Chapter 3

Creating Business Web Sites


CONTENTS


Although, the Internet was initially used for nonprofit educational and research activities, it is increasingly being used for business applications. When building a Web site, it helps to know how other organizations are using the Internet to effectively distribute information. The purpose of this chapter is not to give you an overview of browsing the Internet for information or a tour of a few interesting Web sites. Instead, the chapter provides you with an overview of how you can use your Web site to effectively distribute information on the Internet. Subsequent sections are devoted to various categories of Web sites. A few Web sites of each category are discussed in each section. This discussion includes various characteristics of the Web site being discussed. Depending on how information is presented at each Web site, you may want to incorporate ideas and tips presented in later sections to enhance your Web site and make it easier to navigate.

Web Search Engines

Web search engines play a major role in keeping the Web connected by indexing Web sites and allowing users to search for various keywords. After setting up your Web site, you should register it with as many search engines as you can.

Yahoo!

Yahoo! is a comprehensive database of Web sites that is indexed by hand. When URLs are submitted for review, they are looked over by someone and are manually placed in a certain category. This makes life a little easier for Web surfers because they can select a category they're interested in and visit various Web sites that have been indexed under that category. As you can see in Figure 3.1, a user can locate Web sites with Yahoo! either by typing in a keyword or selecting from a hierarchical list of categories. Tables are used at Yahoo!'s Web site to organize various categories and format them side by side. Yahoo! is a very widely used Web search engine. When new URLs are added to your Web site, you should register them with Yahoo!. In Chapter 22, "Publicizing Your Web Site," you're shown how to register your Web site with Yahoo! and other Web site cataloging databases.

Figure 3.1: Yahoo! Web site.

WebCrawler

WebCrawler is different from Yahoo!. Unlike Yahoo!, WebCrawler is not individually indexed and grouped into various categories. Although you can use Yahoo! to effectively search for various Web sites based on a certain category, WebCrawler is more suitable for searching Web sites by using a keyword. As shown in Figure 3.2, WebCrawler's search page uses pull-down menus to customize various aspects of a search. Because it's not manually indexed, WebCrawler can index more URLs than Yahoo! and is used a great deal by Web surfers to find Web sites. Chapter 22 shows you how to register URLs with WebCrawler.

Figure 3.2: WebCrawler Web site.

Infoseek

Infoseek is another Web cataloging database that many Web surfers use to locate Web sites. As you can see in Figure 3.3, Infoseek uses frames to organize its Web site and makes it easier for users to navigate the site for information. In Chapter 10, "Web Site Development Tools," you are shown how to use frames to make a Web site easier to navigate.

Figure 3.3: Infoseek Web site.

Corporate Web Sites

The next few sections highlight various characteristics of a few corporate Web sites and discuss how you can incorporate similar ideas to your Web site. In later chapters, you are shown how to implement various features of the Web sites, such as search engines and animated GIF files.

Microsoft

Microsoft's Web site extensively uses small icons and tables to organize its contents. As you can see in Figure 3.4, the icons used in Microsoft's page makes it more pleasant to navigate it for information. Also, pay attention to the button bar at the top of the screen. It's a good idea to add a similar button bar to your Web pages so that no matter what page a user is in, he or she can always send you feedback and comments by clicking on a button. Having a "What's New" page that lists new additions to a Web site is also very helpful to Web surfers. In addition to this, you should also set up a CGI search engine at your Web site so that users can use it to search your Web site for information. You are shown how to set up a search engine in Chapter 15, "Making Your Web Site Searchable."

Figure 3.4: Microsoft Corporation Web site.

Netscape

You might want to add to the main Web page of your Web site a graphic similar to the one in Netscape's Web page, as shown in Figure 3.5. Although a picture of a sailboat is not directly relevant to products sold by Netscape, it conveys a deeper meaning. To a certain extent, the picture of the sailboat is pleasing to the eye and gives the impression that Netscape is about navigating a sea of information. If you find an image that's relevant to what your Web site is about, you could add it to the main Web page of your Web site. When adding such images, be careful about vertical space. No matter how beautiful or meaningful your image is, if it takes three fourths of the browser's vertical space and takes a few dozen seconds to load over a modem line, it will actually make a negative impression. When adding such images, keep them small. As you can see in Figure 3.5, the size of the image in Netscape's Web page is not too big. Just below the image, as Netscape has done, you can then include a table of contents or latest developments related to your organization.

Figure 3.5: Netscape Web site.

Intel

Intel uses state-of-the-art Web technologies to make their Web site easier and more exciting to navigate. The graphic shown in Figure 3.6 is actually an animated GIF file. Although you can't see it by looking at the figure, the animated GIF file is created so that sparks of lights go from the eyes of the woman's face toward blocks of text around her eyes. By incorporating such special effects to a Web site, you can make it more exciting to navigate. You're shown how to create animated GIF files in Chapter 11, "Adding Multimedia to Your Web Site."

Figure 3.6: Intel Web site.

Public Service Web Sites

Not all Web sites on the Internet are solely used for business purposes. Some Web sites have been set up by various individuals and organizations as public services for the Internet community. Such Web sites make the Internet a very unique information distribution medium. For just the price of accessing the Internet via a local Internet service provider, a user can often find virtually all the information he or she needs free of charge. After setting up a Web site, it's possible to attract more users and make it well known on the Internet by using it to provide a useful public service.

On-line Dictionary of Computing

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing Web site, shown in Figure 3.7, has been set up for users to look up various terms related to computing. Such a service can be set up by creating a database of words and definitions and linking it to a Web page via CGI. By reading Chapter 18, "Publishing Databases on the Web," you can find out how to link a database to a Web page.

Figure 3.7: Free Online Dictionary of Computing Web site.

The Electric Postcard

You can use the Electric Postcard Web site to send postcards to people. This Web site is an example of a distinct service being offered by a Web site free of charge for Internet users. Such a service can potentially attract many Internet users and make a Web site well known all over the Internet. Although setting up such a Web site is not directly beneficial business-wise, it can turn into an extra source of revenue by accommodating advertisements. In Chapter 17, "Advanced Windows NT CGI Applications," you're shown how to set up a CGI script to display a few icons that are advertisements, one after the other.

Figure 3.8: Electric Postcard Web site.

Doctor HTML

You can use the Doctor HTML Web site to validate the quality of HTML used at your Web site. Recently, quite a few HTML tags have been created by companies such as Netscape and Microsoft to augment limitations of HTML 2.0. The CGI program that is linked to the Doctor HTML Web page analyzes the quality of HTML used at your Web sites and lets you know if technologically challenged Web browsers will have problems with your page. As you can see in Figure 3.9, sophisticated CGI scripts can be created and linked to a Web page. Chapter 16, "Introduction to Windows NT CGI Programming," and Chapter 17 demonstrate how CGI scripts can be developed and linked to a Web page.

Figure 3.9: Doctor HTML Web site.

Web Periodicals

Most computer magazines are now available on the Internet for browsing free of charge. The following sections list a few interesting periodicals on the Internet.

ZD Net Home Page

The ZD Net Web page is a great example of a Web site that uses graphics effectively to make a Web site easier and more exciting to navigate. As you can see in Figure 3.10, no screen space is wasted. Most of the screen space is used to highlight a product or service offered by ZD Net, with the remainder used for advertisements. When adding graphics to a Web site, you should be careful about graphics that are too large and take too long to download. However, you can create a high-impact and easy-to-navigate Web site by using small but descriptive graphics similar to the ones used in Figure 3.10. ZD Net's page also uses a Java marquee to inform Web browsers of latest news. You can use such a Java script to compliment the layout of a Web site. In Chapter 19, "Adding Java to Your Web Site," you're shown how to add similar Java applets to a Web page.

Figure 3.10: ZD Net home page.

PC Magazine on the Web

PC Magazine on the Web home page, shown in Figure 3.11, is another example of a Web page that uses tables to format text and graphics to make maximum use of screen space. Although it's not as richly formatted as ZD Net's page, PC Magazine's page is still attractive and easy to navigate because it has made good use of screen space. As you can see, by using tables, it's possible to format the contents of a Web page so that most of it will fit on one page. This makes a Web site easier to browse because users don't have to scroll up and down the Web page in search of information.

Figure 3.11: PC Magazine on the Web.

Computer Shopper

Computer Shopper's page is different from ZD Net's page and PC Magazine's page. The major difference is the fact that Computer Shopper uses a graphic to format its contents rather than a table. As you can see in Figure 3.12, this has given the author of the Computer Shopper page more control over the layout of text and graphics. However, this extra control comes with a price. Graphic files such as the one in Computer Shopper's page might take a long time to load over slow modem lines. If you intend to use such a graphic at your Web site instead of a table, plain text, and a few small graphics, be sure it's not larger than about 30 KB in size.

Figure 3.12: Computer Shopper Web site.

Metropolitan Information Services

The World Wide Web is a great medium for distributing metropolitan information to local residents. With traditional information distribution mediums, cost has always been a major factor when distributing local information to a relatively small group of people in a certain area. On the other hand, by using a Web site, information can be made available to local residents in a format that is interactive and rich in multimedia at a significantly lower price.

Traffic Cameras

The traffic camera shown in Figure 3.13 is a great example of a metropolitan information service that takes advantage of multimedia capabilities of the World Wide Web.

Figure 3.13: Traffic camera.

Weather Service

The INTELLiCast Washington DC area weather page is another example of a useful metropolitan information service. Rather than wait until someone announces the weather on radio or TV, it's easier to take a look at the INTELLiCast Washington DC area weather page when browsing the Web. Although such information services are not currently as widely used as they should be, when more people discover the virtues of the Web and get connected to it, Web sites like the one shown in Figure 3.14 will be more widely used and will provide a valuable service to the community.

Figure 3.14: INTELLiCast Washington DC area weather page.

Apartment Guide

The apartment connection home page, shown in Figure 3.15, locates apartments for users after they fill in an online form and submit it. The information supplied by the user is then searched against a database of apartments for various search criteria such as location, type, and cost of apartment. After reading Chapter 16, "Introduction to Windows NT CGI Applications," Chapter 17, "Advanced Windows NT CGI Applications," and Chapter 18, "Publishing Databases on the Web," you will be able to set up a similar service.

Figure 3.15: The Apartment Connection Web site.

Discussion Forums

You can create discussion forums on the Web by using applications such as WebBoard and Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP) news servers. Listed next are examples of how you can use CGI applications and NNTP servers to host Internet discussion forums.

WebBoard

WebBoard is a WINCGI (Windows Common Gateway Interface) application that can be used effectively to host discussion forums on the Internet. As shown in Figure 3.16, by using WebBoard, users who visit a Web site can discuss various issues by posting messages. WebBoard takes the interactive nature of a Web site to a whole new level by allowing users to communicate with each other. You're shown how to set up WebBoard at your Web site in Chapter 31, "Setting Up a Web Conferencing System."

Figure 3.16: Online discussion forum hosted by using WebBoard.

Netscape Newsgroups

Netscape uses newsgroups to provide customer service and technical support to its users (see Figure 3.17). News servers are well suited for hosting online discussion forums on the Internet. In Chapter 30, "Setting Up an NNTP News Server," you learn how to set up a news server and use it to host public discussion forums.

Figure 3.17: Netscape newgroups.

Product Catalogs

Due to low costs associated with publishing content on the Internet, the Web is an ideal medium to distribute a product catalog to a large audience. Listed next are a few organizations that have realized the potential of using the Web to publish product catalogs.

Macmillan Information SuperLibrary

The Macmillan Web site shown in Figure 3.18 is used to distribute information about books published by Macmillan. An attractive imagemap similar to the one in Macmillan's Web site makes it easier and more interesting for users to navigate a Web site for information. Various tips for creating and optimizing graphics for the Internet are presented in Chapter 11, "Adding Multimedia to Your Web Site."

Figure 3.18: Macmillan Information SuperLibrary Web site.

Internet Shopping Network

Some organizations depend entirely on the Internet for selling merchandise. The Internet Shopping Network (ISN) is an example of such an organization. As you can see in Figure 3.19, Web browser space is very efficiently used in ISN's Web page to make it easier to navigate it without extensively using scroll bars. When creating graphics for your Web site, like ISN, you should make an effort to make the maximum use of Web browser space.

Figure 3.19: Internet Shopping Network Web site.

Resource Centers

A number of Internet resource centers have been created to distribute information about various products and services. A few such Web sites are listed in the next few sections.

The BackOffice Resource Center

Another good example of using tables to format the contents of a Web site can be found in Figure 3.20. The BackOffice Resource Center uses tables to format icons and text. Because icons found in Figure 3.20 are relatively small, they load fast and don't get in the way of someone browsing the Web site through a slow modem link.

Figure 3.20: BackOffice Resource Center Web site.

Netscape Development Partners' Net Site

The Web site shown in Figure 3.21 is used by Netscape to inform its development community about various new technologies and announcements. Netscape Development Partner's Web site is a secure Web site that is open only to members of the Netscape development partners program. Access to this Web site is restricted through a user ID and a password. Refer to Chapter 6, "Installing and Using Microsoft Internet Information Server," and Chapter 7, "Publishing on the Web with WebSite, Purveyor, and Netscape," to learn how to restrict access to a Web site based on a username and password. You can use such an authentication mechanism to allow only specific users access to certain information at a Web site.

Figure 3.21: Netscape Development Partners' Web Site.

News Services

The World Wide Web is perhaps the best medium to distribute information to a global audience. Usually, there is a time lag associated with publishing news and distributing it to a large audience. This time delay is virtually eliminated when the World Wide Web is used.

Weather Reports

CNN's regional weather Web site is updated with the latest weather every 12 hours. As shown in Figure 3.22, you can use the Web to distribute continuously changing information.

Figure 3.22: CNN's regional weather Web site.

CNN's Web Site

You can use an imagemap similar to the one in Figure 3.23 to present a menu and make it easier to navigate a Web site. Chapter 10, "Web Site Development Tools," illustrates how you can add imagemaps to a Web site. CNN uses its Web site to distribute up-to-the-minute information to Internet users. Because information can be made available for browsing as soon as it's put together, the Internet is an ideal medium to publish news. Although the same is true for cable news broadcasts to television sets, it's not as interactive as the Web. Another disadvantage of news broadcast to television sets is the fact that everything is linear. For example, if a person turns on the television at five minutes past the hour in search of headline news, he or she will have to wait another 25 minutes to find out that day's news headlines. On the other hand, someone browsing the CNN Web site can easily find the latest headline news and browse interesting articles in any order.

Figure 3.23: CNN's Web site.

Product Advertising

The World Wide Web is an ideal medium for advertising products. When information is published on the Web, it's available to a large audience of users. Because the costs associated with publishing information on the Internet are relatively low, the World Wide Web is a very cost-effective medium to publish product information and advertise a product. A few Web sites that advertise various products are listed next.

Paint Shop Pro

The Paint Shop Pro Web page shown in Figure 3.24 is used to distribute information and demonstration copies of Paint Shop Pro. By using a horizontal background image, the page shown in Figure 3.24 has been made to look more attractive. Chapter 10 demonstrates how to create background effects similar to the one used in the Paint Shop Pro Web page.

Figure 3.24: Paint Shop Pro product information and software distribution Web site.

WebTrends

Frames can make a Web site easier to navigate when used properly. As you can see in Figure 3.25, the WebTrends page is divided into two sections. The top half shows information, and the bottom half shows various topics that are available for browsing. The bottom half is very useful to someone browsing the WebTrends Web site. Rather than backtrack all the way to the main home page to visit a different page, users can simply use the index provided in the bottom half to visit various Web pages effortlessly. In Chapter 10 you learn how to effectively use frames to make a Web site easier to navigate.

Figure 3.25: Web Trends Web page.

Software Distribution

The World Wide Web is a great medium for distributing software. Although there are security concerns associated with using the Internet to distribute software, when distributing information and demonstration copies of applications, such security concerns do not always apply. Listed next are a few examples of how you can use the Internet to distribute software.

Internet Shopper

Internet Shopper uses the World Wide Web to distribute copies of NTMail to its customers (see Figure 3.26). After downloading the software, if users like NTMail, they can register the software and keep on using it by typing in a special registration key. Because NTMail is freely available for download from virtually anywhere in the world, it has become a widely used SMTP/POP/Mail-List server for Windows NT. Refer to Chapter 27, "Setting Up a Mail-List Server," for more information about the NTMail SMTP/POP/Mail-List server. By making software widely available to a large group of people, as in the case of Netscape Navigator, it can become very popular and widely used.

Figure 3.26: Internet Shopper's NTMail distribution Web site.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

As you can see in Figure 3.27, the Microsoft Internet Explorer download page is not really optimized for space. A relatively large graphic takes up a significant portion of a Web browser's vertical space but provides very little information in return. When adding graphics to your Web site, try to avoid this. Always make an effort to make graphics compact and informative. Although the graphic used in Figure 3.27 is attractive, it might appear to be rather displeasing to someone browsing it with a 640¥480 monitor.

Figure 3.27: Microsoft Internet Explorer software distribution Web site.

Microsoft Internet Information Server

When distributing software on the Internet, rather than just creating an HTML link to the distribution file, it's often helpful to know who is downloading the software. You can find this out by setting up a form similar to the one shown in Figure 3.28. After users fill in the form and submit it, they can be provided with a URL that they can use to download the software. Having information such as the e-mail addresses of those who download the software is very useful. For example, e-mail addresses supplied can be added to an announcement-only mail list to keep users informed of new releases of software. Setting up a form similar to the one shown in Figure 3.28 is discussed in Chapter 16, "Introduction to Windows NT CGI Programming." If you wish to add e-mail addresses to an Internet mail list, Chapter 27, "Setting Up a Mail-List Server," demonstrates how to set up a mail-list server by using software included in the CD-ROM that accompanies this book.

Figure 3.28: Before users can download MS Internet Information server, they need to fill in a form and submit it.

Summary

Before developing a Web site, it helps to know how others are using the World Wide Web. Various Web sites presented to you in this chapter may have given you a few ideas for your Web site. Various special effects used by the Web sites shown in previous sections, such as animated GIF files, are not too complicated to implement. In later chapters, you're shown how to implement similar special effects and characteristics found in the Web sites described in this chapter.

What's Next?

Various organizations and individuals are increasingly getting connected to the Internet. The next chapter, "Using the Web to Your Advantage," discusses various aspects of using the World Wide Web to distribute information. By learning various unique capabilities of the World Wide Web and how you can exploit them, you will be able to make the best use of resources you invest to establish a presence on the Internet.