This document provides an overview of key aspects of developing an effective website, including common questions about websites, their building blocks, who builds them, how they are created, hosting options, and how to grow and maintain a site. It addresses topics such as content, design, technology, hosting, search engine optimization, and social media integration.

3. WHAT IS A WEB SITE? A website (also spelled web site) is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed with a common domain name or IP address in an Internet Protocol-based network. A web site is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network. 1 Source: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website

4. WHY DO I NEED A WEB SITE?

6. WHAT ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A WEB SITE?

13. WHO BUILDS WEB SITES?

15. WHO BUILDS WEBSITES Cost Quality Precision and Expertise Reliability and Risk Reduction Flexibility and Control In House Freelancer Agency Site in a Box KEY

16. HOW IS A WEB SITE CREATED?

17. HOW A WEB SITE IS CREATED

18. HOW A WEB SITE IS CREATED

26. HOW A WEB SITE IS CREATED: CONTENT Bullets Short Paragraphs Imagery Cross Promotion

38. WHO WILL HOST MY WEB SITE?

44. HOW DO I GROW MY WEB SITE?

49. HOW DO I MANAGE AND MAINTAIN MY WEB SITE?

51. THINGS TO REMEMBER YOU USUALLY GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR USERS DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP CONTENT IS KING DON’T BUILD YOUR WEB SITE IN A SILO

52. QUESTIONS

53. GLOSSARY

54. 3x3’s – Three different conceptual screen layouts that organize the information in varying ways that follow a simple task 3 layers deep. Aggregator – Software or a Web application that aggregates syndicated Web content such as news headlines, blogs or podcasts in a single location for easy viewing. Also feed reader, news reader. Application (social network) – A mini-program that leverages a social network’s platform to deliver customized experience and content. Content Optimization – The editing or altering of Internet content, including text, graphics and interactive assets, to improve a Web site’s usability and effectiveness. Also site language analysis, link strategy. Dedicated Virtual Hosting – A hosting service that partitions a server into multiple operating systems and resource units that are each dedicated to a single customer. GLOSSARY

55. Data Center – A facility where servers and computer components are housed (telecommunications, security devices, back-up power, etc. ). Also known as a server farm. Domain Name – An identification label that defines authority or control in the Internet (e.g. nbaa.org ). A domain name is based on the Domain Name System (DNS). DNS – Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical naming convention for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. DNS makes it possible to assign domain names to groups of Internet users in a meaningful way, independent of each user's physical location. E-mail Marketing – A form of direct marketing that uses e-mail as a means of communicating with an audience. Can be used to deliver a message, promote a service or product or enhance relationships with the audience. HTML – The most popular front-end language for Web sites. Stands for H yper T ext M arkup L anguage. GLOSSARY

56. HTTP – Defines how Web servers and browsers should transmit messages on Web sites. Stands for H yper T ext T ransfer P rotocol. Information Architecture – The blueprint that describes how information is organized and structured on a website. Mashup – A derivative work consisting of two pieces of media conjoined, such as a video clip with a different soundtrack applied for humorous effect, or a digital map overlaid with user-supplied data. Online Advertising – A Web-based equivalent of traditional advertising. Advertisers purchase Web site real estate, typically from online advertising networks, for the purpose of displaying brand messages. GLOSSARY

57. Open Source – Started as the notion of a free program with source code available to the general public for use and/ or modification; programmers improve upon the software code collaboratively and share changes with the community. Personas – Profiles of user types including key tasks, goals, pain points, search behaviors and activities. They help the team keep the intended consumer of the programs that we are creating in mind and also to remind us that we are not the users. Podcast – Audio recording, hosted on a Web page and accessible for individual downloads by using “pull” technology, such as RSS feeds and MP3 players. GLOSSARY

58. RSS – An acronym for Really Simple Syndication. Plug and play technology, typically called a “reader” which allows users to easily pull in (by way of subscription) select Web content such as a blog, Twitter feed, news, press releases, etc. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – The act of editing or altering Web site content, including text, graphics, interactive assets, to improve a Web site’s natural visibility and rank or prominence in search engine results. Shared Web Hosting – A service or offering where multiple sites are hosted on one Web server. Social Media – An online tool and digital platform used to share opinions, insights, experiences and perspectives. Includes blogs, message boards, podcasts, social networking sites, and wiki sites. Tags – Keywords or phrases assigned to Web content, such as blog posts, wiki entries, photos, podcasts, etc. , to facilitate easy organization, called indexing and searching. GLOSSARY

59. URL – An address identifying a location of a page or site on the Internet. Stands for U niform R esource L ocator (example, http://www.nbaa.org/folder/page.html ) User experience – A term used to describe the overarching experience a person has as a result of his or her interactions with a particular product or service, its delivery and related artifacts, according to their design. Also UX, or UE. User Requirements – The “must haves” governing the project's deliverable or product as expressed or demonstrated by the users. Web 2.0 – A term coined to loosely describe Web-based services such as wiki sites and social networks that emphasize online collaboration and content sharing among users. GLOSSARY

60. Web Syndication – A form of syndication in which a section of a Web site is made available to other sites, often by information feeds. Subscribers receive a regularly scheduled summary of the most recently added news and posts. WHOIS – A query that is used for determining the registrant and contact information (where applicable) of domain names or IP addresses. Widget – A “mini-Web page” or piece of content that can be embedded in personal Web sites. Distribution usually includes tools that allow users to easily port or grab code to embed the widget across their own sites and social network profiles. Wireframes – Sketches of screens that help visualize the structure, function , organization, navigation and interaction. GLOSSARY