Naming a web site

            Reserving a URL (uniform resource locator); ".com" or what

            RULE: Generally, the shorter the better.

            How much does it cost? Not much.

Web sites are made up of some basic elements

            • text files (.htm, .html, .php, etc.)

            • image files

            • other types of files (audio, video, pdf, etc.)

Where is the site?

A web site is located on a server; you have to get access to space on a server, usually by renting it. But don't pay very much.

The web site should also exist on a local disk or hard drive in exactly the form that it exists on the server.

Structuring a site – the way you go about this is extremely important; you must be very careful to know and remember what you are doing.

• Home page (splash page) – must be named "index"

• Sections (folders or directories)

• Individual pages

• Utility folders (images, contact, about this site, etc.)

The illustration above shows how a URL, or web address, is formed and can give you insight into the way a web site is structured.

Structure is important because it controls the navigation of the site – that is, how visitors get through it. The structure should be as simple and logical as possible. Names for sections should be accurate and give a true indication of what a visitor will find there.

Naming folders (directories) and files

• An appropriate suffix must be on all files.

• A name should not contain any spaces.

• Names should be as short as possible but accurately descriptive.

• The home page must be named "index" (or "default"). This name can be used for the main page inside any folder, but you should be careful about overusing the name. Why?

You build your web site on a local disk or hard drive. When you are ready, you transfer (upload) your folders and file to a server using some kind of FTP (file transfer program). Your hosting service or your web editor (the software you use to build your site) will provide you with a way to transfer your files.

Key terms

URL

HTML

index

web editor

file suffixes

navigation

FTP

server