Winona Radio - The Power of Four: KG-95.3, KAGE Country, KWNO AM 1230, CD Country 99.3

Winona Radio - The Power of Six in Winona, Minnesota

What You'll Need

Once you have decided on what type of site you require, it's time to figure out who will create and host it. Also how much it will cost. The information below can be used a guide of what is required to setup and maintain a web site.

Domain Name
A Domain Name, (www.yourcompany.com) is a unique name that identifies your Web site on the Internet. A Domain Name requires registration with an organization called Internic and it must also be registered with the Web site host in order for users to be able to find your site. It is not necessary to have a domain name, although it is recommended. All domain names require a virtual server. If we build your web site, we will register your domain name for free.

Internic Fees
For your domain name, InterNIC will charge a registration fee of $70, which covers your first two years of registration. After the 2nd year they will charge you $35 per year. We will register yo with InterNIC for free.

Web Server
This is where your site files physically reside. If you will be using a domain name, then you will need a virtual server. This normaly involves setup and monthly fees. Each virtual server has its own unique domain name and IP address. Another choice would be to host your site with another site, such as Winona Radio. On this type of server your web page address would look like this, www.winonaradio.com/yourcompany Only the most basic billboard sites should opt for this least expensive option. All other sites would be best served using a virtual server. E-commerce will require a secure server. It is very important to get on a server with a large, reliable connection to the internet. Anything less than 99% uptime means your web site could be unavailable to vistors a few hours per day.

ISP Connection
An Internet access provider, (ISP) is an organization that gives users the ability to dial into the Internet to access services such as e-mail, FTP, Gopher, Telnet or the World Wide Web. Access is usually obtained by connecting the user's computer to the provider's computer with a modem via a telephone call, although more expensive options are available. This also involves setup and monthly fees.

Web Pages & Scripts
This includes not only the setup and design of the web site, but also the creation of any necessary custom programs. (for linking to databases, counters, scripts and data entry forms, for example) You own the rights to all of the source files that are on your server once we complete your site and receive payment in full. In fact, we recommend that you copyright your site to protect your rights. You can generally expect a static billboard site to take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to create and test. A large storefront site can take up to several months.

Monthly Maintenance & Updates
The ongoing monitoring, management and maintenance of your web site is crucial to ensure it's continued success. The type of site you choose will determine the frequency and method of updates. You may need to rely on the people who create your site to handle these task. (which mean ongoing cost) Some applications create automatic posting tools, which let you update site information yourself through a web browser. Without having to know anything about html or java code.

Marketing
Business advertising on the Internet is now a standard supplement to traditional advertising means such as Yellow Pages or magazine ads. With more and more people getting connected it will become the pre-dominant medium by which companies will get their corporate image, products and services across. You can market the site yourself by posting information about it on the popular search engines and hope that it shows up on the search whenever a vistor types a specific keyword. It is very important to promote your web site whenever possible. Through sales, on business cards, and print ads. Banner programs are also a good idea. Don't stop there, be creative with this fairly new media. Alternatively, you can rely on your design or hosting services to undertake this marketing effort for you.

Secure Server Certificate
It's a simple fact that Web users won't transact business on your Web site if they can't be certain that it's secure. They need to know -- absolutely and positively -- that your business is real, and they need to be assured that their communications with you will be private. You, at the same time, need to protect your data and your business against disputed sales or someone "spoofing" your site and taking away your customers. VeriSign has the solution. It's called a VeriSign Secure Server ID. For US and Canadian customers, Server IDs are $349 for the first ID, $249 for each additional ID. For customers outside the US and Canada, Server IDs are $449 for the first ID, $349 for each additional ID.