Websites are made up of one or many files written especially for browsers like Netscape and Internet Explorer. Business owners can create these files or have them created. Designs are based on both what the business wants the site to do (i.e. convey certain information, get on a mailing list, etc.) and what impression it wants to convey. The pages are then built using Hypertext Markup Languages (HTML). The final product from this stage is a set of files on a disk which can be placed on the web.
	Once the files are in hand, they need to be placed on a computer linked to the web (a server) so that others can have access to them. Business owners can create their own server, however the equipment is expensive and expertise is needed to keep a server running. Most businesses choose to pool their resources with other businesses and have their site "hosted" by a company who owns or controls a server. The hosting company provides space on a server to store your files and bandwidth (phone line use to serve your files to people wanting to view your site).
	When the page is on the internet, businesses want to make it as easy as possible to be seen. Site owners can submit their sites to search engines (computers dedicated to crawling through all the content of the web and indexing all the pages they find). More effective is to get pages linked to sites likely to have customers in need of the type of goods or services the company has to offer. The products from this stage are links to search engine databases and links to sites with good customer circulation.
	Promotion can be boosted tremendously by word of mouth and of ink. Every time a company talks to a potential customer, puts out a flyer or brochure, or does a presentation, it has an opportunity to get people looking at and talking about its site.
Medicine Wheel Computer Services provides a full range of Internet services to the Methow Valley including website design/maintenance, graphic design, page hosting, and management of the Methow Page at www.methownet.com. Teamed up with Methowdata we also offer online commerce, online databases, and client updateable sites. For more details on MethowData's services, go here. Medicine Wheel P.O. Box 636 Winthrop, WA 98862 jhardy@methownet.com (509) 996-2022 MethowData 23305 39th SE Bothell, WA 98021 tberry@seanet.com (425)483-8654

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