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