Don't know a domain from a
domino? I had a college instructor that informed us that
the only thing that made him smarter than us, was the fact that he
knew the meaning of more words than we did. When it comes to the
internet, there are certainly a lot of new words that have come into
play. In this eNote, I will try put a few of them into a context
that means something and how they relate together.
One of the most common comparisons used to describe
the web is to use the analogy of a highway system. Along that lines,
let's take a look at the map and go for a quick drive (OK, the
analogy will get old real quick, but it works most of the way
through).
To get on the freeway, you need an on-ramp; your
internet service provider, or ISP. Like some on-ramps in the Seattle
area that have a stop light on them, you might be connecting using a
dial-up modem. To get on the freeway (internet), you have to wait
for the green light (phone call to connect). If you are connecting
using a T1, DSL or Cable, not only do you always have a 'green
light' (always on), but you always get to use the express lanes
(high speed connection).
When you want to get off the freeway to go to Apex
Computers, you could take the 'State Street/Iowa Street' exit. You
notice that it happens to be exit 254? The internet is similar - a
specific address (internet protocol, or i.p. number) is actually a
four part number, and is usually 'mapped' to a textual name (the
domain name). The domain names are unique and must be registered.
Many companies have multiple domain names that 'point' to the same
web site. The usual fee varies from about $8 - $50 annually
depending on which company you register with and what type of domain
is registered.
If your business doesn't have a domain registered,
you don't yet have your own personal exit off the freeway. More and
more, most people make the assumption that if your email is
something like
mrjones@hotmail.com, you are not a serious business player. A
personalized business email address is just about as mandatory as a fax
machine and a copier.
Also, most of your customers just expect
that they can do a search on the internet to find additional
information about your company. This where a properly constructed
and maintained website can prove to be a great marketing tool. Think of it as an extension to your yellow page advertising, plus a
way to augment your other print information. Web hosting can be
found for under $100 a year for a one page site and up to thousands
for a high volume, heavily serviced site.
If you would like more details about how to get
started with a web site of your own, give us a call. We can help
design, build and host your site and get you set up so you can
update the content to keep it 'fresh'.
Do you have ongoing support needs or
considering a project that requires more than just a few hours from
us?
- We offer prepaid support packages that save you money! You will
receive 8 hours of support, but only pay for 7! Call us for more
details.
NEW
- If you know someone that might like to subscribe to our e-note,
let them know they can sign up on the Business Pulse Article page of
our web site.
http://www.apex-tech.net/buspulse.htm
Suggestions? If you have a suggestion for a
topic for our e-note or for Larry's column, please email us at
fixit@apex-tech.net
