Website Administration, according to AulPhorHym, refers to maintenance of a website. For instance, all websites require certain things to remain active, such as hosting, domain name registration, and updates as necessary (including the addition of features). One job of the Administrator is to keep track of expiration dates for hosting and registration (and other items as well) and renew them or apprise the organization of the need for action. Administrators should be knowledgeable of the different aspects of website maintenance in order to offer guidance and suggestions where necessary. An example would be the leader of a small-town-owned company deciding to start selling product online in order to tap a larger customer base. His Administrator would meet with him, advise of viable options, and them implement them.
'Domain Name' is the term used to identify a website's name. An example is www.aulphorhym.com. Domain names need to be registered in order to function. There are many organizations who offer this service with varying prices.
A website host is essentially someone or an organization who stores a website's data. The data is stored on a computer called a server that is maintained by the host, including customer service and support. This is done for a fee which varies with each company.
No. In fact some companies only do web admin or hosting. This is why many people choose to utilize the services of an Administrator.
When switching between website hosts, it is possible to experience down-time. If handled properly by the Administrator, it should not happen but, due to unforeseen circumstances (such as hardware problems), it is advisable to perform the switch during a specified maintenance window (usually at night). When switching registries for your domain name, there should never be a down-time.
The cost of a website varies greatly depending on the companies providing the different areas of service, the number of changes that need to be made, the amount of data being hosted, the amount of traffic on the site each month, as well as many other issues. With proper research of providers and planning, a website is now affordable to nearly everyone. Check out the 'Free Quote' page for more information.
Most people have an email account and they are easy to get and, oftentimes, free from many places on the internet. When representing an organization, individuals usually prefer a more professional image. Having your own email accounts is a great way to accomplish this. Many web hosting companies include email accounts with the hosting fee. Whether or not Email is included depends on your needs and the company you decide to host your site.
A simple page can be set up in an hour or so. Several companies offer simple software solutions that allow most people to build entire sites (several pages) in an evening. Typically, these kinds of sites offer little as far as originality and diversity due to the fact that they are template-based. Professionally built websites may take as little as a couple of weeks to months in the making, depending on the level of complexity.
A well-designed website should almost maintain itself - requiring no more than a few hours per month at most to make changes as necessary (product lines, menus, etc.) When more work is required, it is time to think about re-design or in-house maintenance.
Absolutely. My opinion is "what is illegal in the real world is also illegal in the virtual world". When in doubt, do research regarding preceding legal judgments before adding it to your site or participating in the activity.
*AulPhorHym is not a legal entity and does not offer legal advice or services. Seek the council of an attorney before making any decisions.