"Look at how important we are, with our super cool web site, using EIEIO technology. But, since we are so busy, please don't try to contact us."

That's the message I get when I see a slick, interactive, animated web site with never so much as a phone number, contact name or email address on any of the pages. Sure, there are reasons to limit the types of information on a personal web site, but for a business? I always thought the idea of having a business web presence was to help people find, contact and ultimately buy products and services from a company. Isn't that the whole reason behind marketing?

Your small to medium business doesn't have to fall into that whiz bang, super pricey, "turn your customers away" web site trap. Using Linux, you can easily build and manage a moderately sized informative site on your own. And don't think it has to be dull and boring, either. It just takes imagination, a little effort, some organization and a few how-to tips to get started. As your business grows, so will your web site management experience and web marketing effectiveness. In this two-part article, I'll discuss the basic tools and methods (with an emphasis on the processes) for putting a business web site on line using Linux tools. Part one will examine the basics of HTML and composing applications.

Let's build.

Next: Start With The Basics »