Web Development for Startups
Why have a website?
But my company is operating in stealth mode?
What makes a good website?
The Basic Web Development Process
Working with a Web Designer
Choosing a Webhost
Suggested Layout for a Biotech Company Website
Maintaining your site
What does it all cost?
Recommended Designers
Why have a website?
The web has become an essential component of every
company's operation. Your website
is an extension of your business card, email address, and every business
interaction. Investors, customers,
and potential employees all expect that, if they hear about an interesting
company, they will be able to find plenty of useful information about the
company on the web. A good website
can leave a favorable impression on the visitor- the company is on the cutting
edge of technology, it has style, it is creative, etc. Conversely, a bad website
may make the company appear amateurish. In
this age of the internet, if a technology-related firm does not have a website,
people may doubt that it really exists. In the event that the company does not
have a website, interested people may resort to doing a quick internet search
and reading all sorts of articles and references that may or may not give
accurate information.
But my company is operating in stealth mode?
Oftentimes, if people can't easily find a company's
website, they might sooner assume that company has a poor web strategy than that
the company intentionally is operating in stealth mode. If you intend to operate in stealth mode, you might consider having at
least a well-designed one-page website that lists your company's name, general
mission statement, and contact information. This approach will at least convey that your company knows what it wants
and could have significant web presence if it so chose.
What makes a good website?
A good website will always be easy to navigate, have a look
that is easy on the eye, and contain useful information. Anyone who has visited their fair share of websites already has a sense
of what works and what doesn't. Interestingly,
the best websites often have a simple theme and subtle use of graphics; less is
more. Novice web designers are
often guilty of overusing graphics, animations, fonts, bullets, frames,
mouseover buttons, and all the other gadgets that can make a website look like a
child's playroom or a disco club. Consider
how annoying those beautiful and intricate Flash-based introductory animations
can get when you repeatedly visit a website- and some don't even have a skip
intro option!
The Basic Web Development Process
Most biotech entrepreneurs are not fluent in HTML,
Javascript, and the technical and aesthetic aspects of graphic design. Luckily, there are basic programs available that allow a user to create a
webpage as easily as one might create a Word document or Powerpoint
presentation. These programs, which
include Microsoft Frontpage, Microsoft Word, and Dreamweaver, convert the
appearance of the webpage, as the user designs it, into HTML code (with certain
important limitations). Frontpage even comes with built-in 'extensions' that
enable a novice to create functional forms, simple databases, page hit counters,
and navigation bars that would otherwise require the user to write some
relatively complicated code. Of
course, you'll probably have to invest countless hours of your time just
reading the instructions so that you have a basic understanding of what your
options are.
You will also need to sign up for an account with a webhost
(e.g. www.hostway.com), a firm that will load your website onto their computers
(a.k.a. servers) and make it accessible to the world through their
high-bandwidth connections to the rest of the internet.
You will also want to register your own domain name (e.g.
www.evelexa.com), which most webhosts will do for you as part of a package deal.
If you want to reserve a domain in advance of selecting a webhost, you have the
option of doing so on www.register.com,
Yahoo!, and many other sites. These
sites will also allow you to create email accounts using your new domain.
Every site has a unique IP (internet protocol) address
consisting of a series of numbers (e.g. http://23.54.124.110) and servers
throughout the internet each have a directory that knows which domain name goes
with which IP address. When you
register a new domain name, it takes a while for all the world's servers to be
notified which IP address corresponds to your domain. There will be a delay of 2-3 days before most people will be
able to use your domain, either to access your website or to send you email. During this waiting period, the only guaranteed way to access your
website is to type in the exact IP address given to you by your webhost. Every time you change the domain/IP relationship (e.g. by switching your
website from one webhost service to another or by changing the domain name of
your site), it will take 2-3 days for this change to propagate throughout the
internet.
To transfer your web files to the webhost's server,
thereby making it accessible to the world, you will use either an FTP (File
Transfer Protocol) program, or a built in publish feature in Frontpage. There are important distinctions between using these two approaches. If you have created your website using Frontpage and utilize some of the
built in Frontpage extensions, then you must use Frontpage's publish
function to transfer files to your webhost (both when you first want to upload
the site to the server and when you subsequently want to upload modifications). If you use an unrelated FTP program to make the transfer, Frontpage will
not be able to properly synchronize the special features on your webpages with
the Frontpage extensions that are pre-installed by your webhost on your server
(so called "Frontpage-enabled servers"). However, if your site was built independently of Frontpage, either by you
or by an experienced web designer, you will not want to use Frontpage to publish
the website to the server (though you may use Frontpage as a convenient editor
when making simple changes to the content of a file). Instead, you will want to use an FTP program that will accurately
transfer only those files that you specify to the server, without potentially
perverting the code as Frontpage is known to do (this is one of the
aforementioned limitations of Frontpage and similar programs).
Working with a Web Designer
Unless you are a good graphics artist and know HTML and
Javascript, you should consider hiring a web designer to build your site. A good professional can achieve the simplicity and smoothness of design
that will help visitors pay more attention to the content of the site than to
its construction.
Do not feel compelled to work with a web design firm. Freelancers are often far more affordable and just as good. Ask your friends and colleagues if they know any web designers. Contact
other startups whose websites you like and inquire about the designer. Some designers put something akin
to a signature on each site they develop, usually on the home page.
When selecting a professional, ask to see all the sites he
or she has developed in the past. If
your firm is related to biotechnology, you will probably want your site to
reflect this; it helps if the designer has some understanding of biology and the
kinds of graphics that connote biotechnology. Always check references, looking particularly for
responsiveness, creativity, and professionalism. The dot.com boom elevated web designers to the status of gods for a few
years- and while internet stocks have come back down to earth, not all web
designers have done so. A web
designer you enjoy working with is invaluable.
The web project will consist of three phases:
-
Designing the Specs: You must describe the site
layout and content in great detail. These specifications or specs
should describe exactly what pages you want your site to have, how pages
link to each other, what kind of graphics you want to use, how forms should
function (if you choose to have them), etc. The specs should include examples of websites that you like and
websites that you hate, with explanations of what you like and don't like
about each. Achieving a
sufficient level of specificity may require several rounds of Q&A. The goal is for you to figure what you want and for the web
designer to understand what you want so that he can give you a reasonably
accurate estimate of the cost. Do
not ask the designer to get started on site design until you have completed
a thorough outline; starting prematurely will only result in extra work,
extra cost, and potentially a bad relationship.
-
Creating the Site: Once the outline is
complete, the designer will then write the code that generates the website
you described in your layout. He
may present you with several variations for the general theme, including
different combinations of colors, different combinations of fonts, and
sample graphics. Some designers
like to create several final templates and let you choose between them. Others will actively solicit your feedback as they create each aspect
of the template so that you are more likely to agree with the final product. Both approaches work well depending on the designer.
-
Checking for Bugs: Finally, you and the designer
will need to work together to iron out the bugs. You'll probably find that you overlooked issues in your original
specs that have now become apparent. You
may even want to change certain aspects of the site that you thought you
liked when creating the outline. Make
sure the site looks equally good when viewed using Netscape and Microsoft
Explorer and a PC or a MAC in all their combinations. One of the key limitations of using programs like Microsoft Frontpage
is that the code they write for you may be interpreted differently by Netscape
vs. Explorer and PC programs vs. MAC programs. A good designer will know how to either modify the code to make it
compatible across most platforms or may even create different versions of
the website tailored to Explorer and Netscape (the website would then
determine which browser the visitor is using and display the appropriate
version of the site).
You will need to put together the specifications and go
over them with the designer before you can get an initial estimate for total
cost of the project. Some designers
will charge you for this initial step while others don't start charging until
they start putting the site together. Once
you get a quote from the designer, agree on a maximum amount (therefore, the
hourly rate is only a basis for establishing a cost for the project). You may have to pay a portion upfront and the rest upon hitting
milestones. It is not unreasonable for you to hold-back 30% of the payment until
the job is entirely completed to your satisfaction. Try to include incentives for the designer to finish the work on-time. You might even write into the contract that if you respond to all
questions within 24 hours of receiving them (thereby guaranteeing a certain
level of responsiveness from you), then the designer must finish the project by
a certain date in order to receive full payment plus a bonus (if the deadline is
not met, you don't pay the bonus and may start deducting from the full
payment).
Expect the site to take one month or more to design. If you hire a freelancer, he or she will probably have other projects, so
even if the work takes a total of 30 hours, it will most likely be stretched
out. Though paying more may get
the job done faster, watching the site develop gradually will allow you to
modify the design a bit on the fly.
Your relationship with your designer is extremely important (see "Maintaining your website" below) so if the designer is making a good effort, don't feel obligated
to stick to the harsher terms of the contract.
Choosing a Webhost
Webhost companies offer you the service of hosting your
website on their servers, which are fast computers with a lot of memory that
have very fast connections to the internet. Services range from free to expensive and from horrible to great. Not surprisingly, the free ones tend to be worse than the costly ones, though this is not a solid trend. $30/month
will get you what you want 95% of the time.
You will find an excellent selection of services at www.tophosts.com
Setting up your service initially may be simple, but you
will probably encounter some snags. Some
webhosts will give tech support to their customers over the phone and talk you
through solutions, while others will only offer tech support via email or a form
on their website. As long as the
tech support people respond quickly to your request for help, any of these
methods is acceptable. You probably
won't know how good a service's tech support is until you try it. If possible, ask for recommendations from people with websites, just as
you would when selecting a web designer.
Evelexa is hosted by www.intermedia.net;
unresolved problems include periodic server crashes and an inability to send
email to yahoo accounts. Tech
support usually answers emails within a few hours even if they have not been
able to fix these problems. If
Evelexa did not use Coldfusion (which few webhosts support) for database
management, we would probably be using a different webhost, if only to resolve
the yahoo email problem. A webhost
that we would recommend for its service and reliability is www.hostway.com;
an account will cost you $20 or $30/month.
If you have a simple HTML and Javascript (not the same as
JAVA!) website without any forms, counters, databases, or massive files, most
webhosts will be able to offer you the kinds of service you need. However, if you have a database and software scripts written in a
language such as MySQL, PHP, or Coldfusion, or use Multimedia such as Shockwave
or Realmedia, you will have to select a webhost with servers that support these
languages/programs. If you design your website using Frontpage and want to
utilize any of the special extensions such as forms or navigation bars, make
sure you sign up for a Frontpage server. Each
webhost's website will explain what they do and don't support.
Webhosts differ in the amount of memory they allocate to
each customer for their website. Additional
memory beyond the basic amount will cost extra, though you will be hard pressed
to exceed the 50MB-200MB allowance of most basic services. Another variable is the numbers of email accounts included in your
package; there are usually at least 10-50, with an extra fee if you need more. Make sure that the webhost offers a convenient way to access your email
accounts via a web browser as well as using an email management program such as
Outlook Express. Accessing your
email accounts via the web can be extremely useful when you are at conferences.
You must also consider how much traffic your website will
have. Traffic to a site is calculated multiplying the number of visitors each
month and the average bytes each visitor download by opening the webpages and
accessing documents. Often a
webhost will include 5 gigabytes (1000 megabytes) / month of traffic allowance
in a basic package. The average
private biotech company's website will easily fit within these constraints.
Your website will most likely be loaded on a server that
already hosts many other websites. Depending
on the quality of the service, a webhost may overload its servers such that they
perform poorly and have to be frequently rebooted. This results in "downtime" for your website and all the sites hosted
on that server. Furthermore, it
will result in interruption of your email service for those accounts associated
with your domain. In rare cases, a
website might be so large or have so many visitors that it requires its own
server to function properly. In this case, webhosts will offer to allocate a server just
for your site; be prepared to pay upwards of $300/month.
Suggested Layout for a Biotech Company Website
Each page should have a menu bar, either on top or along
the left side, listing all the main sections of the site. Include a Copyright line at the bottom of each page as a
footer. Do not use frames when
building your site- it makes it difficult to refer a person to any particular
page on your site with a simple link (e.g. www.phylos.com/techno5.html). If you must use Flash on your site, make sure that each page has its own
URL so that people can bookmark individual pages and enable users to highlight
text within the page (if you or your web designer can't do this in Flash, then
don't use Flash).
If you choose to have an introductory "Splash" page
(the animated ones that are the first thing you see when visiting some sites
such as www.cellegy.com), avoid
long animations that will annoy repeat visitors. Make sure to have a "skip intro" link that takes visitors directly to
the Home page.
If you use a form for any reason that requires visitors to
submit their contact information, you should also include a Disclaimer and/or
Privacy Policy like the ones used by Evelexa (see bottom of page).
Below are all of the possible sections of a website that a
biotechnology startup might want to have. Some
sections do not have any sub-pages (e.g. Home), whereas others will have an
index page (the page that first loads when you click on that section in the
Menu) and at least one sub-page (e.g. Management within the About Us section).
These are all just suggested headings; the layout is meant to help you organize
your thoughts. Sites such as www.neogenesis.com
deviate significantly from the structure below while still offering all the
useful information a visitor could want laid out very clearly.
HOME
Logo & Brief Description of Company or Mission Statement. Avoid superlatives
such as "ACME is the leading genomics solutions provider".
ABOUT US
Index: Introduction to the Company
Management: Name and bios of management. If there are few SAB members and
Directors, then include those people here and call this section PEOPLE. Otherwise, create a
new sub-page in the About Us section for Scientific Advisory Board and Board of
Directors.
Investors (optional): List your company's investors, especially if they are
well known.
Join Our Team (optional): List open positions your company is
currently recruiting for. Alternatively,
you might make this a separate main section on your website, particularly if you
are recruiting for many positions and want to break them up as sub-pages.
News (optional): list all the press releases your company has issued or links to
articles about your company. If
there is little or no such news, you don't need this page. If there is considerable news and it is highly favorable, consider
breaking out this page as a separate main section.
PRODUCTS (optional)
Index: overview of products with each product given its own sub-page in this
section. Obviously, if your company
does not have a product on the market, there is no need for this section.
TECHNOLOGY (optional)
Index: overview of the technologies your company uses with a sub-page
dedicated to each worthwhile special technology. If your company is focused on developing drugs and does not
use a particularly special or novel technology platform, then you don't need
this section. Instead, put the focus
on the Pipeline section.
PIPELINE (optional)
Index: overview of the pipeline with a sub-page for each program. It is good to have a chart if you are in clinical trials, but don't put up
a chart if all the drugs are in preclinical development. If your company primarily has a technology platform and no pipeline, you
don't need this section.
CONTACT US
List address, phone number, and email, either general or for a specific person.
FAQ (optional)
If you find that people often misunderstand your company's mission or the
underlying science, it might be useful to have a Frequently Asked Questions
page.
Maintaining your website
It is essential that you keep your website up-to-date. This means that if you have a news section, you should post each new
press release as soon as you issue it. If
you change your management team, your website should reflect that change. Avoid referring to specific future events on your website in the future
tense (e.g. "we will be presenting at the ICAAC conference in on August 20th"
because you will have to change the tense as soon as the event passes. If you hire someone for a position, take that position off your website. Clearly, there is less hassle in not putting up temporary information on
your website. Failure to keep it
up-to-date, even in a small way, may cause visitors to assume that you have
forgotten about your site and that the company may now be substantially
different from how it represents itself on the site.
If you used a web designer to create the site, you may need
to have him create additional graphics or make modifications to code from time to
time, particularly of you want to create new sections on the site. Make sure you agree on these terms as part of the original contract. If you ruin your relationship with you web designer, it may not be easy
finding another web designer who can expand your website using the same exact
theme on which it was created… unless you obtained the original template
graphics, fonts, and exact color designations from the original designer.
What
does it all cost?
Microsoft Frontpage: $169 from Amazon.com
You may need this or a similar program at least to maintain your site even if
you hire a web designer to create the site for you.
Domain Registration: $35/year on Register.com You may pay a bit less using other services, but it is not worth bargain
hunting unless you want to register multiple domains.
Webhost service: $20 - $30 / month. One-time set-up fee ($20-$50) is possible. Many sites offer a discount if you pay for a year at a time. If your site requires database functionality, there may be additional
costs involved, but you shouldn't have to pay more than $50/month in most
cases.
Website design: $1K - $6K (30 - 60 hours @ $30 - $100 /
hour). Payment with stock may be
possible.
HTML/Javascript coding costs less than graphics design which costs less than
database programming (SQL, Coldfusion, PHP, etc). Freelancers will probably cost less than firms; in fact, if
someone quotes you $100/hour, keep shopping. Sometimes web designers will accept stock in lieu of full or partial
payment. If you have not yet priced
your stock or your options, this may be awkward. Consult your attorney before signing any such agreement as it
may complicate future financings.
Recommended Designers
Paul Krasnoo - paul@krasnoodesign.com
www.krasnoodesign.com
Rates: $50-70
Accepts stock: flexible
Expertise: Print and Web Design, Graphical User Interface design, HTML, and Javascript
