Dear Kelly - Some Basic Web Understanding

Question:

Can you tell me what some of the basic words mean that are used to discuss the web? I'm thinking of words such as server, domain names, data transfer. Why do I need to know these terms?

Answer:

These are thoughtful questions. Understanding the web terminology can help you be an educated consumer when searching for a vendor to build your web presence. I will use some analogies to help explain these terms.

Server: In basic terms, a server is like a piece of land. Your website is equivalent to your home in this example. A home needs a piece of land to rest on or it would float in space. A website needs a home to rest on or it too would float in space. The website lives on the server just as a house rests on a piece of land. Your vendor most likely will take care of providing server space for your website. The server always can be accessed by your vendor but in some cases people can access the server without the vendor as a go-between. However, if you do access the server directly (using an FTP gateway) you will need to have an understanding of how the system works. Be aware that what you manipulate on your website could drastically change your website. In addition, it could cost you large sums of money to have your vendor fix it. In this case, a little knowledge could cause you more work than your original bargain. [A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.]

Domain Name: A domain name is like the address on your house. People find your house by the address. The same applies to your website address. People find your website address by using a domain name such as www.beyondindigo.com. When you "own" a domain name, you have paid for the right to use a particular name for a certain amount of years. (depending on what you paid, and what your contract says) You have the right to sell this domain name to another company or individual during the time you own it. However as soon as you stop paying to "own" the domain name someone else can purchase the right to use it. The best place on the web to purchase or host your domain name is through www.GoDaddy.com. A domain name purchased through GoDaddy.com costs under ten dollars a year. I recommend to all my clients that they transfer their domain names to GoDaddy.com because they give the best service for the best price.

If you are with a vendor who has control of your domain name and the name is listed through the vendor and not through your company, paperwork will have to be filed with the register where the domain is held to change the ownership of the domain name from your vendor to you. Both parties have to sign the paperwork. I recommend that all domain names associated with your company be under your own company's ownership and not that of the vendor. (The person that sold you your website and or made it for you.)

Data Transfer: Data Transfer is like cell phone minutes. When a person visits your website they are taking the data from the server and downloading it to their personal computer. This is called Data Transfer. Data Transfer fees are generally included in the monthly or yearly fees you pay to your website vendor. However, if your website gets a sudden increase in traffic due to a popular ad (or celebrant death) beware you might incur more charges for the data transfer.

When you are shopping for a website vendor make sure to ask how much the server fees and data transfer fees are going to be so you can set your budget or compare apples to apples when comparison-shopping. Be sure to sign a contract, and make sure that your website will continue, even if your vendor goes out of business. Websites can be a great benefit to your business. Understanding how they work can be a huge benefit to your satisfaction and the power of your website.