3.02H Publishing a Website 3.02 Develop webpages.

Before Publishing Check spelling Spelling errors can turn visitors away from site. Use web editor’s spell checking utility or copy text to a word processor to check for spelling errors. Check relative and absolute links to make sure they work properly. Common link errors: Forward slash in relative link http:// before a relative link Mistyping a web address using wrong case or mistaking a _ for a blank space

Before Publishing (Continued) Check site in multiple browsers. Check site in Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox, etc. Notice differences and adjust as necessary.

Before Publishing (continued) Validate source code. Validating checks for errors in HTML code such as: Tags spelled incorrectly Tags left open Validating does not find spelling errors in text. Some validators correct errors while others just highlight the error. Many web editors contain internal validating utilities. For sites created in a text editor, validating is available online and via free downloads. Example: http://validator.w3.org/

Choose a Web Host A web host is also called a web server. Types: A computer that stores web page files. Sends webpages to viewers over the Internet upon request. Types: Free Shared Dedicated ISP is most common web host. Usually package Internet access, email, and limited web site storage for its customers Can be a solution for personal or small business use Teacher Note: You may want to point out to students that web servers maintain a constant connection to the Internet. Pages are requested by viewers when they click on hyperlinks.

Free Web Hosts Advantages Disadvantages No cost Good for family, hobby or personal sites with low traffic. Free Web Hosts Advantages No cost May include free email account May include online web editor with GUI Disadvantages No personalized domain names; usually combines the free site’s URL with the path to specific site. Limited storage space. Limited technical support. Allows pop-up advertising in exchange for hosting site. Teacher Note: Assigned domain names provided by web hosting service are difficult for users to remember if name is unrelated to site purpose and content.

Shared Web Hosts Advantages Disadvantages Good for small businesses websites with average traffic Shared Web Hosts Advantages Low cost because it is shared with others. Own domain name. Better technical support. Disadvantages Restrictions on traffic volume (more traffic costs more money!) Offers many options such as email, database support and multiple web editor compatibility.

Dedicated Web Hosts Advantages Good for large businesses with high traffic and multiple domain names. Dedicated Web Hosts Advantages Website is hosted on its own server—not shared with others. Very powerful—can accommodate any kind of software. Disadvantages Very expensive Requires high-level computer skills.

Comparing Web Hosts Cost What can the customer afford? Storage How much storage space can the customer afford? What size is the site? Check the cumulative size of the root folder if no web editor. Reliability Are backup servers in place to host site when main server is offline?

Comparing Web Hosts (Continued) Traffic Does the host allow a maximum number of “hits” per billing cycle? What is the fee for exceeding the traffic allowance if the site becomes popular? File transfer technology (ftp, webDAV, editor compatibility) Some hosts do not support some web editors and may require the use of their ftp program.

Obtain a Domain Name Domain names can be registered for a fixed period of time (usually 1 year but no more than 10 years). ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) maintains a list of accredited registrars. Registrars are the only companies allowed to assign domain names. Registration cost vary but are generally between $10 and $35 although some web hosts will register the domain for free. ICANN manages InterNIC, a searchable list of URLs. Has a WhoIs feature that provides information regarding the registered owner and the registrar that assigned the domain name. Teacher Note: The following website contains good information on obtaining domain names for your reference: http://www.thesitewizard.com/archive/registerdomain.shtml

Publish! Upload files to a web host. Know protocol being used. FTP—File Transfer Protocol Non-secure transfer that doesn’t encrypt access password or allow data encryption during transfer WebDAV-Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning Secure file transfer that uses Web Folders to encrypt password and data during transfer; useful when using multiple authors to create site Does the host require an external uploading application? Does the host accept internal uploading utilities from web editing programs like Microsoft Expression Web or Dreamweaver?

Publish! Site too large? Reduce number and/or size of multimedia files. Reduce number and/or size of images. Edit pages and remove links to files that no longer exist. Remove unnecessary files from host server. Pay for additional storage space.