creates the site. Basic sites are built with standard xhtml coding and jpg/gif visuals. Sites with a high level of interactivity add another level of programming to interface with databases and visitors. Some sites contain video, sound, or multimedia technologies such as Flash (an example at the top of this page).
These are 3 very general considerations when you begin the process of setting up a web site. Obviously, there are more, that's where information gathering from a reputable consultant comes in (that'd be us). The Appalweb price of a very basic, static custom designed site (and build) start around $400-$500. If your finished site includes the type of animation/presentation (Flash) on this site, you'd be looking at around $1000 (and up) to begin. I hope this gives you more information to get started. Of course, Appalweb can provide all aspects of the finished site--domain acquisition, hosting and design/build. Also, the client (you) own ALL finished pieces of the site. You have total access/ownership of the files that make up the site and full-access to the hosting server.