| The SyndromeThis article could have been
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| | while 99.9% allows for only 40 minutes of
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| named "my neighbor down the street"
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| | downtime per month.
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| syndrome or "my niece" syndrome. It's
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| | Bandwidth: What is the bandwidth from
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| really a "fill in the blank" syndrome
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| | the web servers to the Internet? How
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| that indicates a person's response to the
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| | many hosted websites share that
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| thought process for developing (or
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| | bandwidth? Note that this is different
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| re-developing) a website for your
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| | from the commonly quoted monthly
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| company. This syndrome kicks in when
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| | bandwidth, which indicates the amount of
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| your response is "Oh, my brother-in-law
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| | traffic/data that can pass between your
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| does websites, he can do one for our
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| | website and the Internet.
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| company".Have you uttered those words?
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| | Data Center: Are there adequate
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| Do you know of someone who has said that
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| | environmental controls over the data
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| before? To an Internet or information
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| | center where the web servers are located?
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| technology professional, those words send
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| | Are there redundant electrical circuits,
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| shivers down their spine. Not only does
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| | backup generators and redundant data
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| this syndrome typically waste time and
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| | communication lines? What are the
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| money, there is usually a sub-optimal
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| | physical controls to data center access?
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| business benefit realized.So what do the
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| | Data Protection: Are regular data
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| words "does websites" really indicate?
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| | backups performed? Is there real-time
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| This article attempts to educate the
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| | data redundancy? What controls exist for
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| business owner on the elements required
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| | data stored off-site?
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| to create a web presence that has
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| | Technical Support: Does the company
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| business benefit to your
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| | provide technical support for all
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| company.Components of an Online
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| | applications provided in the hosting
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| PresenceDoes your brother-in-law
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| | package, or just for the server hardware?
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| understand the business drivers for your
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| | What options are available for
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| planned website? Were his first
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| | after-hours support?
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| questions:
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| | Marketing Your WebsiteNow you have a
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|
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| | website that is up and running for
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| Why do you need a website?
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| | visitors to view. How will your
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| What business goals do you want to
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| | potential customers find your website?
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| accomplish with the website?
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| | Your website should be a piece of your
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| If not, this is an early indication that
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| | overall business marketing strategy.
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| you have entered this syndrome. Having a
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| | There are entire books written on this
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| business professional that understands
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| | subject, and purchasing such a book is a
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| how this technology can be used as a tool
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| | good investment. The following are a few
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| to enable your business is a key to
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| | points to get started:
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| success in the online world. Trusting
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| your brother-in-law, who self-taught
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| | Be sure to publicize your website on all
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| himself HTML coding, to enable your
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| | your marketing materials. Remember that
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| online presence is likely a mistake.
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| | your actual product can be used to market
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| Believing that you know enough to use
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| | future purchases. For example, a winery
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| your business skills to direct the
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| | could print their website on the cork in
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| "technology guy" is a sure sign that you
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| | each bottle of wine.
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| have fallen deep into this syndrome.Let's
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| | If you anticipate that web search
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| explore the components of building and
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| | engines could be used to drive visitors
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| maintaining an online presence to educate
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| | to your website, then efforts are
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| you, so as to avoid these pitfalls, or to
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| | required to ensure that your web pages
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| climb out of the technology "black hole"
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| | rank well within the search engine
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| that you are currently in.Website
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| | listings. This is not a quick process or
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| DesignThere are two components to website
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| | a one-time effort, but requires
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| design. To find an individual adequately
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| | experienced resources that understand
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| skilled in both components is a treat.
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| | this ever-changing process, and who can
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| The first component to website design is
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| | monitor the progress.
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| the graphic design, which is the artistic
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| | There are many ways and places to market
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| piece. This individual needs to
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| | your website online. Again, a
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| understand visual design, color schemes
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| | professional experienced in this subject
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| and design elements. He/she should
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| | should be retained.
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| understand the medium, i.e., the computer
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| screen, where the design will be
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| | Keeping Your Website RunningIf you've
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| implemented, but doesn't necessarily need
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| | progressed through the steps outlined
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| to understand the tools required to
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| | thus far, your company has a functioning
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| implement their design.The second
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| | website that provides benefit to your
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| component of website design is taking the
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| | business, and visitors are finding your
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| graphic design elements and creating
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| | website online. But are you done? Of
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| website design artifacts that can be
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| | course not, as with any business tool, a
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| implemented into your website. This
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| | website requires regular updates to keep
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| individual needs to understand monitor
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| | it in sync with the dynamics of your
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| resolution, browser compatibility, image
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| | business.A major factor to consider is
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| compression and stylesheets, in order to
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| | the ease of making changes to your
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| take the graphic design elements and
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| | website content. These days, you
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| create something suitable for the website
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| | shouldn't require assistance of a
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| developer to use.Simply put, the first
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| | technical person to add a product or
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| component requires an artist, a
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| | modify the description of your services.
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| right-brained person that thinks
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| | Such functionality, typically labeled a
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| visually. The second component requires
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| | "Content Management System", enables you
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| a more left-brained individual to
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| | to easily make changes to the website as
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| translate the art into something workable
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| | needed.Other Factors to ConsiderIn
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| for the Internet.Website FunctionalityAt
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| | addition to the items already mentioned,
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| this point in the lifecycle, you should
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| | you should consider the following
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| have your business requirements and a
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| | factors:
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| design. Now there are choices for
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| implementing the concept into online
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| | Domain Names: Your web developer may
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| reality.Build vs. Buy vs.
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| | have registered your domain name(s) but
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| SubscribeTraditionally, the process has
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| | you need to retain ownership of them as a
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| been to research software packages in the
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| | business asset. Make sure you are listed
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| market and decide if your requirements
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| | as the administrative and billing contact
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| can be satisfied by an existing package
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| | on the registration, and make sure you
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| (buy) or if your requirements are unique
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| | have the login information to the
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| enough that you must create your own
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| | account.
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| technology solution (build). There is
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| | Copyright: Sure it's your company's
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| now a third consideration. In addition to
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| | information on the website, but in many
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| your research into software that you can
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| | locales the web designer/developer owns
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| purchase, you should look at software
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| | the copyright by default. Make sure any
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| that you rent.This "rent" or "subscribe"
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| | services agreement grants your company
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| model can be called a "hosted solution"
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| | the copyright to the website data.
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| or an "application service provider"
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| | ConclusionThis article has attempted to
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| model, but the concept is the same, and
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| | educate you on the components involved,
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| it can provide advantages over the buy
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| | and the factors to consider, in creating
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| model. Typically there is nothing to
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| | a website for your business. Hopefully,
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| install on your computer, ongoing
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| | you now understand why your
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| enhancements are included in the
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| | "brother-in-law" may not be the best
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| subscription, and someone else ensures
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| | person to undertake this assignment.As a
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| that the application is running and
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| | method of weeding through a list of
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| maintained. A stated disadvantage to this
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| | potential web developers, I have a
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| model is that there are recurring fees,
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| | current favorite question to ask of each.
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| although a cost-benefit analysis may show
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| | It doesn't matter that you may not
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| that adding the extra costs of the buy or
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| | understand the question, the important
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| build model tilts the advantage to the
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| | thing is to watch their reaction and
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| subscribe model.Putting the Pieces
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| | listen to their response.Here's the
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| TogetherBy this point in the lifecycle,
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| | question: In designing our database, how
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| you should have a website that meets the
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| | do you normalize the data from both a
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| initial requirements for your business.
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| | logical and physical perspective? If the
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| Your website should have implemented the
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| | web developer's answer is "huh?" or "5th
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| design that was created in the first
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| | normal form, of course", just cross them
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| step. If you've built or bought the
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| | off the list. Otherwise listen to their
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| application, you'll need to place it
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| | answer. A true Internet professional
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| somewhere that visitors can access. This
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| | should be able to explain this concept in
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| process is referred to as "website
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| | non-technical terms that you can
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| hosting" and involves placing your
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| | understand, and more importantly, they
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| application, content and images on a
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| | should be able to explain why it matters
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| server computer that is connected to the
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| | to your business.Ron Kreutzer has over 20
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| Internet. There are many choices for
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| | years information technology (IT)
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| hosting your website: your website
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| | experience, over 15 years IT project
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| developer may offer this service, the
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| | management experience, over 10 years
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| company where you get your Internet
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| | Internet technology experience. Ron is
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| access may offer hosting services, or you
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| | President of WineWeb Enterprises, Inc. a
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| may choose a specialized website hosting
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| | company he founded in 1995 to provide an
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| services company. If you have chosen the
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| | electronic marketplace for wine and
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| "subscribe" model, website hosting is
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| | Internet services to wineries and wine
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| included, although the factors presented
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| | retailers. He has worked over eight years
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| below should be consideration points when
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| | with a global information technology
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| choosing the services provider in the
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| | services provider, and previously was a
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| previous step.There are many factors to
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| | Senior Manager with Deloitte & Touche
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| consider when choosing a website hosting
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| | Management Consulting (Deloitte
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| company, and an adequate discussion on
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| | Consulting) having spent over eight years
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| this topic is beyond the scope of this
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| | on a variety of IT projects across many
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| article. However, some of the major
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| | industries and technologies. Ron is a
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| questions to ask potential website
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| | PMI-certified Project Management
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| hosting providers include:
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| | Professional (PMP) and a Certified Public
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|
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| | Accountant (CPA-inactive).Ron is the
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| Availability: What is the guaranteed
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| | founder of WineWeb Enterprises, Inc.,
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| availability percentage? What is the
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| | which provides an electronic marketplace
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| historical average availability? What is
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| | for wine consumers. It also provides
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| the network availability versus the web
| |
| | e-commerce, website hosting and website
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| server availability guarantee/goal?
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| | promotion services to wineries and wine
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| Remember that a 99% availability allows
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| | retailers.
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| for over 7 hours of downtime a month,
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|
