Forum Moderators: mack
Does it cost more if I have more graphics/videos? and how much?
What can and cannot put on my website i.e. logos from brands, links to other websites? Do I need to inform other websites before I put a link to their website on my page?
Could I make money off of the website?
Well, if someone could just point into the right direction, maybe if there's a website I could go to, to get my questions answered. Anything will help!
Does it cost more if I have more graphics/videos? and how much?
The cost associated with this is due to bandwidth. Large files being viewed by lots of people will eat up your bandwidth. Most hosting comes with a certain amount of bandwidth as part of the price, but you need to check the prices in case you go over your limit.
Unless you start getting a lot of visitors, this shouldnt be a big issue for now.
On a couple of your other questions -- You'll need permission if you want to use any images from another site (brand logos included). The exception to this is that some sites offer specifically copyright-free pictures (stock photos) if you want something more general.
To jump ahead to making money, in some cases you can solve two problems at once by finding a company you're interested in that has an affiliate program. If you're an affiliate, they'll almost certainly have images they'll not only let you use but want you to use on your site, and you can also make a commission on what your site visitors buy through your links. When you visit the websites of the companies you like, look for any links to a page about their affiliate or associate program - It's surprising how many companies have them.
In general, other sites will be only too happy to have you link to them and you don't need to ask permission. In fact, you'll probably want to try to find some other sites willing to link to yours, because it brings more visitors. This applies to linking to an entire site or an entire page in the site.
What you don't want to do is "hot link," which is linking to something (usually an image) on their site in order to have it visible on your own. This uses up the other site's bandwidth, so is decidedly poor netiquette. Some webmasters also have ingenious ways of feeding you something other than what you think you're getting, so instead of that great photo you wanted you end up with a sign that says something like, "This site is run by a bandwidth thief."
So, if you find a great photo on another site that you want to use, that's an occasion where you need to ask permission. If the owner of the other site gives you permission, you then want to copy the image to your own hard drive and post it on your site from there. -- Don't just link to it on their site, because of the bandwidth issue. Of course, put a credit telling where the photo is from and, if possible, add a link to that site. In fact, if you offer a return link when you ask permission, you're sometimes more likely to get an okay, especially if the other site is on the small side and wants to find more visitors.
----In saying all this, I realize that an awful lot of websites simply rip off other sites' images, articles, and everything else without asking -- and a lot of them get away with it. But that's violation of copyright law and if you operate above-board you'll have fewer worries.
