GENERAL QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE INTERNET & WORLD WIDE WEB

What Is The Internet?
The Internet is a network of computers all over the world that are connected by communications lines. It was originally created by the U.S. military to assure safe and secure communications in the event of a war. A new report from Nielsen/NetRatings details the latest Internet usage statistics as of November 1999. The active Internet audience size was approximately 74.0 million, and the total Internet audience size reached approximately 118.4 million.

What Is The World Wide Web?
The World Wide Web was created by Tim Berners-Lee, and became publicly available in 1993. His idea was to make information on the Internet accessible through a simple interface on any kind of computer anywhere on a network. The World Wide Web, combined with an interface known as a "browser," presents information with the look and feel of a Windows or Macintosh program. The World Wide Web is only one section of the Internet. This is by far the best new business marketing tool since the television and telephone were invented. Many business experts are urging businesses to get online or perish. While that may be a bit extreme, we do believe that businesses with a presence on the Internet will have a distinct competitive advantage over those that do not.

What Is An ISP?
ISP stands for Internet Service Provider. They are the people who provide you with a dialup number to access the Internet. There are literally thousands of ISPs, from small, locally owned and operated to large national companies like CompuServe, America Online and AT&T WorldNet.

Who Uses The Internet?
The Internet is used by businesses, individuals, educators and students. Eventually, virtually everyone will use the Internet. According to one survey, 60% of the users are male, 65% of the users are 18 to 44 years old and 67% of the Internet users make over $65,000 a year. Eighty five percent of the world's top companies have a web site.

Who Assigns Internet Addresses?
Internet addresses are assigned by the InterNIC. InterNIC was established in 1993 as a collaborative project between AT&T, General Atomics and Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI). NSI, located in Herndon, Virginia, manages the Registration Services Project. They receive funding from the National Science Foundation to provide registration services for the Internet community via telephone, electronic mail, and U.S. postal mail. Registration Services works closely with domain administrators, network coordinators, Internet service providers (ISP's), and various users. Registration Services is responsible for assigning Internet addresses for all users on the Internet. For instance, if you wanted mycompany.com (known as a domain name) as your address (http://www.mycompany.com), you would have to check with InterNIC to see if it was available (you can do this on our Tools page). Then, you have to apply to register that domain name. We will do that for you if you want your own domain name.

How Can The Internet Help My Company?
With a website, you can significantly increase exposure of your business, potentially to millions of Internet users. The Internet can be used to improve customer service and communications using e-mail. It can eliminate or greatly reduce the cost of printing, postage and phone calls. Businesses can generate sales leads using on-line forms instead of traditional forms of prospecting. E-commerce is another tool, selling products and services, including accepting payment, using color graphics, photos, and on-line catalogs. Businesses can test new ideas and announce new products via e-mail and on-line feedback. The Internet can also be used to conduct surveys and gather information electronically.

GENERAL QUESTIONS
ABOUT WEBSITES & DOMAINS

What Is InterNIC?
InterNIC is an independent organization responsible for holding the registration and routing of Internet domain names. Without these people it would be virtually impossible to maintain sanity on the Internet. The Domain Name registration fee is $70 for the first two years and $35/year thereafter. The InterNIC will send you an invoice via email about 3 weeks after the domain is registered.

What Is A Domain?
Domain names are a rapidly diminishing commodity. They are allotted on a first-come first-served basis. There can only be one "yourcompany.com" on the Internet, so make sure you register your organization quickly before it is gone for good. The longer you wait, the less likely you will be able to get your specialized name.

What Is A Subdomain?
A Subdomain is the Internet address (URL) of a website that is located in a subdirectory of a registered domain. For example, www.noeticharbor.com/yourname/ is a subdomain on the noeticharbor.com domain. Websites established as subdomains do not need to register and pay fees associated with InterNIC (see the InterNIC explanation above).

What Are The Rules For Domain Names?
Domain names can be up to 26 alphanumeric characters (plus hyphens). In the United States the names end in ".com" for commercial enterprises, ".net" for network related businesses, ".org" for non-profit enterprises, The suffixes ".gov" for government enterprises, ".mil" for military, and ".edu" for educational institutions are reserved. Outside the U.S. there is a two character country code, e.g. ".no" for Norway or ".fr" for France. Only the .com, .net, and .org names can be registered by InterNIC.

What's The Advantage Of Having A Domain Name?
Internet domain names have become a vital part of corporate identity. In the 21st Century, your domain name will be as important as your logo or brand name to your presence in a global marketplace. Domain Names are also versatile. Even if you are just considering using the Internet and World Wide Web for your business, it's highly recommended that you register your domain name as soon as possible. Once registered, you will own the domain name and no one else in the world will be able to get it. No matter who you end up deciding to host your website, you will be the owner of the Domain Name and only you be able to use it. Your domain name follows you no matter where you go.

Can't We Create Our Own Website?
Yes. In fact, many programs are available to help you create your own home page or web site. However, it is not as easy as it sounds. To develop an effective web site you must have at least a basic understanding of HTML, the language in which the pages must be written for the Internet. Additionally, you must consider the design, flow and structure of the site. And where will you put it when it is done? Doing it yourself may save you some money up front, when you consider the time you would spend doing it yourself, and the importance of a well-designed site, you can see that your money would be well spent letting us do it for you. We want you to succeed! For more information see our Philosophy and Tools pages.

How Do Visitors Find Our Website?
This is probably the single most important question you can ask. Simply placing your site on the World Wide Web will not bring people to your site. Unlike a retail store, people do not just "drive by" and stop in. On the Internet, you must have a way to get people to your site. This can be accomplished several ways. 1) Make sure you put your Internet address on everything your company puts out. 2) Register your address with search engines on the Internet. Search engines are on-line software programs that help users find information on the World Wide Web. There are literally hundreds of search engines available. By registering with the search engines, your address is included in the database that is searched when a user is looking for a particular topic or item. 3) Promote your web site through various Internet and non-Internet (advertising) vehicles and services.

What Is E-Commerce?
E-Commerce is short for "electronic commerce". Simply put, it's the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet. It can be as basic as a simple e-mail order or as complex as a purchase incorporating your credit card, electronic withdrawal of funds and deposit into a merchants account.

QUESTIONS
ABOUT OUR SERVICES

What's The Minimum I Need To Have A Website?
The bare minimum is a single page website, hosted as a subdomain (a subdirectory of our domain). Your website URL (address) would be something like... www.noeticharbor.com/yourcompany.

We Need A Small Website But We Also Need Our Own Domain...
Basically, you'll need three things... A website, a domain name, and a hosting service. You can have as small a website as a single page. Because you require your own domain, you will need to register and secure that domain name through InterNIC. In addition, you'll to purchase a place to host your pages (domain hosting). We can provide these services.

We Already Have A Website, But It's In Tough Shape. Can You Help?
We can give your existing website a fresh new look, or build you a completely new one. In most cases, you can even keep your existing hosting service... E-mail us describing your specific needs.

What Is A Shopping Cart?
Similar to a real world shopping cart, you stroll through an online website and, when you see a product you like, simply add it to your shopping cart with a click. When you're finished, you go to the "check-out" and pay for your items.