By understanding the elements of the website design process, you will know what to expect and be prepared to make appropriate choices. Moreover, it will enable you to better participate in the process, if you so desire.

"Joshua Tree" by Mike Himmerich, Copyright © 2002, "All Rights Reserved." VIP Photo Award, Summer 2002

The web design process involves the following steps, which do not necessarily have to take place in the following order:

1. Get a domain name 2. Determine the purpose of the site 3. Create a design theme or site template 4. Determine and write site copy 5. Gather/create graphics and photos 6. Incorporate copy and graphics in code 7. Get a web hosting account 8. Upload files to the domain 9. Search engine submission

You may register your name yourself or have your web designer or host do it for you. If you do it yourself, contact the ICANN site for a full list of certified registrars.

ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) was created in 1998 to coordinate Internet naming and name disputes. It replaced a government monopoly which contracted out to Network Solutions as it's sole processing agent.

Decentralization has not affected costs for the average person, however. Most registrars remain at the $70 - $75 amount for a two-year registration. There are exceptions. One is for users who register names in bulk. Another is for users who agree to let the registrar automatically deduct future charges from their credit card. (Read the agreement). A third is hosting services who give subscribers a discount for signing up for their service. (Like signing up for cellular service and getting a free phone).

Another change worth noting is the addition of new domain suffixes. The three big ones are, of course, .com, .org, and .net. Others are .edu, .gov, .mil, and .int. New ones include: .biz, .info, .name, .pro, .museum, .aero, and .coop. (The widely advertised suffix .tv is actually a country code, not a generic type code.)

The first type of site is posted to provide general information about a business or group. It is sort of an on-line business card or brochure, and provides both public relations and sales functions.

The importance of this type of site should not be underestimated. Just having a site gives a business a more professional image and makes it appear more technologically savvy.

A second type of site takes this concept one step further. Often this amounts to an enhancement of communications, whether by enabling user feedback through forms, by posting a message board, or by creating project updates to keep employees informed of developments.

Some sites are dedicated to transacting business on-line. This is the "e-commerce" level of "e-business." These sites need additional technology to enable secure payment transactions and "shopping cart" interfaces, complete with tax and shipping calculations.

E-commerce is not appropriate for all businesses or sites, however. Analyze your needs and determine what you expect from your site.

On the other hand, however, good news to those whose intentions are compatible with e-commerce! E-commerce technology and options have absolutely blossomed in the past couple years.

Major small business portals and e-commerce providers now provide reasonably priced and painless e-commerce options. Among these providers are bCentral, BigStep, eCongo, eStore, FreeMerchant, GoBizGo, HyperMart, and Yahoo!Store. VeriSign is also a standard in secure processing technology.

Check with your Internet Service Provider or consultant to compare package and pricing options.

A site's design should reflect the topic represented. It should also be visually appealing, optimizing aspects of movement, contrast, color, and proportion. All elements of the design should contribute to the theme.

Normally this is an endeavor in simple journalism rather than in scholastic writing. Short sentences, short paragraphs, and large, readable font are desirable. Grammar and punctuation follow journalistic utility rather than the rules of formal English (American).

There are also many software programs that automatically create code. There are good and bad aspects to this. A good aspect is that at first glance one might think one needn't know anything about programming to create basic websites. However, if you are going to spend much time in this area, you'll save a lot of time and frustration by learning a bit of HTML first. HTML editors are only a tool, and lots of times the user needs to edit them.

For dynamic and interactive websites, one needs to go beyond HTML. JavaScript, VBScript, and DHTML add another dimension to site design. Web programmers use ASP for database interaction and Java to create server-side applets and stand-alone applications.

Of course, you don't need to know any technical content to be a savvy consumer if you allow an Internet professional to design or code your site for you. But it is good not to let technological details overwhelm you. Remember that technology is only a tool, and that a successful website requires the objectivity of an overall marketing understanding.

Hosting costs vary depending on which features are included and on whether or not you allow advertising on your site. Banner advertising allows members to cooperatively donate space on their sites in return for getting exposure on others' sites.

Most ad-free hosting accounts begin at about $20 per month. Check your web host to see whether or not this includes tracking statistics and reports or Front Page extensions, if needed.

In general, e-commerce capabilities require you to subscribe to a merchant-level account as well as to pay per-transaction fees. Merchant account fees vary widely, between about $30 and $100 per month and beyond. Set-up fees are additional.

Transaction fees often run at about 2% of the transaction plus a flat $.30 fee for shopping cart services like tax and shipping calculations. Contact your Internet consultant for a comparison.