Viva Web Design

Q: How do I put my website on the Internet?

First, you need to arrange for web site hosting with an Internet Services Provider (ISP), and you might also want to register your own domain name. We are happy to assist you with this.

Q: Is it possible to put a site on the web for free?

Yes. This is something we do not recommend for business web sites, but there are a number of different ways to get free web space (e.g., Geocities). See our resources page for more information about this. Free web space may be a satisfactory solution for people who want a simple, brochure-style website. Note, however, that it typically comes with conditions. For example, some companies offering free space require that outside advertising appear on the site. Other companies require the owner to log on and edit their site at least once a month in order to prevent it from being pulled off their server. Free web space is typically limited in size, and lacks features available through paid web hosting services (e.g., CGI scripting, contact forms, etc.). It is usually not sufficient for business web sites and projects a less professional image than using paid web hosting.

Q: What are some things to consider when choosing a web hosting plan?

Some important aspects of web hosting plans are that (1) they are able to handle the type of web site you have, (2) their system is able to cope with the number of visitors your site attracts, and (3) they provide a back-up system in case there is a problem. You should choose a web hosting service that is reasonably priced and can respond quickly if you should have problems. Note that even if your web site requires only 1 MB of disk space and 2 GB for transfer, you should choose a host that offers several hundred MB of storage space and not less than 5-10 GB of bandwidth. This guarantees that their network will not be overloaded and that they do not host too many sites on one physical server.

Q: What is a bandwidth and why do I need to be concerned about it?

Bandwidth is the amount of data that is transferred through a network connection at a given time. If you are surfing the net or downloading files like mp3 or video files, you are using bandwidth. You need to be concerned about it when choosing your web hosting service because you want to ensure that you have enough bandwidth to accommodate visitors to your site. If you sign up with a low-bandwidth web hosting plan and then traffic to your site becomes heavy, the web hosting company could charge you for extra usage and, at times, your site may not even be available for public viewing.

Q: What are search engines? Why do I need to be concerned about getting my site listed with them?

A search engine is a program such as Google that searches web sites for keywords and enables users to retrieve specific information from the world wide web. Making web content that is easily found by search engines is competitive. People who have business websites want them to be found easily. Otherwise, users and potential customers may not know those sites exist.

Q: What are meta-tags?

Meta-tags are found in HTML documents (web pages) between the title and the head tag. They are where your keywords and your web page description are placed in order to help the search engine index your page. Knowing how to create effective meta-tags is an important factor for being listed prominently with search engines.