Plan it!

One way to start: Make a list of ideas, phrases, and descriptive terms, written willy-nilly on a piece of paper. These can form the building blocks of a successful mission statement. Don't worry about how well any of these ideas work. Just get down as...

Once you've crafted a mission statement, it's time to make a list of milestones or goals for your site. Hitting milestones is a critical piece of project management and, thankfully, there are several great online tools to help you manage any project -...

Yes, your Web site can reach a global audience. And yes, Internet-enabled computers are available in more and more households. The internet is used by billions of people wordlwide. But the real power of your Web site isn't just the breadth of the potential...

Decision time:  do you want a blog-style website or a more traditional website? It is far easier to set up and maintain a blog-style site than a traditional website, especially if you plan to frequently add new content (especially news). But you may ...

Domain names are, strictly speaking, not necessary for the functioning of the Internet. If all the domain names tomorrow disappeared overnight, it would still be possible for computers to talk to computers, by means of their IP address. An IP address...

When you create a website, it's no longer enough to have a good name. You also need a good domain. A domain  is the name users will type to get to your site - like yahoo.com, redcross.org, or whitehouse.gov. Just like cars or houses, domains can b...

If you want to find out whether the domain you want is available, don't just type your preferred name into a web browser. Even if no website appears, the domain name may already be taken. How to Check Availability Streamline: Choose one place for domain...

It used to be that you'd buy a domain one place, then have to decide on a Web host. Not anymore. Since almost all companies offer both services, it makes sense to buy a domain name at the same company you want to use as your Web host. Consult this...

There are many reliable Web hosting companies to choose from. So what separates one from another? If you are planning to use a hosted Wordpress solution, or another content management system (CMS) like Drupal, Joomla or Expression Engine, then make ...

Cost is an important consideration, but it isn't the only one when it comes to choosing a Web host. Here are some other factors that you should weigh before you make your decision. Price Hosting costs will vary, depending on your needs. The more you...

As your site attracts more visitors, your Web server may start to slow down because it's processing more requests for pages and files. At this point, you have two ways to deal with the problem: Streamline your pages or upgrade your hosting. If you're...

Whether launching a website or redesigning one, you need to allocate limited resources carefully. Bandwidth  is rarely free. And a growing website will consume as much of your own time as you're willing to give. When Do You Need to Hire Help? Some a...

Whether or not you plan to hire outside professionals to design or develop your site, one way to organize your thoughts and define your project is to write a Request for Proposals (RFP) outlining the specific capabilities (specifications) you want your...

Now, you're looking for someone who can help. Where should you look? For starters, ask friends and colleagues who have websites that you admire whether they would recommend their designers. Probe for what they liked, didn't like and what they wished...

While we focus on many legal issues involving websites in the Law and Ethics  chapter, there are a few issues specific to hiring contractors that you should keep in mind. Who Owns What Your contract should state clearly that your contractors are c...

The web developer has been chosen, the bid was approved and the papers are signed. Let's get started! It's common nowadays to hire someone who lives and works far away and to never speak to the person or company you've hired. If you use Elance or find...

A content management system (CMS) is used to create, edit, manage, and publish content in a consistently organized fashion. A CMS is frequently used for storing, controlling and publishing a variety of different types of content, including news articles,...

Over the past few years, an alignment of stars has led many news sites of all sizes to switch from a traditional content management system to a blog platform like Wordpress. The two forces at work: rapid development from the Wordpress community that has...

New technologies for online publishing that have specific application to publishing a content website abound. Below are some of the best options, most of which are free and easy to use, so you can take your site to the next level. Event Calendars A...

There are dozens, yes dozens, of free website builders available today. Some have been around for years, others are new to the game bringing new, innovative approaches. Following is a look at some of the leading build-a-site applications that independent...

So you want to be a Web publisher? Thankfully, today's technology makes it easy for anyone to jump in and produce a content Web site with a professional look and performance. There are other sections of this site that detail how to build and host ...