So you’ve decided you want a Web site, and you wish to do it yourself. What now? Surf around on the Web, and look at sites that catch your eye. Get an idea of the layouts you like and the ones you don’t. There are numerous resources on Web site design, how to build it, and what programs to use. 

Several handy resources are: 
www.eFuse.com
www.thelinkzone.com
www.reallybig.com
www.junior.apk.net/~jbarta/
www.help-house.com
www.Webpagesthatsuck.com
www2.imagiware.com/RxHTML
www.htmldirectory.com

Domain Names
First decide whether you want to have a custom domain name. A domain name is the address people enter to get to your Web site [www.yourname.com]. If you want a custom domain name, there are things you must do to acquire it. Once you have chosen a name, check to see if it is available. Then you must register it, and pay $35 per year to have it assigned to you. You will be required to pay $70 when you register the name, and this is good for two years. After that, you have the option to pay yearly as well as for multiple years. One of the places that you can check on a domain name, register it and have it parked (for free) is www.easyhost.com. By “parked” I mean this company will allow you to have a temporary place for the address to reside until you find a permanent host server. It also will allow you to put up a temporary page until you find where you want to host your site. If you already have a host server ready before registering your name, you can register directly with www.networksolutions.com.  This is where the official database for all the Web addresses is kept. You must have your host server information before you can use this site to reserve and register your custom domain name. If you do not want to have the extra expense of the domain name registration, you can find a host server, and that firm will give you an address similar to www.hostservername.com/~yourname. You can always get a custom domain name at a later time, and have your site linked to that. 

Site Mapping
The next step is mapping out what you want your site to look like. Do you want it one page or several pages? What do you want to do with it? Since this is about massage therapy, make it personal by including a picture of yourself. Massage is intimate: Most people want to feel like they know you and can connect with you, and seeing you is a way of accomplishing this. A guest book where people sign in is a great way of allowing people a chance to give you feedback and ask questions. If you want people to keep returning to your site, you need to have something on it that changes fairly regularly. This can be anything from articles to reviews to contests. Consider holding a contest where you give away a chair massage, foot massage, or aromatherapy session. Keep people interested so they are more likely to bookmark your site and keep returning. If they have bookmarked your site, it increases the chance that they will refer you and your site to other people. I suggest keeping it simple. If you are really into the programming and want to make it a super interactive site, then go for it. Just don’t make it too busy. People sometimes get confused or frustrated if there is too much activity on the site and they leave. On average you have about eight seconds to capture the interest of the visitor to your site.

Software Program Options
You’ve mapped out your Web site’s concept, and have a pretty good idea what you want. Now, what program to use? You don’t have to know HTML, the code behind the pages, when working with the majority of Web-building programs. All you do is write the text, place any graphics you want to use and set it up the way you like. The program takes care of writing all the needed code. There are so many programs to choose from. The one you choose depends on the kind of computer and operating system you use, the amount of time you want to spend learning the program, how many bells and whistles you want, and your budget. Netscape Communicator and Internet Explorer both have the capability to build Web pages. They are limited in the options they give. PageMill and FrontPage offer more flexibility in the designing of sites. NetObjects Fusion, GoLive and DreamWeaver are high-end programs that offer the most designing and maintenance options. They also have the steepest and longest learning curve as well as being the most expensive. 

Hosting Your Site
Now that your site is created, the next step is to put it where others can see it. You need to find a host server where the files will reside and can be accessed by anyone on the World Wide Web. Most ISP’s (Internet Service Providers—the people you use to access the Web yourself to surf or get E-mail) offer free space on their servers for their clients. CAUTION: Check with your provider to make sure they allow you to use this space for commercial purposes. Most only provide it if it is used for personal pages and not promoting a business or profession. They may offer a discount to those clients who wish to have a commercial site. It never hurts to ask. Sites to check out for help in locating a host server are:

www.hostsearch.com 
www.HostIndex.com  
www.ispcheck.com 
www.budgetWeb.com/budgetWeb
www.tophosts.com
www.virtualis.com 

Compare features, prices, and accessibility as they vary widely from server to server. 

Uploading Your Site
Once you have chosen your host and have an account, you upload your files from your computer to the ISP’s computer. The program you chose and your host can help you do this. I suggest uploading your files into a password protected area first. The reason for this is so you can have friends proof your site before the world sees it. Give some people the password and address, and have them use different computers and browsers to look at your site and give you feedback on how it looks when they pull it up. Are there any misspelled words or grammar problems? How does the formatting look? Test. Test. Test. For many, this is their first impression of you, so you want your site to present you in a favorable light. After you are satisfied that it is acceptable to you, remove the password and let the world in! Remember that sites can be ever-changing. They are not carved into stone. If you don’t like something, change it! 

Search Engines
When you have opened your site to the world, you want to register it with search engines so others can find it. When someone performs a search for massage, if your Web address is not among the first 50 links, it might as well be at the end of the list. Most people become impatient and don’t want to scroll through a multitude of pages. Volumes have been written about how to sign on with different search engines. Some helpful sites are:

www.tip-tricks.com/announce.shtml
www.usWebsites.com/submit
www.registerit.com
www.qwiklaunch.com
www.sitelaunch.com 
www.submitit.com 

Check out www.linkexchange.com/promote.html  for a list of other registration services. Also visit www.search.com for a listing of specialized search engines. 

Raphaella Emet has been a part of “Mac” Tamer for more than seven years as a computer consultant doing tutoring, troubleshooting, upgrades, networks, and desktop publishing. She also designs, hosts and maintains Web sites. She can be reached via phone at: 520-290-2446, or at: Raphaella@LoRala.com, or www.LoRala.com.