After creating files you plan on using as your includes, you'll need to open your web pages and insert a line of code where you want SSI information to show up in your documents.

The code looks like this:

If your includes are located at root level on your web server your path would look like this: That's it. Pretty simple, really. After you get hang of it you'll wish you would have learned about them years ago. They really do make global updating a snap.

Here are a couple of good sites to learn more about SSI:

Big Nose Bird- http://www.bignosebird.com/ssi.shtml

CGI Resource- http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Documentation/Server_Side_Includes/

New Breed Software http://www.sonic.net/~nbs/unix/www/ssi/

Web Reference http://www.webreference.com/programming/ssi/intro/

Before you start implementing SSI you need to ask your web host if they support them (most do), and also if they will need to be named with any special extensions. Some servers may require you to give them specific extensions like .asp (if it's NT) or .shtml (for many Unix servers). Although majority won't, it's always better to ask first. Better safe then sorry.

By designing your website with server side includes you'll save yourself a ton of headaches when it comes time to updating your site. SSI is a Webmaster's best friend, so I suggest you spend some time getting acquainted.

Lets say you are at:

http://www.somevendor.com/product.html

Well then, stick your cursor in address bar of your browser, use backspace/erase key to wipe out product.html bit so all you have left in there is:

http://www.somevendor.com

Then click GO. Betcha you'll find something which says *contact* or *email us* or *customer service* even that leads you to information you want and a means to contact RIGHT people with your question or query.

It should be obvious that you'll get a faster and better answer if you'll just take 30 seconds to help yourself.

If you are a merchant, you would do well to review your site and ensure that there is contact information, or at very least a link to a page where it is displayed, from EVERY page of your site. Make life dead simple for your customer.

If you operate an affiliate scheme, any number of people could be advertising for you. You will not necessarily know where and when. Likewise, those affiliates cannot know how to answer questions about your ordering process, so don't require them to by hiding your contact information, such that customers write to affiliate advertiser instead.

If you are affiliate, you need to LOOK closely at site you are advertising. Yet another reason why you should be a customer before you promote something. What do you look like when your referrals suffer problems?

If you are doing business online, then likely you'll fall into all categories of seller, advertiser and buyer. If you get poor quality answers -- and thus PERCEIVED poor quality service -- because you ask poor quality questions or pose your questions to wrong people, this does nothing for anyone's credibility. Least of all your own!

How daft would that newspaper editor think you are, if you ring him at 10.30 p.m. to ask where your pizza is?