How to Launch a Web Page

by Brandy Alexander, Demand Media

When you launch your Web page, you make it publicly available to visitors on the Internet. As such, you should make sure that any issues, such as broken links, are worked out before your viewers are allowed to browse your finished work. Furthermore, you want to make sure that people can find your site once it's on the Web. With your finished page and a Web host, you can successfully launch your Web page and provide the best possible presentation on the Internet.

Items you will need

Web page
Web host
FTP application (optional)

Step 1

Test your page on different browsers and computer operating systems to verify that the page looks the way you want it to in these different environments. If you do not have access to these items, consider sending a friend your HTML file so that he can test it on his system, or copy your work onto a DVD and load it on a library computer.

Step 2

Run your page through an HTML validator like W3C's "Markup Validation Service" page to ensure that your page does not have any coding errors (see Resources). Select your Web file from your computer by clicking the "Validate by File Upload" tab, or opt to copy and paste your code directly into the validator by choosing the "Validate by Direct Input" option. Click the "Check" button to get a detailed report of any issues and go back and fix these as necessary.

Step 3

Place (upload) your Web page in your Web host's directory or folder to actually publish your page to the Internet. Typically, this is done by accessing your "control panel," navigating to your "public_html" or "public_www" folder and clicking a "browse" or "upload" button that allows you to select the appropriate file and place it on your server. If you are unsure of where you need to go to upload your files publicly, contact your Web host's support team for assistance. Alternatively, you can use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) application, such as Fetch or SmartFTP, to upload your Web pages and publish them online. Obtain the FTP program of your choice and enter your setting information, such as domain root folder, to establish a connection between the application and your Web host. Some FTP applications allow you to simply click and drag your Web file to the application, while others offer a button like "Upload" that allows you to make your page live on the Web.

Step 4

Send an announcement email to your friends and family about the launch of your new page so that you will start getting visitors immediately. Include a synopsis of what your page is about and provide the URL address of your page.

Step 5

Submit your new Web page to search engine directories, such as Google and Yahoo!, and social networking sites like StumbleUpon.com and delicious.com so the general public can easily find your page. Navigate to these sites and click a button like "submit a site" to add your page's address to the provider directory.

Tips

Update your Web page on a consistent basis so that search engines continue to make note of (index) your site. This will also ensure that your visitors have something fresh to view each time they visit.

References

Resources

About the Author

Brandy Alexander has been writing professionally since 2001. She is a glass artist with a Web design and technical writing background. Alexander runs her own art-glass business and has been a contributor to "Glass Line Magazine" as well as various online publications.