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| This is a brief overview of how I put my business on
the Internet and includes timing and costs |
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| Four years ago, I knew nothing about the Internet.
Today, I have a 100 page Australian web site at www.nailitnow.com.au and a brand new US web
site at www.wwwalbum.com, which I co-own with my business partner (and twin sister) Helen |
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| Step 1: Is Your Computer OK? |
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If you want to access the internet and have your own
web site, some of the older computers (eg, the 386) are just not worth the hassle.
They are out-of-date, need extra disk space and memory upgrades and don't have the necessary
processor cards, graphics cards nor physical slots
Click here if you would like more information |
| Step 2: Extra Phone Line and Modem |
173.00 |
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20.00 |
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| Most brand-name computers (Hewlett-Packard, Conquest,
IBM, etc) these days have an inbuilt modem. Mine did. So, all I needed was an extra phone line
for internet access so that I didn't "tie up" my existing phone line. If your computer
doesn't have an inbuilt modem, external modems cost $99-$400 |
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| Costs: |
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A once-off phone connection fee of $173 and $20 per month |
| Step 3: Internet Service Provider (ISP) |
25.00 |
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39.90 |
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| My COMPUTER, on its own, can't connect to the Internet.
So, I pay an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to connect to their SERVER, which, in turn, is
connected to the Internet. The SOFTWARE that enables my COMPUTER to interact with my ISP's
SERVER is a browser (Microsoft Explorer). Netscape Navigator is another popular browser |
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| ISPs offer various packages,
eg, you can pay an hourly fee (this can be as high as $5 per hour), you can pay for 2 hours
per day (if you go over the set number of hours, you pay extra, usually at an increased rate),
you can pay a flat fee per month for unlimited connection time and there are other options.
It all depends on the time you want to spend on the Internet per month |
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| When choosing an ISP, bear in mind that |
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| 1 |
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They must be local to your area. When you dial up the
Internet via their SERVER, you pay the cost of a local phone call only. You don't want to pay
long-distance charges every time you dial up the Internet |
| 2 |
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The set-up fee shouldn't cost you heaps. Compare a few |
| 3 |
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Best of all, ask people you know which ISP they use and
whether they're happy with the service |
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| I chose CorpLink's "Unlimited Time Access"
pack, which costs $39 per month. I paid a once-off set-up fee of $25. CorpLink also provided
free in-home or office installation and free help and support 7 days a week |
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| Costs: |
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A once-off setup fee of $25 and $39.90 per month |
| Step 4: Web Host |
80.00 |
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80.00 |
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| Again, my COMPUTER, on its own, can't host a web site
on the Internet, so I pay a web host to connect to their SERVERS |
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| Many people confuse an ISP with
a Web Host. ISPs provide their customers with dial-up ACCESS to the Internet and web hosts
HOST web sites. Dial-up access and web hosting require totally different accounts and
SERVERS. Many ISPs offer both |
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When choosing a web host, bear in mind that they need to provide
great service, reliable equipment, a high percentage of up times (ie, their SERVERS don't go
down) and everything you are likely to need as a webmaster |
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| I chose a top US web host, Hiway Technologies, who
specialise exclusively in hosting web sites. Also, I liked the idea of having a separate ISP
and web host if something goes wrong with one or the other |
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| Hiway's Plan 2 account costs me $80 per month and
includes access to their SSL Secure SERVER, which I needed to have a secure order form on
www.nailitnow.com.au |
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| Hiway's Plan 1 account costs $50 per month and
does NOT include access to their SSL Secure SERVER. Small businesses that don't require a secure
order form on their web site (eg, real estate agents) pay lower web host fees |
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| Costs: |
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A once-off setup fee of $80 and $80 per month |
| Step 5: Domain Name |
112.00 |
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No cost |
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| After choosing an ISP and web host, I needed to
register my domain name. To register an Australian domain name with an "com.au"
extension with Internet Names Australia (www.ina.com.au), the domain name needs to be part of
YOUR registered or incorporated business name. No two businesses can have the same domain
name |
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| A valid domain name comprises up to 26 characters and
always contains two or more components separated by "dots". For example, the domain
names of my 2 web sites are nailitnow.com.au and wwwalbum.com |
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| The most important thing when choosing a domain name
is that it should be easy to remember and, secondly, as short as possible |
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| I checked the availability of and, then, registered
nailitnow.com.au with Internet Names Australia via their web site (www.ina.com.au) by simply
filling in their registration form online. I received an invoice by email some weeks later.
My web host registered my US domain name, wwwalbum.com, for me. Again, I received an invoice by
email some weeks later |
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| Costs: |
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$115 (for 2 years) |
| Step 6: Delegating a Domain Name |
No cost |
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No cost |
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| Internet Names Australia needed to know the details of
my web host's Domain Name SERVERS (Hiway provided this information). And that's all there was to
delegating my domain name. I used the online delegation form at www.ina.com. My domain
name was delegated in 2 days |
| Step 7: Web Site Designer |
$3,000-10,000
(design) |
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$120 per hour
(changes) |
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| Most small business owners these day realise they
need a presence on the Internet (in many cases, customers are demanding it!) . . . BUT . . .
they don't have the time nor the inclination to spend 10 months designing it, as I did. They
want someone to do it for them, so they need to hire the services of a web site designer |
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| Costs: |
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$3,000-$10,000, plus up to $120 per hour for changes |
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All prices are in Aust$ currency
To see what these prices are in your currency,
click here |
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Copyright © 1998-2014 Nail It Now. All rights reserved
34 Tucker Avenue, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia, Phone: 61 3 9646 9511;
email: georgie@nailitnow.com.au |
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