HTML Playground - you are welcome to visit!

GRIZBIZ is a developers site.
Some of the things that you might find useful have hyperlinks.

You have entered an HTML - cgi/perl - SSI - JavaScript - Java + others testing ground.

You may find some of this stuff useful, so enjoy and I would appreciate credit for anything that's great. I already get enough credit for the other stuff!

You may find the following growing list a help!! (This is the more stable stuff.)

Web Development Information from the INTERNET

Some web sites to get you started! (The following links create a new browser window)

Getting Started (Documentation or HELP from your editor): Build Your Own Web Site; NCSA--A Beginner's Guide to HTML Home Page; ZDNet InternetUser: Garage: Web page 101; ZDNET's How do I INTERNET?; World Wide Web Consortium; Index Dot HTML - great quick reference site!
Web Design Sites: CNET's Builder.com; www.devhead.com; Hotwired Webmonkey; www.webreview.com; www.webdeveloper.com; www.webtechniques.com; CMP Webtools (www.webtools.com); Internet Related Technologies (Non-profit)
E-commerce and Internet News Sites: Get Your Domain Name at Internic; The Industry Standard; Internet Business Magazine; Internet Week; New Media Magazine
Advertizing/publicizing your sites: All you ever wanted to know about search engines - SearchEngineWatch.com; Marketing and Advertising Resources - http://www.searchz.com/index.shtml

PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection) Rating: RSACi - http://www.rsac.org/; SafeSurf - http://www.safesurf.com/

HTML Editor Sites (Basic HTML creation and editing requires only an ASCII editor such as notepad or wordpad)

Netscape Communicator [Composer] (home.netscape.com/computing/download/)

Homesite 4.0 (www.allaire.com)

HoTMetaL Pro 5.0 (www.softquad.com)

Web Graphics

Photo Impact 4.2 (www.ulead.com)

Check your HTML (there are more - can't find my list)

Online checkers

http://www.netmechanic.com/

Programs (Check web development sites for free and fee)

List coming

WEB/TV - an animal of a different color: WebTV's developer site; See what your site looks like on WEB/TV using your PC

What do professionals charge?: VARBusiness Price Point (Summary)

OKAY! - I want to build a site!

How long will it take? How much will it cost? What resources do I need? Should I do it myself? (Virtual Host or Own Internet Server)

Hosting -

50-100Mb of storage, reasonable data transfers $20 - $50 per month

(practice with free space often provided by your ISP)

Know your requirements - these charges add up!

Mail - number mailboxes, reflectors, *@domain routing, etc.

Special servers & support - shockwave, real player, miva, php, frontpage, coldfusion, asp, etc.

Password protected directories - members only, client areas, special pricing, tips, bulletins

Secure server - don't forget certificates cost money too

Private cgi-bin libraries - perl, SSI, java, server side script

domain name registration - $0 (included with set up) to $50 plus.

Special host OS - Active server pages, vbscript, secure transaction interfaces (link to secure server)

Planning - the better you define your requirements - the less likely you might have to change hosting facilities.

Design and Requirements

Planning - Consultants? - must allocate time!

Click to Review Web Site Design

Preliminary design - indicates requirements (Can go host shopping now!)

Develop site map (rough page estimate)

Graphics - source (camera, scanner, clip art, brochures, custom art work, animation)

(watch copyrights and royalties - website owner might not own art work)

Multimedia - other features (may require additional software and servers)

Special coding requirements - forms, frames, javascript, java, DHTML, other

Data base requirements - design, interface to web, source

Appearance - content, navigation, aesthetics, speed

Estimating Time Required (and development cost): Home page - splash page - and your front door (there are other ways in) - usually at least eight hours; Templates - highly recommended for sight consistency (4 hours and up); Simple HTML page using template and data machine readable - allow an hour per page; Simple HTML page using template (use an hour plus time to get page data); graphics - digital - allow half hour each for cropping, etc.; graphics - scanned - scanning, adjusting, cropping sizing, etc. at least an hour each; graphics - custom - collage, special effects, etc. depends on complexity - can get big! (vague - 16 hours plus); graphics - animated - depends on requirements - rollovers need script and at least 2 graphics; forms - complex HTML code for layout - usually needs backend processing. HTML coding requires about an hour for every 4-6 fields - plus script, programing , etc.; multimedia - specialized software and servers may be needed to produce (like producing a video tape); frames - help navigation and organize content - if frame dependencies, should have supporting script to assure proper frames are loaded (may add 8 or more hours to templates)

Programming and data base

Scripts - may already exist or will work with minor modification - time spent locating (2 hours per)

Scripts RYO - complexity - seat of pants guess - usually time and expenses

Programs - same as scripts - may need different talents.

Database - size, design, speed, purpose, current form and availability

SQL has become defacto interface language used to access data bases.

Application (program and database) may exist - cost of purchase plus implementation

(Implementation is by far the costlier)

Application (program and data base) custom development many times cost of off shelf package implementation.

Testing

Use HTML validation programs - packaged with some editors

Minimum - Check by eye with current versions of Netscape and Microsoft Browsers

WebTV, Handheld, Opera, other Special applications if required.

Try to test with browsers used by 80% of your visitors

Accommodate older browsers:

Use NOSCRIPT and NOFRAMES tags

Use SCRIPT JAVASCRIPT(level) and “ignore error” error-handler

Get people not familiar with site to critique

(experienced and newbie surfers)

Give surfers an opportunity to comment about the site

Advertising, Marketing and Measuring

Now execute your marketing plan

Include the other 3 media - TV, radio, print

All communications - business cards to publicity releases

Make sure all your pages contain a descriptive TITLE tag

Make sure your pages have keyword and description META tags

Hand register with “content” search engines

Get listed in directories - local, association, professional, etc.

Exchange links

Encourage other sites to link to yours - banners, icons, etc.

Measure your site

Analyze your site statistics (some “host”ers charge)

Monitor responsiveness (load time)

Try to get standard web log statistics

Off the shelf statistical packages are available

See how the monthly hosting fee has become insignificant!

Low end web sites are considered those that cost less than $50,000

$50,000 to $300,000 is a moderate site

Anything over $300,000 is a serious site

What do you think your site will cost (even if you do it yourself) -

Figure low end HTML free-lancers start about $35+ an hour (check varbusiness price point above or excerpt here).

What is your time worth?

HTML Guide
Why build one when there is a great one!

The HTML 3.2 Bible from the "World Wide Web Consortium!: The HTML 3.2 standard is supported by the majority of browsers used for surfing.; Browsers include Netscape Versions 3 and later;; Microsoft Internet Explorer Versions 4.0 and later;; and Opera.

Index Dot HTML &CSS reference web sites.

Index Dot HTML: THE Advanced HTML/CSS Reference (link directly to web site authored by Brian Wilson)

Index Dot HTML: THE Advanced HTML Reference (opens in new browser window)

Index DOT Css: THE Advanced CSS Resource (opens in new browser window)

Web Design and Development Sites On The Internet.

Webmaster reference on Internet Servers

Case Study (Obsolete) - brochure-ware: (Simple web site from brochure - Newark EAC)
Play with some sample Clocks on your Web Page: (courtesy of US Naval Observatory - official Time Service Department for the world)
Sample HTML Document using INPUT FORMS, CGI, & PERL: (Use a script from Matt’s Script Archive to send email from a web page)

Comments, problems, suggetions... Send email to: mrds@grizbiz.com

GRIZBIZ is a developers site. Some of the things that you might find useful have hyperlinks.

Web Development Information from the INTERNET

OKAY! - I want to build a site!

HTML Guide Why build one when there is a great one!

Index Dot HTML &CSS reference web sites.

GRIZBIZ is a developers site.
Some of the things that you might find useful have hyperlinks.

HTML Guide
Why build one when there is a great one!