What is the Purpose of Your Web Site?

A Web site consists of one or more Web pages or documents containing text and graphics. When these pages are linked together in a meaningful way, the result is a body of information that creates a consistent effect.

The Home Page

Usually, people start exploring your Web pages from your home page, the "top" page of your presentation. This page should provide an overview of the content available throughout your Webs site. Look at it as a table of contents or an index. You may want to use your home page to promote your business by including such features as a company profile, products and employment opportunities.

Keep it Simple

The beauty of the Internet is that you can present more information on the Web than you can include in a flyer or brochure. And it can be interactive! The downside is that it's easy to get carried away.

The best Web sites provide quality information in a concise, easy-to-navigate format. With such a site, you can virtually guarantee repeat visitors and new traffic, since those who visit your site will tell others about you.

The same holds true for graphic elements. Keep them simple and effective and appropriate for your specialty and your clients. Try to avoid graphics that require excessive download time; many people still have older browsers, slower modems, and computers with different resolutions. Adding fancy graphics that your clients cannot see creates an exercise in frustration simple and effective graphics will only enhance their surfing experience.

What You Need to Get Started

You don't even need a modem or a computer to post a Web site! You only need to open an account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). Such accounts range from $10 to $50 a month. The cost depends on such considerations as the service provided, the number of e-mail accounts you require, the number of transactions per month, and the amount of disk space required to story your Web site on the IPS hard disk. Make sure you find a plan that includes a minimum of 100 megabytes of disk space and at least one e-mail account.

You may obtain several types of accounts from an ISP. A dial-up account is the most common. This allows you to "dial-up" with your†modem to access the ISP for e-mail accounts, Web access, etc. Once you've secured an account from your selected ISP, your e-mail account is activated immediately. Your Web site can be posted at a later time, from anywhere in the world. Your ISP also will give you an access phone number and a "user-name" and a "password" to log into your space on their server.

Other type of accounts to look at includes ISDN, cable modem, DSL, and wireless broadband. While these may sound complicated, they are really just high-speed access lines. Recent model modems usually operate at 56K speed. An ISDN line provides faster access, usually via 128K access. Cable modems, DSL, and wireless broadband provide increasingly greater access speeds.

What You Need to Create Your Internet Presence

HEALTHCENTS can build your Web site for you. All we need are the following materials:

• Text files in PC format (WordPerfect or Microsoft Word provided on a 3.5" floppy diskette or a printout of the text)
• Images in PC graphic format (We can also scan photographs or such artwork as your company’s logo and convert that into digital format)
• Printed copies of your current public relations materials (to help us create a site consistent with your corporate image)
• Preliminary sketches of your desired layout (if possible)
• Internet addresses (for linking other sites to link your site)
• Contact information for your Internet Service Provider (plus your user name, domain name or URL address, password and e-mail address)
• Your preferred color scheme (or company logo colors
• A Web address for any site you’d like us to use as a model

Some ideas for Web pages and content

• Homepage (a must)
• Departments or Category pages
• About the Company page
• Information about your organization
• Product page
• Services Provided
• Order form
• Comment form
• Employee or Staff Directory
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Associations or Networking Groups
• Employment Opportunities
• Contracts Maintained
• Community Service Programs
• Awards and honors
• Links to Other Web Sites

Why Do I need a site?