Home Page

A Web page is a computer file that is stored on a computer server in such a way as to make the file available to other computer users via the Internet. Web pages can contain a variety of formats and types of information, including text, pictures, audio, and video.

Web pages are usually written in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and are uniquely identified by a Universal (also Uniform) Resource Locator (URL). An example of a URL is http://loc.gov/

Not all URLs contain www, leading to a minor, but important distinction. The terms Internet and World Wide Web are used interchangeably, when in fact one is a subset of the other. All URLs that start http://www. are part of the World Wide Web, which is a subset of all URLs making up the Internet. All URLs start with “http://.” The inclusion of www does not make a Web page any more (or less) accessible.

A home page is simply the top level or gateway page for a Web site. A Web site is simply a collection of Web pages that are linked together. Creating Web pages in HTML allows a person to program the links into individual pages as they are created. Any content in a Web page can be linked to any other content in any other Web page. Or if a page is particularly long, links can help a user to navigate the page more quickly.

Web page creators typically use three different ways to let users know when something on the page is linked: (1) A different color can be used for the linked text, (2) the text can be underlined, or (3) both methods can be used. In all cases (meaning all data types, including text), when the mouse cursor [Page 392]is passed over linked material, the cursor turns into a pointing hand.

The presenting and organizing of information in a Web page format has a unique advantage/disadvantage. It allows a content provider to structure and organize information in a nonlinear arrangement, consisting of text, pictures (moving and still), and video. Because no two people process and consume information in the same way, a Web page allows users some degree of control over the order and method in which they get the message.

This is also a disadvantage. Web page creators have to be familiar not only with ergonomic issues (where to put what information so it is easy to scroll to and access on a page), but also with communication theory, logic, and information flow, so information is not “lost” simply because it was not put where a Web page user expected it to be.

Organizations seeking to engage in public relations are wise to have a presence on the Internet. A home page serves as a 24/7 communication link that allows interested parties wide access to an organization.

There are also marketing advantages. Customers can acquire product and service information and possibly make purchases. A home page can allow openand closed-end customer feedback and allow customers to ask questions about how to use a product or service. Web pages are replacing 1–800 customer service hotlines as the best means to make product inquiries.

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