subject: Do You Belong on the Web: An Introduction to Webpage Design [print this page] Do You Belong on the Web: An Introduction to Webpage Design
A Step Farther
A second option is to design a simple website. Beyond the webpage, this is a connection of more complicated elements, such as more graphics, links (addresses) to other sites, and information to download. An effective counseling website might include information on anxiety or basic relaxation techniques something of value to your community. Such a site can provide useful information to your clients, such as ways to contact you and directions to your office. Viewers might even download an intake form which they could fill out before coming in. A good way to assess the importance of a website is to answer one basic question: Do I want to promote my business on the web or actually start conducting business on the web? This type of site can be hosted on one of the
major providers, but other national Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as MindSpring, Netcom, and UUNet have different packages to offer. Aside from these, some local ISPs will offer lower prices with more than
enough space and technical support for what is needed. These can be found in local newspapers or on sites such as www.tophosts.com or www.thelist.internet.com. At this point, it might be important to invest in web design software. This will cost around $100"$150 and can be included in offices software packages such as Microsoft's Office 2000.
Diving In
A third tier is a website that actually hosts commerce. At this level, you are actually doing business on the web. This option is more expensive and, of course, more complicated. If you think that this type of site is needed, then it would be highly recommended to do more
in-depth reading and research, perhaps hiring a company to design the site. This type of site is not usually for beginners and may require more software.
