Frank Nemec Web Development

 

 

I created, maintain, and host several websites. I lean toward relatively simple structures to load and display quickly. Most aim to provide information. I write HTML and cascading style sheets and use Perl scripts to maintain the larger sites. Some of the sites:

The visual design of the Valley Church site was done by a design company, which produced a prototype. I used scripts originally written by my son to manage the content and a consistent structure of the site. I do nearly all of the maintanance of this site. For some of the other sites, remember that the nature of the site matches what the customer wants.

Want me to build a website for you?

If you are interested in having me work on a website for you, here are some things for you to be thinking about.

  1. domain names
  2. color preferences
  3. existing websites you like, and what you like about them and think you want for yours
  4. a sample in some format for what you think you want a page of your site to look like
  5. photographs, documents, or other media files you'd like to appear on your site
  6. how much you want or need to protect the intellectual property you post
  7. key words and phrases you think are very appropriate to lead to your site
  8. email addresses and email lists you'd like
  9. how much value you assign to traffic on your site (thus, how you might want to use Google Adwords)
  10. what web features are important to you, and why, such as blogs
  11. what kind of relationship do you want to have with me
    1. retainer model -- pay me lavishly once a year. I'm at your beck and call. You have priority. When you ask me to do something for your website, I do it.
    2. gym membership model -- pay me monthly, whether you use me or not
    3. personal trainer model -- pay me monthly, and I interact with you often, working to learn what you really need, and hounding you for whatever I need to accomplish your purposes for your website
    4. contractor model -- pay me once to build the website you want, and host it for 2 years, with hosting and minor maintenance at minimal cost after that

I use as my hosting platform. As of June 2010, they host one million domains. They're not a small player, and I have been extremely satisfied with them for years. I am migrating toward using WordPress for new sites, so if there are particular WordPress themes you like, be sure to tell me that.

Once you have your website

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any changes, additions, or questions.

Uploading content

Small files can be sent as an email attachment to your domain webmaster. Most sites have an upload page at /upload/ where you can upload individual files (including zip files and compressed directories). Please notify me when you do, and tell me what you want done with them. Each has an FTP interface at ftp. and I can provide userids. Anonymous FTP costs extra, and is currently available only at static.valleychurch.org. I also use dropbox.com.

You can try using the FTP access method in Windows XP (and presumably later versions) My Network Places. I have had limited success with this.

Creating an FTP location

Start -- Control Panel -- My Network Places. Click on Add a Network Place. Click Next. Make sure "Choose another network location" is selected, and click Next again. Type ftp://<yourdomain> into the space provided, and click Next. Uncheck the "Log on anonymously" checkbox, type in the username and click Next. Give the connection a name (Website Photos, for example) and click Next. Click Finish to save that location (it will appear in My Network Places) and then it will make a connection for you. You will be prompted for your password, which you can ask your computer to remember if you wish.

Transferring Files

Once your FTP location has been created, you can find it in My Network Places. Double-clicking it may open your remote location in the same way as Windows opens folders, and you can drag (or copy and paste) files from local folders to the remote folder and back again in the familiar manner. If you do not have the same behaviour, check Internet Explorer settings. The IE settings are tools, internet options, advanced, browsing, put a check besite "Enable folder view for FTP sites".

Email

I provide an unlimited number of email addresses as forwarding only, mailbox only (POP3 or IMAP4), or both. Each mailbox has a simple web interface at webmail.<yourdomain>. Keep track of your email password. You can administer your mailbox at mailboxes.<yourdomain>, including changing your password. I also provide email discussion lists powered by Mailman. Because DreamHost.com is serious about discouraging spam, they limit the number of emails a user can send in an hour. If you have a large distribution list, it's a good idea to manage that with a discussion list or an announce list.

Forwarding to AOL and sometimes Comcast

As of December 19, 2011, DreamHost will not forward to an AOL email address and sometimes also Comcast email addresses.

Setting up your email client

Here are some general hints for setting up your email client to use mailboxes on your domain.
Thunderbird: Edit -- Account Settings
Outlook: Tools -- E-mail Accounts
The mail server is mail.<yourdomain> (both incoming and outgoing). The userid is your complete email address, such as JohnDoe@.<yourdomain>. I'll tell you your initial password, but you should change it. Use POP3 or IMAP4, your choice. I use SSL/TLS security with password authentication, so that emails are not transmitted in the clear from me to the mail server.

Using the email web interface

http://webmail.<yourdomain>

using just your userid (JohnDoe) and your password. The login page includes a link to mailboxes.<yourdomain> to manage your mailbox, including changing your password.

Domains using DreamHost junk filtering

If your domain has junk filtering enabled, then in general, every mailbox (but not forwarding-only addresses) will have a new Junk folder. You will want to check this folder for any valid email miscategorized as junk. The webmail interface is a good way to do that. For more details on this feature, see this DreamHost Wiki entry.

Driving traffic to your site

Why do you want traffic? What kind of person do you want to find your site? What are they looking for? What would they be searching for? With these answers, make sure you have content that matches what they're looking for. Make sure it's described with generous, but appropriate, usage of the terms they would be searching for, including alternative terms. It's very helpful to have other appropriate sites link to yours in appropriate ways. If you have a section of resources, you can make appropriate links to these peer sites. Include a brief description of why each is appropriate. Show this to your peers and ask them to reciprocate. Submit yourself to relevant listing services. Pretend you're searching for whatever you offer, and see what comes up. If you find things like Yelp, local business indexes, chambers of commerce and so on, submit yourself to them. When things like Yelp are appropriate, ask your satisfied customers to write reviews of you. When web visitors begin to have significant value to you, build a well-designed ad campaign with Google AdWords or something similar.

 

 

Contact me if you're interested.