Frequently Asked Questions

I've compiled answers to some of the most common questions that people have about web sites and the services I provide. Click on a question below to learn more about the topic. If you are having trouble finding information about a specific topic, try using your browser's search function (Ctrl-F). Feel free to e-mail me at kevin@kevinturner.net with any questions that aren't covered here.

What is a domain name?

A domain name identifies your web site and allows browsers to find and display it. People type the domain name into a browser to visit that site. For example, the domain name for this site is kevinturner.net. When kevinturner.net is typed into a browser, this site is displayed. Two web sites cannot have the same domain name. However, there are multiple suffixes (the part after the .) available for domain names. kevinturner.net is not the same as kevinturner.biz or kevinturner.org. There are restrictions on the suffix, so you cannot make it anything you want. When you register your domain name you will see a list of the available suffixes. Many domain names are already taken, so you may have to choose an alternate name and/or suffix.

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What are domain name registration and web site hosting, and do I need them?

When you choose a domain name for your web site, you must register it. This way, when someone types your domain name into their browser (from any computer anywhere), it will take them to your web site. Registration ensures that there are no duplicate domain names. When you try to register your domain name, you will be alerted if that name is already taken. If this is the case, you must try a different name or suffix.

Web site hosting is a necessity if you want to have a web site. The files that make up your site reside on the server (a computer set up to hold web sites) of the hosting company. When your domain name is typed into a browser, the browser communicates with the server and the server sends the browser the page that you want to see.

If you do not already have a hosting company, I recommend using Ace-host.net. Ace-host.net offers a hosting package with a wide range of features at a low price.

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What's the deal with browsers?

A browser is what people use to view web sites. There are many browsers in use, but the most popular ones are Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Netscape. What many people don't know is that the same web site can look vastly different in Microsoft Internet Explorer than it does in Firefox or Netscape. This has to do with how the site is coded and how the browsers interpret this code.

Also, each browser has multiple versions. As time moves on and the Internet progresses, companies put out new versions of their browser to support new features. This can cause web sites to appear differently in the various versions of the same browser. All these differences make it difficult to produce an interesting site that looks the same in every version of every browser.

While any browser could be in use by someone, it doesn't make sense to create sites that will display perfectly in the oldest browsers made. I try to strike a balance between taking advantage of the newer features and making web sites that display properly in older browsers. The sites I create are tested using a number of different browsers and versions. This insures that the information your site contains will be available to just about everyone.

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What's the deal with screen resolution?

Monitors are capable of displaying the screen at different sizes. These sizes are measured in pixels. The most common screen sizes are 800x600 and 1024x768. However, with the rising popularity of larger flat panel monitors, screen resolutions are increasing rapidly. The smaller the screen size, the larger things appear on the monitor. This includes images, icons, and web pages. If someone designed a web site with a screen size of 1024x768 in mind, when it is viewed with an 800x600 screen size, the viewer would have to use both the vertical and horizontal scroll bars. Most Internet surfers don't mind using the vertical scroll bars to see extra information, but having to use a horizontal scroll bar gets very annoying. We design web sites with multiple screen sizes in mind. This way the web sites will look good regardless of screen size.

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How do images and sound affect my web site?

Images can make or break a web site. Many (but not all) web sites can look boring and bland without images. The problem with images is their file size. When a viewer comes to a web site, the images must be downloaded to the viewer's computer before they will be displayed. If the image has a large file size and the user has a slow Internet connection they could be waiting for minutes before the image is displayed. Most surfers will not wait this long. They will move on to a new site. The file size of the image can be reduced, but this results in a lower quality image. The key is to optimize the image to where it has a small file size but it still looks good. This will allow the site to be visually interesting and still load quickly. Sound files can be very large, too. They can also be detrimental to the viewer's experience. Sounds on a web site should be used sparingly, if at all. If a song is continuously played while a viewer is at the site, it can easily become distracting to the viewer and cause them to leave. However, on the rare occasion when a sound is used appropriately, it can enhance the viewer's experience.

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I want every page of my web site to look completely different, is this ok?

Having every page look different is not a good idea. This can cause users to get confused. If a viewer comes to your web site, clicks to go to another page, and sees an entirely new design, they will think they have left your site. This will also make it difficult to navigate. If the links to your pages keep moving and looking different, viewers will get frustrated as they try to move around the site. It is best to have each page look similar and vary the content within each page.

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What is the best navigation scheme for my web site?

The navigation scheme of a web site is very important. The most important part is the clarity of the scheme. If it is not clear how to move around the site, most people will not take the time to learn. The traditional way to make the scheme easily understandable is to put well-defined buttons either above or to the left of the main content. However, placing navigation buttons elsewhere can change the "feel" of the site and help enhance the experience.

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How do contact forms work?

There are basically two different types of contact forms. The first uses the viewer's computer to send an e-mail and the second uses a program running on the server. Using the viewer's computer to send an e-mail is not a popular method. If the viewer does not have an e-mail program set up on their computer, the form will not work. The better method is to use a program running on the server. When the viewer presses the submit button, the form information is sent to the server and processed there. Depending on who hosts your site, you may not have permission to use this kind of program or it may cost more money (Ace-host.net provides hosting with the necessary capabilities). These types of forms are not automatically secure, so sensitive information should not be sent this way. It is just fine for names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and similar information.

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What is Flash and what can it do for my web site?

Flash is a program developed by Macromedia. It is used to create animations for the web. There are many interesting effects that can be achieved using Flash. Whole web sites can be built using Flash, however, Flash content cannot be viewed by search engines. This means that search engines will not know about keywords and links within the Flash animation. This could cause the web site to receive a lower ranking in a search. Instead of using Flash for the entire site, an animated introduction can be created. After the introduction the viewer is taken to the main page of the regular site. Another way to make use of Flash is to create small animations within the site. This could be a logo, the navigation buttons, or an advertisement.

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Can you make my web site come up first when people use search engines?

Obviously, not everyone's site can come up first in a search. Some site must be second, fifth, twentieth, etc. Search engines have programs that go out on the web and find web sites to add to their databases. All search engines find, rank, and catalog sites differently. Once a site is added to a search engine's database, that site's ranking is continually updated. This is largely affected by how many times searchers click on the link to that site. If nobody clicks on the link to your site, it will decrease in rank because the search engine thinks that no one wants to visit your site. There are a few things that can be done to help with the ranking of your site. Keywords within the content of the site are taken into consideration. Also, the more links there are to and from the site will help, along with how often the site is updated.

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What are XHTML and CSS?

The code used to create a web page is written in XHTML or HTML. XHTML is a newer HTML standard. It is HTML in an XML format. There are some differences between XHTML and HTML, but they are very similar. CSS stands for cascading style sheets. CSS defines how to display elements of the web site. There are standards defining the syntax of XHTML and CSS. I make every effort to create sites with valid XHTML and CSS code. This makes the sites more compatible in present and future browsers, and makes the code easier to read and modify.

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Can you have my employees and/or clients log on to my web site?

Some hosting providers, such as Ace-host.net, allow you to limit access to certain parts of your web site. This can be used to provide employees or clients with access to information that regular visitors cannot see. I can set this up as long as your hosting package supports this feature. This method works well if you have a small number of people that need to log on, or multiple people that use the same authentication information. It won't work well if you have a frequently changing list of a large number people that need access to personalized information. In that case you need a more in-depth solution that I do not provide at this time.

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Can you make my web site interface with a database?

At this time I am not providing database integration services.

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Can you set up e-commerce on my web site?

Not at this time. E-commerce requires the use of multiple other systems and services that I am not set up to provide.

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What is the process we will go through to create my web site?

First, we must determine how many pages you want for your web site and what will be on those pages. Then I will create a general layout. While I'm creating the layout you can write the content and decide what pictures you want for each page. After sending me this information, I can add it to the pages. You can then review the site and minor revisions can be made. For a more detailed description please visit The Process.

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What forms of payment do you accept?

At this time, only cash, check, or money order/cashier's check are accepted. If a check is used, we will have to wait for it to clear before delivering the web site.

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