INMA_A01.QXD

CHAPTER 1· AN INTRODUCTION TO INTERNET MARKETING

such as a request for product information, it will pass the query on to a database server

and will then return this to the customer as a dynamically created web page. Information

on all file requests such as images and pages is stored in a transaction log filewhich

records the page requested, the time it was made and the source of the enquiry. This

information can be analysed using a log file analyseralong with different browser-based

web analytics techniques to assess the success of the web site as explained in Chapter 9.

Web page standards

The information, graphics and interactive elements that make up the web pages of a site

are collectively referred to as content. Different standards exist for text, graphics and

multimedia. The saying ‘content is king’ is still applied to the World Wide Web, since

the content quality will determine the experience of the customer and whether they will

return to that web site in the future.

Text information – HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)

Web page text has many of the formatting options available in a word processor. These

include applying fonts, emphasis (bold, italic, underline) and placing information in

tables. Formatting is possible since the web browser applies these formats according to

instructions that are contained in the file that makes up the web page. This is usually

written in HTML orHypertext Markup Language. HTML is an international standard

established by the World Wide Web Consortium (published at http://www.w3.org) and

intended to ensure that any web page written according to the definitions in the stan-

dard will appear the same in any web browser.

A simple example of HTML is given for a simplified home page for a B2B company in

Figure 1.15. The HTML code used to construct pages has codes or instruction tags such

as <TITLE> to indicate to the browser what is displayed. The <TITLE> tag indicates what

appears at the top of the web browser window. Each starting tag has a corresponding

end tag, usually marked by a ‘/’, for example <B>plastics</B> to embolden ‘plastics’.

Dynamic web page
A page that is created
in real time, often with
reference to a database
query, in response to a
user request.

Transaction log file
A web server file that
records all page
requests.

Log file analyser
Software to summarise
and report the
information in the
transaction log file.

Figure 1.14Information exchange between a web browser and a web server

Client PC running

web browser

User requests page

http ‘get’ communication

http ‘send’ communication Server returns

page requested

Database and

applications

servers

Server running

web server

software

HTML and

graphics files

Transaction

log file

ISP ‘The Internet’ ISP

Content
Content is the design,
text and graphical
information that forms
a web page. Good
content is the key to
attracting customers to
a web site and retaining
their interest or
achieving repeat visits.

HTML (Hypertext
Markup Language)
A standard format used
to define the text and
layout of web pages.
HTML files usually have
the extension .HTML or
.HTM.