How the Internet works ...SIMPLY!
This is a very simplistic explanation of some of the things you need to know about the Internet.
What is the Internet?
The Internet is a network of computers connected to each other through servers (computers which allow remote computers to talk to each other). These servers are spread throughout the world and include Big Pond, Ozemail and many others. They connect to each other by cable, satellite, copper wire and even radio or a combination of them all.
Servers are connected to the Internet permanently and available 24 hours a day. When you open an account with an ISP or web hosting company you are allocated a portion of a disc drive, just as you do on you own computer when you save a file. This space is used to store your web site and your e-mail (usually has it's own server). Web hosting companies offer the same but have many more options available for your web site.
Do you need a computer to have a website
NO. Your web site is stored on a remote server, not your own computer and can be accessed by anyone connected to the Internet.
Visitors to your web site can contact you with queries or orders by fax or telephone.
One of my clients doesn’t even have a computer. He takes Internet bookings for his successful houseboat hire business by fax.
Domain Names
A Domain Name is an address for your web site. When a visitor types the address into a web browser like Explorer or Navigator he is taken to your home page. This is the same for a Domain Name supplied through an Internet Service Provider or a Registered Domain Name. This is sometimes called a URL which is usually something like www.businessname.com.au or www.users.bigpond.com/yourname.
Your Domain Name is stored on a Domain Name Server in a numerical form which is that of your web host. When someone types your Domain Name into their browser they are directed to the Domain Name Server which searches its database and contacts your web host. The web host then accesses your web site which is then viewed in the visitors browser.
Why do you need a Domain Name?
A Registered Domain Name ( www.yourbusiness.com.au) looks professional and makes it easier to remember your Internet address especially if it is the same as your business name, but it doesn’t always make your web site more accessible unless you use tricks like hyphenation e.g. www.australian-airlines.com.au. This assists with a search for ‘australia’ plus ‘airline’.
If you’re unsure whether you need a web site and just want to test the water, then you could have your web site hosted with an ISP like Big Pond or Optus using the free webspace supplied with your account. Your Domain Name would be something like: www.users.bigpond.com/myname.
If you decide you need a Domain Name later, you can still retain the old web address but replace it with a Domain Name. This allows those who have the ‘old’ address to still access the site.
How much does hosting cost?
Registration costs up to $125 for 2 years for a .com.au domain and under $50 for 2 years with a .com domain name if we organise the hosting. * We can supply an accurate price on request
Our client’s can have their sites hosted in Australia from $200 per year including multiple email addresses, comprehensive emailed statistics, MySql Database and PHP configuration for updatable sites and shopping carts. Free Discussion Forum, Blog and Gallery are also available.
Can anybody steal my name? Yes and No!
.com domain names can be registered by anyone provided it hasn’t already been registered. When a name is registered with the intent of ‘holding it hostage’...the rightful owner cannot register it without taking legal action or has to buy the name.
.com.au domain names must be derived from a registered company name or business name or a business/product closely related to your area of operation. Proof of name ownership and registration numbers must be provided and will be checked for authenticity. Australia is fortunate to have this regulation.* Recently changes have been made to this regulation so the protection is not quite as good.
*Problems registering .org.au domain names.
This suffix is reserved for not-for-profit organisations and a lower fee is charged for registration. However, in the past the registrations were administered by a volunteer and took up to 12 months to be approved. If you must have a .org.au registration, get your application in well before your web site is built.
AusRegistry are now the controlling registrars of Domain Names in Australia. Registrations can still be made through MelbourneIT.
Is your preferred .com.au Domain Name available? www.ausregistry.com.au
Registering your own Domain Name directly
.com.au Domain names can be registered directly through: Melbourne IT or through our partner hosting company for around $85 for two years (with hosting package)
.com Domain Names can be registered directly through: Network Solutions (USA) or at a much lower price through our partner hosting company for around AUD$35 for two years (with hosting package)
Alternate 'new' Domain Names - a comment
There are many new Domain Name suffixes available like .biz etc. Are they better? Only time will tell if they do have an advantage over .com or .com.au.
Parking Domain Names
Domain Names can be registered and ‘parked’ for you without being delegated to a server. Registration companies charge a small fee for this service.
ISP's and Hosts
Full Hosting
We use specialist professional Australian Hosting Company for our websites.
The benefits are head and shoulders above Free Hosting.
- Fast technical support and backups as well as generators in case of blackouts
- Use of full Domain Name
- Multiple Email boxes
- Comprehensive visitor statistics
- MySql database support included in hosting fee
- PHP support so that web pages are user updatable with browser
- Reliability
- More effective search engine placement. Most search engines give low ratings to websites hosted on Free or ISP’ servers.
free ISP hosting (NOT RECOMMENDED)
Internet Service Providers allow you to access the internet and e-mail
Most ISP’s include ample, free space for a web site. Generally around 5 Megs. This is enough for dozens of pages. You can take advantage of this free facility to host your own web site
Good Points
- Low costs
- Free web space
- Free e-mail access
Potential Problems
- ISP Hosting doesn’t support your own Domain Name without opening a special account at around $60 per month
- Your web address is generally tacked on to the end of the ISP E.G. www.powerup.com.au/~yourname . Your web site can be found just as easily.
- If you change ISP’s then you will have a different web site address and e-mail address unless you use an independent ‘mail host’ like Hotmail or use our $85 redelegation service
- Many ISP’s don’t allow Front Page extensions, which means you can’t run many of the Front Page features
- Comprehensive visitor statistics aren’t available, except with Ozemail. Their statistics are extremely useful.
- Can’t have a secure server to enable safe on line payment
Secure Servers for online payments
If you are considering online transactions you must use a secure server which cannot be accessed by unauthorised personnel. Web pages transmit and access the information directly to the Secure server without using email.
Live Link websites with shopping carts and online transactions use a secure server with a very low operating fee or can be linked through a Bank Gateway or PayPal.
Search Engines
It’s getting more and more difficult to get web sites into the top ten on search engines, without paying money for positioning.
LookSmart and many other search engines now charge $199 US to apply for a listing, with no guarantee of being listed. Yahoo also charge a fee for commercial site registration. It can take many months without a priority payment. (We have ways of getting your site listed sooner) 60% of web searches are made through Yahoo although Google is growing in popularity fast.
The rules are getting tougher. Eighteen months ago, I could almost guarantee to get a site into the top ten by using ‘tricks’ like multiple key words. Now submissions to major search engines are scrutinised to ensure that ’spamming’ doesn’t occur. Multiple keywords are also risky. Rules governing the number of words in a description, heading and their relationship to the page title determine whether or not your site is accepted or banned.
The easiest way to make your website friendly to search engines is to have plenty of real textual content that relates to all aspects of your business on the first page.
NEW
Google are still the most popular search engine and they have introduced Google AdWords which is a pay per click programme. You nominate how much you are willing to pay for each visitor who visits your website through the sponsored links on a Google search.
The Australian search engine Web Wombat will only accept submissions ending in .au or .nz . Domain names ending in .com are rejected. This creates a dilemma for Big Pond submissions which end in .com.
Many ‘overseas’ search engines won’t accept submissions with a .au suffix.
...the plot thickens and hopefully we can keep ahead of it! You don’t even need a computer, unless you want to be able to access e-mail!
about servers & email
Your website and email is stored on an external 'server' which is just another name for a central shared computer ...a very large one connected to a 'web' of servers and computers (world wide web). WWW has also been interpreted as the 'world wide wait'...not far from the truth sometimes.
search engines, ISPs & domain names
Search engines aren't some magic formula for success. They are merely large databases or indexes of website information that link a specific subject with a specific group of websites. It does take a thorough understanding of their operation, fine tuning and time to get a decent ranking.
- A Domain Name is your 'address' to the world, but do you need a .com or .au or .biz or .org?
- Where should you have your website hosted and what is the difference in hosting packages?
- Why do you need a secure server to take payment over the Internet?
a bit of technobabble
- ISP - Internet service provider or a business that enables you to access the Internet
- Web Host - a place to store your website
- Domain Name - a registered name that is used as a link to send Internet users to a website
- Key Words (meta tags) - these are a set of carefully selected words or phrases that are hidden in the coding of a web page to help search engines categorise a website
- URL or universal resource locator is sometimes called a Domain Name, but is really the full path to a website.
EG http://www.Live Link.com.au/index.html
- Registry Key - password/code needed by a web hosting company to enable the Domain Name to be directed to a specific server
- HTML - Hypertext Markup Language is the most common code used by most web pages to enable a browser to interpret and show a website
- Secure Server - a relatively safe method of transmitting and retrieving private information over the internet without using email. *No security system should be considered 100% safe
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