Websites are critical both for conveying a brand identity, communicating information and performing transactions. While it's not necessary for leaders to know how to build websites, they benefit from understanding how websites can be constructed economically and impressively.
-Websites, like consumer software have both a "back end" where the functions occur at the coding level and a "front end" where the features and organized on a page for ease of use and graphic appeal (GUI).
-Based on my experience, those website programmers who are great at back end work tend to be different from those who excel at front end work.
-Therefore, it is sometimes a good idea to split the work amongst two programmers.
-The key to leading this type of creation process effectively is to define exactly which deliverables are expected from each individual. Accountability must be established early and monitored on an ongoing basis.
-Based on my experience, those website programmers who are great at back end work tend to be different from those who excel at front end work.
-Therefore, it is sometimes a good idea to split the work amongst two programmers.
-The key to leading this type of creation process effectively is to define exactly which deliverables are expected from each individual. Accountability must be established early and monitored on an ongoing basis.
-Inside the computer science department at most major universities there will be at least one (often several) undergraduate or graduate student "whiz kid" programmers who are be willing to take on website design or other programming projects on the side.
-They are so often hounded by classmates to do "pro bono" or "as a friend" jobs that they lower their expectations for compensation. You can generally buy student talent at a huge discount. (But it's better to pay them the full amount and then some. ;-) )
-Typically the best ways to access these students are to email several senior members of the computer science department (whose email addresses will be available on the University website) or to post flyers around the campus dorms and computer science buildings.
-They are so often hounded by classmates to do "pro bono" or "as a friend" jobs that they lower their expectations for compensation. You can generally buy student talent at a huge discount. (But it's better to pay them the full amount and then some. ;-) )
-Typically the best ways to access these students are to email several senior members of the computer science department (whose email addresses will be available on the University website) or to post flyers around the campus dorms and computer science buildings.
-If you want to set up a website, the first thing you generally do is register a domain name.
-For the Amazon website (www.Amazon.com), Amazon.com is the domain.
-There are hundreds of website suffixes available, but by far the most popular are: .com, .org, .edu and .net. Standard business and informational websites in the United States use .com, organizations and non-profits use .org, Colleges and universities use .edu and websites that couldn't get one of the former names frequently use .net.
-Domain registration
-For the Amazon website (www.Amazon.com), Amazon.com is the domain.
-There are hundreds of website suffixes available, but by far the most popular are: .com, .org, .edu and .net. Standard business and informational websites in the United States use .com, organizations and non-profits use .org, Colleges and universities use .edu and websites that couldn't get one of the former names frequently use .net.
-Domain registration
-An inexpensive way to accomplish your graphics design, website or software programming needs is to utilize freelancer websites.
-On these sites, the employer (you!) submit a full project description and optional price range you are interested in paying for the job.
-Then, a number of providers with skill sets in the specified field submit bids for the price at which they are willing to complete the job.
-As the employer, you review the bids in conjunction with providers' portfolios of prior work and emails back and forth to gauge their capabilities.
-After a provider is selected, funds are placed into escrow and the project begins
-The key with freelancer websites is to work with large, reputable website and providers that have completed many projects with positive feedback ratings.
-Freelancer Websites:
-On these sites, the employer (you!) submit a full project description and optional price range you are interested in paying for the job.
-Then, a number of providers with skill sets in the specified field submit bids for the price at which they are willing to complete the job.
-As the employer, you review the bids in conjunction with providers' portfolios of prior work and emails back and forth to gauge their capabilities.
-After a provider is selected, funds are placed into escrow and the project begins
-The key with freelancer websites is to work with large, reputable website and providers that have completed many projects with positive feedback ratings.
-Freelancer Websites:
-Google advertising programs can be used both to promote your website and to generate income.
-The money generating mechanism is "AdSense."
-This is "contextual advertising by Google. Website publishers earn a portion of the advertising revenue for placing Google sponsored links on their site."
-Google AdSense
-The money generating mechanism is "AdSense."
-This is "contextual advertising by Google. Website publishers earn a portion of the advertising revenue for placing Google sponsored links on their site."
-Google AdSense
-The promotional job is handled through "AdWords."
-"Advertisers specify the words that should trigger their ads and the maximum amount they are willing to pay per click.
-When a user searches Google's search engine on www.google.com, ads for relevant words are shown as ""sponsored link"" on the right side of the screen, and sometimes above the main search results.
-The ordering of the paid listings depends on other advertisers' bids (thus the system is classified as P4P) and the ""quality score"" of all ads shown for a given search.
-The quality score is calculated by historical click-through rates and the relevance of an advertiser's ad text, keyword, and landing page to the search, as determined by Google. The quality score is also used by Google to set the minimum bids for an advertiser's keywords…"
-Google AdWords
-"Advertisers specify the words that should trigger their ads and the maximum amount they are willing to pay per click.
-When a user searches Google's search engine on www.google.com, ads for relevant words are shown as ""sponsored link"" on the right side of the screen, and sometimes above the main search results.
-The ordering of the paid listings depends on other advertisers' bids (thus the system is classified as P4P) and the ""quality score"" of all ads shown for a given search.
-The quality score is calculated by historical click-through rates and the relevance of an advertiser's ad text, keyword, and landing page to the search, as determined by Google. The quality score is also used by Google to set the minimum bids for an advertiser's keywords…"
-Google AdWords
-Open source is amongst the most important developments in the history of the internet. It refers to: "any program whose source code is made available for use or modification as users or other developers see fit… Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available."
-This means that the advanced functionality of programs that were previously accessible only to large organizations with giant R and D budgets can now be implemented by a clever freelancer.
-There are a variety of social norms and laws governing the ways in which open source code can and cannot be used.
-This means that the advanced functionality of programs that were previously accessible only to large organizations with giant R and D budgets can now be implemented by a clever freelancer.
-There are a variety of social norms and laws governing the ways in which open source code can and cannot be used.
-When you buy a domain name this does not actually give you the capability to post content on your page. You must first choose a method for "hosting" your site.
-For large organizations such as Amazon, hosting generally means owning either owning one or many powerful computer with all your website content hosted. Setting up a system like this requires significant investment, specialized knowledge and upkeep.
-But for most small website builders, the better solution is to buy the right to host your website content on a 3rd party's system. It's analogous to renting a car for a day – you can use it to handle your traffic, but at the end of the day it's returned to the owners garage.
-The difference between a great hosting service and a bad one depends on a combination of price per bandwidth and storage combined with customer service and reliability.
-Website Hosting:
-For large organizations such as Amazon, hosting generally means owning either owning one or many powerful computer with all your website content hosted. Setting up a system like this requires significant investment, specialized knowledge and upkeep.
-But for most small website builders, the better solution is to buy the right to host your website content on a 3rd party's system. It's analogous to renting a car for a day – you can use it to handle your traffic, but at the end of the day it's returned to the owners garage.
-The difference between a great hosting service and a bad one depends on a combination of price per bandwidth and storage combined with customer service and reliability.
-Website Hosting:
-Barring highly complex and customized interfaces, when you hire a programmer to build a website, he's likely to be about 75% finished before even starting. This is because, like most other areas of life, the expert works from a template rather than from scratch.
-It's like starting a pitch with forty standard slides out of fifty at an investment bank or using classic chords in a novel combination as a musician.
-Rather than taking offense at the template strategy, try to use it to your advantage.
-If you find a website that you really like, consider figuring out who programmed the site, then contact them and ask for a near clone at deep discount.
-Assuming they don't have an exclusive agreement with the website owner, chances are they'll agree. The website designer/programmer's information is often displayed at the bottom of the homepage.
-Website Templates
-It's like starting a pitch with forty standard slides out of fifty at an investment bank or using classic chords in a novel combination as a musician.
-Rather than taking offense at the template strategy, try to use it to your advantage.
-If you find a website that you really like, consider figuring out who programmed the site, then contact them and ask for a near clone at deep discount.
-Assuming they don't have an exclusive agreement with the website owner, chances are they'll agree. The website designer/programmer's information is often displayed at the bottom of the homepage.
-Website Templates
-Part of running a successful organization is to make sure you have useful feedback from your operations.
- Brick and mortar businesses use such tools as managerial accounting, defect measurement, and so on.
-The analogous feedback mechanism for a website is to track traffic statistics.
-At the most basic level, a "hit counter" records the number of visits to the page per duration of time.
-At the most sophisticated levels, stat trackers will record everything imaginable about the activities of users on your website including how many pages they visit, for how long and which links they click on to navigate.
-There are literally hundred of stats tracking companies that vary by price, quantity and reliability of data.
-Statistics Tracking:
- Brick and mortar businesses use such tools as managerial accounting, defect measurement, and so on.
-The analogous feedback mechanism for a website is to track traffic statistics.
-At the most basic level, a "hit counter" records the number of visits to the page per duration of time.
-At the most sophisticated levels, stat trackers will record everything imaginable about the activities of users on your website including how many pages they visit, for how long and which links they click on to navigate.
-There are literally hundred of stats tracking companies that vary by price, quantity and reliability of data.
-Statistics Tracking:
-Wikis are "websites or similar online resources which allow users to add and edit content collectively."
-They were popularized through the creation of Wikipedia, but have many possible uses beyond encyclopedia articles. For example, wikis can be used to explicate the rules, regulations or culture of an organization. They can also be used to capture the knowledge underlying a manufacturing or routine process.
-Thanks to open source code, even moderately competent programmers can build basic wiki functionality into an organization's website and good programmers can incorporate highly customizable applications
-Wiki Websites:
-They were popularized through the creation of Wikipedia, but have many possible uses beyond encyclopedia articles. For example, wikis can be used to explicate the rules, regulations or culture of an organization. They can also be used to capture the knowledge underlying a manufacturing or routine process.
-Thanks to open source code, even moderately competent programmers can build basic wiki functionality into an organization's website and good programmers can incorporate highly customizable applications
-Wiki Websites:
