If your site is enabled with Microsoft Frontpage, you
may use it to replace or edit this page by connecting to this server
by using the username and password that was supplied to you.
You may also wish to use other publishing tools to create
your website, and in that case you will want to use a FTP client to
transfer your web pages onto your web site. Here is a simple and quick
guide to getting your website up and running in no time!
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Create Content
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Publish your content
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Publicize your site
There are a variety of ways to create content. The easiest
way is to use a Web content publishing tool such as Macromedia
Dreamweaver, Macromedia Fireworks
or a variety of other free publishing tools that you can find on the
internet. Other tools that are helpful include graphical editing tools
such as Paintshop Pro and even
more dynamic content generators like Macromedia's
Flash. You may also wish to edit your contents yourself by using
a text editor and learning HTML. Here are some pointers to learning
HTML
Once you've finished your page/site, you'll need to
upload it to your web server. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) allows
a person to transfer files between two computers, generally connected
via the Internet. You can either FTP your files via the command line
(i.e. DOS), or you can find yourself an FTP client which executes
all the commands in a drag-and-drop interface. We would highly recommend
the latter to beginners and experts alike. FTP clients make the publishing
process simple.
FTP Basics
To FTP, you will need to know the host location (i.e. www.domain.com),
as well as your username and password. All your web site contents
are stored in /wwwl.
Using an FTP Client
Most FTP clients have the same basic layout, functionality, and price.
Choosing one is simply a matter of personal preference. Some of the
more popular clients for Windows-based computers include WS_FTP,
CuteFTP, and BulletProof
FTP and for Macintosh computers include Fetch,
and Interarchy. All clients
come with documentation, and it shouldn't take you long to figure
out how to get started. But here are a few basics:
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There will be some kind of "Site Manager"
feature which will store all your FTP locations and their corresponding
login information. Once you enter this info, the client will automatically
log you in.
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There will be three screens. One representing your
local machine, one representing the remote host, and one which
shows the files that are queued for transfer. You will need to
navigate to the correct folders on both your local machine and
the host machine.
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You will then highlight the files you wish to upload
on your local machine, and there should be a button at the top
that queues the files for upload. The upload might execute immediately,
or you might have to hit a "Go" button first.
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That's it! Your files are uploaded! You should now
be able to go to your URL and view the page.
Search Engines and Internet Catalogs
Probably the most common way to publicize your site and generate traffic
is to submit it to search engines (i.e. Google) and internet catalogs
(i.e. Yahoo!). Most of these sites have a form you can fill out to
submit your site. To save yourself some time, you can try a service
that submits your site to multiple search engines and internet catalogs
by filling out just one form. There are many of these services out
there, such as www.submit-it.com.
By adding meta tags to your site, you can increase the relevancy of
your pages in people's searches. Meta tags will be discussed a bit
later.
Reciprocal Links
If your page has a theme, seek out pages with similar themes and ask
the webmaster to post a link to your site. In exchange, you promise
to add a link to their site on yours. This is a great way to get the
word out about your site for free.
Newsgroups
Look for newsgroups where you think people who would be interested
in your site might frequent. Post a message announcing your site and
its features. Don't do this too often as it is sometimes considered
Spamming (unsolicited advertising).
Web Rings
If there are other pages that are similar to yours, there might be
a web ring out there dedicated to your kind of site. Do an internet
search for "web ring" and include a keyword related to your
site. If you join a web ring, you will need to add a web ring graphic
and links to your page.
Advertising
If you really want to give your site some exposure, you can create
a banner ad and find a company that will get your banner put up on
numerous pages. The cost generally depends on the amount of impressions
(how many times it is seen) or click-throughs (how many times it is
actually clicked on).
