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So you want to create your own talk radio show website?
Here's how to do it from Philly TalkHelp for the completely clueless
Part One
Are you a radio person looking for help on how to make a website? Here is a step by step guide to creating your own basic talk radio show website. Yes you too can create your own site with our help. While this guide is aimed at radio people it can apply to just about anybody.
Page Contents: Related Help Pages:
What you need to know first
You'll need a Domain Name or URL
Creating a web site/page on your PC
Hosting your website on the Internet - Hosting options
Getting your website up to the Internet - Uploading
Working with Audio
Why do I even need my own talk show website?
Whether you are in front of the mic already or working your way up the ladder in radio to get there you can benefit from your own personal website. Think of it like an online resume or business card. No matter what service you offer or job you seek it's easier to connect with people if you have an online counterpart. Potential employers or customers that would never call you up are often willing to check you out online. Having a website means your more than just a name on a resume and it gives you a leg up on the competition.
Well established hosts/shows can connect with their audience via their own website. Information of all kinds can be placed online. Do you get constant requests for the same information via email? Just post it online once and save yourself time later on. What used to be a toy in the past the website is now almost a requirement. That's why this help section exists, to assist you and as a result the listeners have more information, entertainment, and fun.
What you need to know first
There are some technical terms often bandied about when discussing websites. Read up on the Technical Glossary to get an overview or look up any term on this page.
This page only contains basic help to get you started. Future pages will build upon this information and cover most aspects of creating and running your own website. Each section below will be expanded on.
To have your own website it works like this ... You buy your domain name (URL) and a Hosting Account. You make website or single webpage created in an HTML program (also called an web authoring program with WYSIWYG) and upload to a Host Server. People find your website by using your URL (domain name) that directs them to the host server. People type in your URL in the address box hit GO and your Host Server then "serves" up your website to them. Sounds simple right? No? OK, Let's take that step by step.
You'll need a Domain Name or URL
Your domain name such as "mywebsite.com" or "mypage.net" is like the address to your house. You contract with a "registrar" to purchase your domain name. The Registrar charges anywhere from $10 to $35 per year (two year minimum) for your name. For that money they help maintain the database that contains all the domain names and URL's on the Internet. Without them nobody can find your site. There are dozens of companies that can register a domain name. Do a search and you'll find an overwhelming list of choices or contact us for our latest recommended Registrar.
A Domain Name IS a URL but all URLs are not Domain Names.
The difference in prices often reflect varying levels of service. Goodies like free email forwarding and free URL forwarding are nice if you place your website on your Internet Service Provider account to save money. More on that below. (URL forwarding is for when you want a domain name but have the account hosted on a free server such as your ISP account. People use the URL then your registrar intercepts the request and sends them to your real location instead, pretty nifty and a money saver)
Cost: $10 to $35 for Domain Name
You can forgo getting a domain name by simply using the URL of the server space that is included with your Net connection. For example if you have an account with HumongousNet.com and your account name is talkbabble then your URL might look like this http://humongousNet.com/talkbabble. It is up to you to decide if that is better or worse than something like talkbabble.com. More on that below.
Cost: Free for existing URL
Creating a web site/page on your PC
First let me say this ... Just about every professional website creator has their own favorite software for this. I use Microsoft Front Page not because it is the best but because I have been able to teach so many so much in so little amount of time. It has basically the same user interface as MS WORD with an easy learning curve. If you are well versed in computing and confident in your ability to learn then by all means try out other programs. Some of those like DreamWeaver and GoLive are fine options. Some basic programs are available that are free and sometimes scaled down versions are included with your PC.
To create a web page you will need what is called an HTML editor with WYSIWYG. All that means is that you can make a page very similar to a letter or flyer and the editor creates the code in the background with little or no fuss. WYSIWYG stands for What You See Is What You Get. If you don't include anything fancy you need not ever bother with the code. If you want more goodies down the line then the learning curve will include that as you go. The more you work with web authoring software the more you learn and the more you will be able to tackle.
WYSIWYG is pronounced WizeeWig, all the top web authoring tools employ WYSIWYG.
You would normally name your opening, or greeting page, "index.html" so your web has a default opening file. By doing so you when people go to your site it is that page that is automatically served up first. Host accounts include a default index file, you delete that one and replace it with your own. More on creating your site and working with files on your host server later. More on constructing your web as well as pitfalls to avoid come later in Part Two.
Cost: Front Page $150, others range from shareware to $300. You won't need anything beyond that level for most websites.
Hosting your website on the Internet - Hosting options
Here you have two basic options
First - host your account on your ISP server space that is included with your Internet connection. Generally you will have something like 2 to 10 megs of server space. Unless you plan on a large number of pictures and graphics even 2 megabytes of space is plenty. If you want several audio clips then check to make sure you have 5 to 10 megs of space or more. This is fine for a basic self promotional site where cost is a major consideration.
Cost: Free
Second - Contract with a Hosting Company. They will place all your files on what is called a "Shared Server" or "Host Server" along with a number of other websites. You can get a dedicated server for a much higher amount of money, you don't really need that.
Your Hosting Company will "serve" up each web page as it is called upon. People type in the Domain Name/URL to the address box on their browser and hit GO. Your host receives the request and sends back the page asked for.
Hosting companies have an advantage in that you can get a larger amount of space, more technical bells and whistles, and email boxes. Again there is a dizzying array of choices or you can email us for our latest recommendations.
Cost: $8 to $20 per month for a well rounded package. Some good options in the $10 per month range.
Getting your website up to the Internet - Uploading
Full service web authoring programs, like Front Page, have a "Publish" function. It its most simplistic form it tracks any changed pages and images and uploads those files to the host server. If you have created your web properly and saved it locally you then click the publish button. You will be prompted for a location to publish to (insert your URL) on the first upload. Then you will be asked for a user name and password, those are created when you sign up for an account or in the case of your ISP it is your account name and password. If you decide to host your site on your ISP space it is recommended that you use a second "handle" for this. In any case it is a good idea not to use your master account name for any public correspondence, that will keep your primary account free from being a target of harassment.
Another way to upload files is via a third party FTP program. Third party means this ... Your PC is the first part, the host server is the second and whatever program gets the files from one to the other is the "third party" program. FTP stands for "File Transfer Protocol" - a fancy term but as it is used today "FTP" is more of a verb as in, "Let's FTP those files up to the server now." There are several outstanding free FTP programs available. Try www.ipswitch.com or do a search for free FTP programs. Using such a program is pretty straightforward. The user interface is similar to using the File Manager / Explorer function on your PC or Mac. It will open two windows, one listing the files on your PC and the other showing files on your host server. You can highlight the files on your end and click a button for transfer. Each program has different features and the learning curve is shallow, meaning easy to grasp for just about anybody. You can use your FTP program to delete files on the server end.
Cost: Free
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