Part 2 : Tools of the trade

What software do you use to manage the site, and why?
In a stroke of good luck, I purchased Microsoft's Front Page web page creation software and my local Internet Service Provider had a Front Page server. The software is easy to use for anyone who has used Microsoft Word for word processing. I learned a great deal about the Web and page design just using it and experimenting. As a nice side benefit, I've never had to FTP my pages anywhere since the software allows me to simply save them to the server. I do know basic HTML so I can fix problems or add code to the site, but found I had to use a software package if I was to build a large site with a limited amount of time.

What web hosting arrangement do you have?
I am sure I could save a few dollars using a non-local Internet Service Provider or ISP, but not enough to make me change my approach. I use one local firm for Internet access, e-mail and Web hosting. If I have a problem, I call the owner at home for a solution. Reliability has improved substantially in the past 12 months, and I very seldom have a complaint. Again, I want to focus my time on website content development and marketing.

Did you design your own graphics?
I've taught myself the basics of using Photoshop to create banners for the banner exchange program and other small specialty graphics for the site, for example. But I also have made use of free graphics available online. In fact, I have created a WebGuide page at WorkingDogWeb.com that offers links to many of the best dog graphics sites on the Web. I turned my research for online resources into what is now a popular page for other dog lovers to find graphics for their own sites. Because many of my visitors use home computers with slower connections, I have avoided large graphics.

Like many successful webmasters, you also hold down a full-time job. How do you juggle work, family and website commitments? Any tips on how to make best use of time online?
My husband and career come first, obviously. But as you've already seen, WorkingDogWeb involves activities my husband and I share and it also benefits my job. So the Web activities are really integral to my life, not something extra. And we don't have children. I am able to devote a few hours each weekday evening and a bit more on the weekends, depending on other activities. WorkingDogWeb has grown steadily month by month. Anyone who aims to develop a large site on a part-time basis needs to take a long-term view. Otherwise you will likely be frustrated and give up.

One critical step I took was to create a "virtual desktop" -- a web page with many links to all the affiliate programs I had joined, to the visitor monitoring services and the best free services for webmasters. The page also has all of my favorite news sources and so on. Bookmarks or Favorites are simply not enough for this business purpose. This is my browser start page, and it makes my daily web tasks more efficient.

What was the biggest problem with getting started?
Traffic, traffic, traffic! How do you sell books if you don't have visitors? How do you draw visitors without a megabucks advertising budget?

The local owner of the ISP I use gave me two pieces of advice. First, if you really want to build a successful website, buy your own domain name right from the beginning. Second, just realize that it will take time for people to learn about the site and for traffic to grow. I took his first piece of advice, for which I am very grateful. WorkingDogWeb.com today is a known brand name. But I was impatient about his second piece of advice that traffic would grow slowly over time, naturally.

Anyone starting a website with a small budget will have the same challenge. Still, for me, this was one of the most fascinating aspects of developing a site, namely learning all the techniques for online marketing available at little or no cost. Fortunately, creative webmasters around the world have developed a wide array of marketing strategies and gimmicks, some of which work better than others. I've tried many of them, expanding visitor numbers nicely.