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Most smaller companies use a Web Hosting company to provide them with space on their Web Server Computers hard drive. Basically, you are just renting space coupled with a service in this arrangement. The service involves their technicians keeping the web server computers on line and connected to the Internet so that you and others can access the site using their Web Browser programs such as Netscape. Besides keeping the computer working they generally provide other services to include:
You can provide your own web server and maintain it yourself, providing your willing to hire the technical staff. Many companies do just that, but at an average hosting fee of $25 per month, most of us are just ducky with using a professional Web Hosting company.
However you decide to get your Web Server set up, the next step is what to
put on it. Most companies set up 'static web pages' to provide
information to their customers or potential customers. This web site is an
example of static pages. I wrote these pages using my personal computer
using what is known as 'html' or Hyper Text Markup Language.
Html is the heart of the Web and was invented by an Englishman, Tim Berners-Lee.
His concept was to allow pages to be readable across the Internet regardless of
who manufactured your computer. You simply compose your article of
information with a simple text editor program and insert simple word codes
between tags like this < >. These tags tell your
Browser program how to display the text or image on your computer screen.
Another option is have 'dynamic web pages'. These pages do not exist on the web server computer when you initially call it up. Rather, they are generated by a program as your browser demands them. An example of dynamic web pages might be a request that you send through your browser for a Purchase Order form. The program on the Web Server receives your requests and makes up the form on the fly and sends it back to your computer in an html format. This saves a lot of space on the Web Servers hard drive, but its real power comes when it is hooked up to a database.
A database can be thought of as tables organized in columns and rows. Each row is a particular record and each column holds some particular piece of the data that makes up that record. An example might be the record for Robert Smith. One column for the record might hold his last name and another his first name. All of the columns make up the record for Robert Smith. A database is nothing more than a bunch of tables that are related to each other. The table 'names' might hold the previous record of Robert Smith and another table 'addresses' might hold his address record. Both tables are related to each other through his 'customer number'.
Hooking a database to your dynamic web pages means that now you not only can get a Purchase Order form generated on your computer screen, but it you can fill it out with data that has been previously stored. It is certainly a lot easier to click on a pull-down menu and select the right product rather typing the name again and again.
A non-technical manager really only needs to understand the following concepts to get by:
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This Web site presents information to educate members of the public on various business subjects. The information on this Web site is compiled from a variety of sources. It may not be complete or timely. It does not cover all aspects of any tax, financial or accounting matter. If you have any tax, financial, accounting or related questions, please consult a qualified certified public accountant licensed in your jurisdiction or in the appropriate jurisdiction promptly.