Six Steps to a Successful Web Site

By Paul Otto 

1. Web Site Security

Security is almost always the most important part of the success of the website. Without proper data validation the web based application may be vulnerable to the malicious code prepared by evil people. A well thought through security implementation is a must nowadays for just every website on the Internet. Every input data your users send to the server must go through a check. Otherwise, you'll be exposing your server to serious threats. It is therefore crucial for the server security to validate all input data. You have to minimize the risk of your server being compromised by controlling things the users can do on the online application. A well constructed website / web application shouldn't allow users to do anything else they're intended to do.

2. Web Server Statistics

Gathering information about your customers' preferences may be difficult if there's no tool in place, that analyses their activity on your website. You need detailed statistics to know about which parts of your site need enhancements and which parts are doing well (e.g. generate sales). At nodegate we develop websites with extensive server statistics, where you can learn about the time your visitors spend on your website, where did they come from and what they were looking for.

3. Dynamically Generated Web Site Content

In most cases you will need interaction with your visitors to make them act in the way you want. You may for example want a dynamic product configuration and/or shopping cart if you sell products or an on-line booking system it you are a travel agency. At nodegate we implement Java (J2EE), PHP, ASP, MySQL, PostgreSQL, JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), HTML and other relevant technology to develop fully featured web based applications.

4. Customizing Web Site Content

You may want a flexible tool to manage the content of your website. If you're not familiar with website programming a web based content management system may be a good option. Interactive tools developed at nodegate do all the scripting job for you saving money and time. You just log into your account and that's it – you get a handy set of tools to fully configure the web application without the need of manual code manipulation.

5. Obeying Web Design and Web Development Standards

Website development has come a long way and there are lots of tools out there to assist the developer with webpage design. Unfortunately, many webmasters create browser-dependable sites, that don't do well in other browsers (i.e. Internet Explorer optimized site may look awkward in Firefox it it's malformatted). Along with this, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has instituted an effort to standardize how browsers handle the display of web pages through the use of CSS and XHTML. It's vital for every developer to obey these standards. At nodegate, we stick to the standardized code syntax and therefore ensure highest possible compatibility level. This makes the sites we create understandable for browsers and more accessible for its users.

6. Web Site Planning and Effective Launching

At nodegate we deliver projects “On time, within scope, and within budget”. We will collect all necessary information about your business, discuss it with you and do a project schedule and a quotation. We will then make a draft website for FREE so that you can see what the idea is all about. You can then submit your amendments and wishes to be implemented in the project. Only if the project is accepted we will step forward to the production phase and keep you informed about the progress. Once the project is completed you may choose between to hosting options:
– you may use your existing infrastructure to host the website (your existing ISP, your own web server) or you may switch to our Web Hosting Scheme, which delivers great scalability, performance and is probably the most costeffective solution,
– additionally, you may want to do Keyword Research, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Internet Promotion of your new website to attract more visitors that generate sales. If you choose this option, we may help.

Successful Web Design Summary

1. Your website must be developed with security in mind and resistant against malicious code
2. You must know who and how often visits given parts of your site to do relevant enhancements
3. Your website be well programmed and flexible in configuration
4. The site must be standardized to avoid compilation problems
5. You must let professionals to do Keyword Research and Internet marketing for you.

Please contact nodegate if you feel you need assistance designing your Web site. We can help providing you with FREE advice and Web Design consultancy even if you are not our customer.