A day doesn’t go by where we see or hear the statement, “Visit our website on the Internet!” with an odd looking address that starts with “http:\\...” The Internet and the myriad applications available on it are fast becoming a key communications medium.
Web developers and web service businesses are now creating new concepts and technologies that push the World Wide Web and web technology far beyond the original intent of linking research documents over a network. E-commerce (electronic commerce) and web server push technology (automatic web content delivery) can have a major impact on the way companies might conduct business with clients.
The nursery and landscape industry is not being left out of this growing communication media. Several nursery and landscape companies now have a presence on the web. Several green industry companies already engage in e-commerce ranging from electronic quotations with Grow Zone’s Green List Plant Locator (http://www.growzone.com) to Burpee Seed’s on-line ordering (http://www.burpee.com). It will not be long before some green industry suppliers start automatic delivery of web-based catalogs to select customers.
With all of the growing excitement of the World Wide Web, there is a rush to put one’s business on the web and “catch the wave” of web surfers. However, with everyone else creating a presence on the web, one can quickly become just a single cell among thousands of other indistinguishable cells in a plant leaf.
So what is required to establish a presence on the web? How can you go about determining if creating a web presence is worth the effort? What are the steps in establishing a web site that will attract current and potential clients and customers?
DIGITAL PUBLISHING ON THE WEB. Creating a website is publishing that involves many of the same concepts, issues and objectives as any other type of media publishing. All aspects of creating appealing, attractive and informative materials for print publications and electronic media (radio, television) apply to digital documents found on websites.
Along with standard publishing concepts comes an additional set of concepts unique to web technology. In addition, interactive web design includes some concepts from the realm of computer programming and computer interface design. In many situations, web development involves a mix of publishing and software development.
As with any new technology, there is often a unique, sometimes confusing set of terms. Here are some Internet-related terms to help clarify their use in later discussions.
- Internet: The Internet is a world wide network of computer networks connected together in such a way that one can easily transfer information between computer networks regardless of the type of individual network. The telephone system is a similar network of long distance, regional and local telephone systems.
- IP Address: The address or “phone number” or “street address” of a computer system or related hardware connected to a network that might be part of the Internet.
- Domain Name or Host Name: An understandable alternative to the more cryptic IP address. Which is easier to identify and remember - 198.30.209.8 or www.lawnandlandscape.com?
- Internet Service Provider: A company providing a connection to the Internet. The services from an ISP can range from simple client browsing to full website services complete with a host name, web administration, e-mail and file transfer capability.
- World Wide Web: The World Wide Web is a global collection of linked documents using the Internet as the connection scheme. All components of the web follow certain rules for formatting, browsing and transfering web documents to allow for access and viewing on a wide variety of computer systems.
- Intranet: Computer information systems utilizing the same technology and rules as the World Wide Web. The difference is that intranets are local or internal to an organization while the web is public.
- Web Server: A computer system connected to a network, possibly the Internet, with the software to store and display web documents. In some situations, one web server is capable of hosting several different web sites or “webs.”
- Website: A collection of linked documents on a web server.
- Web Page: One document in a website. A “home page” is the first web page or starting point to a web site.
- Web Browser: Software used to view web pages on a website and navigate to different web pages at the same web site or different web sites.
- Webmaster: One who manages a website. Usually the webmaster is responsible for organizing and managing the web pages contained in a web. The webmaster may also be a web author and administrator.
- Web Server Administrator: One who manages the hardware, operating system and the web server software of a web server.
SHOULD YOU PUBLISH ON THE WEB? As the web is a type of communications medium, one should ask the same questions as any other communications medium. As a hot marketing tool, many are saying “yes” to publishing on the web.
However, there are costs involved in publishing on the web and questions to ask yourself.
WHY ESTABLISH A WEB PRESENCE? An answer of “because everybody else is publishing on the web” is likely not the best answer. Using the web as an electronic billboard to advertise a company will draw very little attention from a web audience. There must a purpose to establishing a web presence that will benefit both the company and the customers who will use the services or products of the company.
WHAT TO PROVIDE. As many web visitors are spending money through connect charges to use the web, they often expect something of value when they visit a website. Publishing only a digital version of an advertisement on a web site does not provide much in the way of value to the web visitor.
Catalogs and fact sheets are commonly distributed by a nursery or landscaping firm. Repurposing these publications into digital documents for publishing on the web can provide an additional means of distributing useful information while potentially holding down costs usually associated with the distribution of other media versions.
WHEN SHOULD YOU GO ONLINE? With all the hype occurring on the importance of establishing a presence on the web, there is a sense of urgency to “get on the web now!” Before one web page is coded, time should be spent in establishing the goals, objectives, guidelines and procedures for a website. Fortunately, the dynamic nature of the web allows for rapid updating of the website. Unlike print materials, which cannot easily change once the printing process begins, one can establish an introductory website and add features and services.
DEVELOPING A SITE. All web pages are based on a fairly standard set of formatting rules for the display and distribution of web documents. Web pages that follow HyperText Markup Language or HTML standards allow users to view most web documents regardless of the computer platform.
As web development is similar to word processing and desktop publishing, it requires writing graphic skills.
| References and Resources |
The popularity of the Internet and the web has spawned a large number of books, publications and resources. A visit to any major bookstore will display an overwhelming number of titles on the Internet and the World Wide Web. There are also numerous websites covering a wide variety of topics dealing with establishing a web site. - Bob Boufford |
PUBLISHING ON A SERVER. Once web pages are developed, one needs to publish or transfer the web files to a web server. The web server delivers web pages through the web when requested by web browsers on client computers attached to the Internet.
A server can reside on the same computer as the development system, reside on a computer on a company network or on the computer system of an Internet service provider. Which route you go will depend on the resources available in your company.
For most small to medium-size landscape, a web publishing and marketing company is the most effective route. Your company provides the content and the web publisher provides the expertise and resources in publishing a website on their web servers. Several companies also provide domain name registration to provide your website with a unique web address.
GETTING CONNECTED. Once the website is developed and published on a web server, one needs to connect into the Internet. Several options exists for connecting into the Internet ranging from very fast (and costly) T1/T3 direct connections to moderate speed and low speed modems. Most web publishing services provide the connection into the Internet through their web servers.
ON-GOING MANAGEMENT. Regardless of the means used to establish a presence on the web, one must plan on continued web management whether it is through the services of a web publisher or your own server.
The author is Associate Professor of Horticulture at Clark State Community College.
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