HTML-- This is the BASIC programming necessary to "write" a web site's coding.  You don't actually SEE the coding when you bring up a web site on your browser, but it's there in the background holding everything together.  Think of it as the "skeleton" of the site.  Without it, nothing can be seen online. 

e-commerce--Should you want to actually sell items on your site, this is the term you would need to use when finding a developer and explaining to them exactly what you want.  More than likely this would involve creating a shopping cart and developing a way for you to accept credit card payments online.

ASP,ColdFusion, Java, Javascript, Perl, DHTML.  These other programs offer different ways in which one can create a web site.  However, unlike HTML,many of these other programs will allow your site to become far more interactive for visitors and oftentimes is far more expensive. 

Think of all you want your site to accomplish before pursuing a web developer.  Will your site simply be an informational site?  Will it require information to be submitted by your visitors?  Would you like your site to be driven by a database?  Do you want to be able to sell items on your site?  These are all questions you need to consider, especially since HTML will not allow you to pursue more interactive and complex options.

And, you should also be prepared, should you want your site to be more interactive, to pay more for the programming.  Web site development is very costly these days, ranging anywhere from $50-250/hr. for web development work depending on what you want your site to accomplish and where you live.  A basic 5-page informational site (mostly HTML) should run you about $1,500-3,000 should you hire a professional.  Otherwise, hiring a self-taught individual might save you some money. 

Remember that web developers simply develop your site for you.  That's it.  Not all web developing companies can assist you with the other types of services necessary to create a successful web site online.

Host

Once a web site is created for the web, there is one more service necessary to actually getting it online for people to view.  This is especially true should have your own domain name (www.yourbusiness.com). 

Hosting is much like a grocery store.  When you walk down the aisles, you'll notice that there is a place for every item on the shelf.  This is also true for web sites.  You need to find someone who will provide a "space for your site on the shelf."  Without finding someone to host your site for you, your site will not be accessible to people online. 

Hosting fees can range anywhere from $10-1,000/month for each site.  Of course, the $1,000 covers mostly complex sites and networks.  Usually you can find someone to host a 5-page information site for, on average, about $25/month depending on where you live.  Sometimes hosts will require a yearly payment. 

Keep in mind, too, that extra bells and whistles on your site may require special hosting packages.  For instance, if your site was created using ColdFusion, you will probably be charged more per month simply because special software is required to "host" your site for you.

Promote

This separate business on the web is one which is rarely discussed, and yet, many newcomers to the web assume that if they just get a web site online, droves of new customers will come running to their site.  This just isn't the case at all.  In fact, promotion on the web itself is quite complex and time-consuming.  Why is that?

Here's the tricky part.  Each one of these search engines functions differently.  Let's say for instance, you type in the phrase "eye doctor," and you submit it.  You will always get a different listing of sites on Altavista compared to Excite, compared to all of the other search engines.  This is because when you submit your word or phrase, each search engines goes out and "searches" for the most appropriate site using different criteria.  Some search engines simply look at the content of the page itself, others look at the invisible "meta tags" in your site's coding and still others may even determine HOW that phrase is used within your site or how often the phrase itself is used. 

To make things even more complicated, these algorithms (the criteria by which the search engines find the appropriate sites to list) are constantly changing, which means one has to constantly research how each search engine is responding to criteria within a site's context.  WHEW!!!  A lot more complex than you thought, huh?

The truth of the matter is that search engine promotion is a business in and of itself, and oftentimes you will find that you have to hire a "professional" promoter on a monthly basis to assure your site remains in the top listings of all search engines ALL the time.  This is because constant research on how the algorithms are changing is necessary to provide constant results. In addition, this monthly fee may more than likely only include two or three phrases.  That's it. 

It's a disheartening reality for those first getting a web site online.  Promotion is no easy matter and there are never any guarantees.  Our best advice?  Get listed on Yahoo immediately.  This search engine alone will promote your site more than others.

Dial-Up Service, DSL or a Cable Connection

There is yet one more service that many people should know about when it comes to the Internet community.  Should you ever want to even get online, you will need to hire someone to provide this service for you.  This is what you call a Dial-Up Service Provider or DSL / Cable Connection Provider for the web.  Without this essential service you will not be able to access the web.

Separate Entities

Keep in mind that all of the services above are separate in and of themselves.  Sometimes you will find web developers who can host web sites.  Other times you might find a Host who also provides Dial-Up services.  You might even be able to find a company that provides all four services.  However, this is somewhat rare.  Each service is so complex and specialized that a company offering all four services on a "guarantee" basis would need to be quite powerful.