web site start up

[jimmykx250]

Looking for some input on starting up a website. Not sure where to start looking and im definately going to use someone through a reference. Im not sure what this is going to cost me? Just looking for some ballpark numbers- I know it like a car how many bells and whistles do you want. Im just looking for a ballpark. Ant help out there? Thanks guys.

[Vic]

Looking for some input on starting up a website. Not sure where to start looking and im definately going to use someone through a reference. Im not sure what this is going to cost me? Just looking for some ballpark numbers- I know it like a car how many bells and whistles do you want. Im just looking for a ballpark. Ant help out there? Thanks guys.

I got mine domain from GoDaddy.com. So far, it's just reserved for when I go pay someone to design my sight. I'm pretty geeky, but I want someone who does it professionally and has some great references. There is a wealth of talent within the community, btw.

[Bobby Slack]

Hey Vic. My web designer is www.shalat.com he understands ... comes from a family of designers and architects, he knows how to write and draw.

A lot of these designers all they do is copy and paste.

My website was crude and fast you should go see his work.

Good luck.

I got mine domain from GoDaddy.com. So far, it's just reserved for when I go pay someone to design my sight. I'm pretty geeky, but I want someone who does it professionally and has some great references. There is a wealth of talent within the community, btw.

[Vic]

Hey Vic. My web designer is www.shalat.com he understands ... comes from a family of designers and architects, he knows how to write and draw.

A lot of these designers all they do is copy and paste.

My website was crude and fast you should go see his work.

Good luck.

Thanks Bobby, but I have at least a couple more years before I activate my site. I need a portfolio first.

[nicolespag]

Hey Jimmy,

This question really depends on what you are looking to do with your website. And since you didn't say that in your initial post it's hard to give you specifics. To be honest it could cost you nothing to anywhere up to $100 a month depending on bandwidth usage and hosting. Since your just getting started your going to be on that low end but you need to decide what your goal is of the site. Is it just to promote your business? Is it to sell directly? Are you creating videos and multimedia? With all that being said my favorite website platform is Wordpress. Most will tell you that Wordpress only a blogging platform but I totally disagree. You have the ability with Wordpress to create a static front page and multiple pages and build out a nice simple site with little to no effort (not to mention coding skill) Here is an example of a site I helped my friend build using Wordpress http://fprmusic.com/. You'll notice there is no "blog" on the site however the framework for a blog is in the software that if he ever decides he wants to start blogging he could easily add that as a tab in the navigation. Wordpress also has a ton of free plugins and themes that can skin your site however you want. If your interested in trying out the software you can go to http://wordpress.com and create a free website. There are limitations to using wordpress.com (limited themes and ownership) but it will at least let you test drive the administration back end of the software. If you decide you want to use it for your website then I would suggest buying a domain and hosting package with a hosting provider that offers installation of Wordpress. You want a one click install to simply things. I recommend either Go Daddy or Gater Host.

You'll also want to do a bit of homework on the software. Here is a great place to start http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page

Hope this gets you started.

Nicole

[jimmykx250]

Hey Jimmy,

This question really depends on what you are looking to do with your website. And since you didn't say that in your initial post it's hard to give you specifics. To be honest it could cost you nothing to anywhere up to $100 a month depending on bandwidth usage and hosting. Since your just getting started your going to be on that low end but you need to decide what your goal is of the site. Is it just to promote your business? Is it to sell directly? Are you creating videos and multimedia? With all that being said my favorite website platform is Wordpress. Most will tell you that Wordpress only a blogging platform but I totally disagree. You have the ability with Wordpress to create a static front page and multiple pages and build out a nice simple site with little to no effort (not to mention coding skill) Here is an example of a site I helped my friend build using Wordpress http://fprmusic.com/. You'll notice there is no "blog" on the site however the framework for a blog is in the software that if he ever decides he wants to start blogging he could easily add that as a tab in the navigation. Wordpress also has a ton of free plugins and themes that can skin your site however you want. If your interested in trying out the software you can go to http://wordpress.com and create a free website. There are limitations to using wordpress.com (limited themes and ownership) but it will at least let you test drive the administration back end of the software. If you decide you want to use it for your website then I would suggest buying a domain and hosting package with a hosting provider that offers installation of Wordpress. You want a one click install to simply things. I recommend either Go Daddy or Gater Host.

You'll also want to do a bit of homework on the software. Here is a great place to start http://codex.wordpress.org/Main_Page

Hope this gets you started.

Nicole

Thanks for all the information Nicole. Not sure exactly what im looking to do with the site other than a contact link and a gallery of my work to show any possible clients. There are quite a few things I need to consider. Wordpress certainly seems to have a pretty straight foreward approach to it all which i like. Thanks again!

[adamking]

Hey Jimmy,

Nicole is right. Wordpress.org is your best bet. If you sign up for a hosting account with HostGator or Bluehost, you get a free domain name. Then, you can drop Wordpress on there with a touch of a button. Honestly, I'd avoid GoDaddy cause their service is not so good. IMHO

A site is a great chance to build awareness to your work, but you can also sell your work, run a blog for your customers, and also use SEO to attract the right kind of traffic. It's a must for anyone wanting to even see about making a small side income from their passion for woodworking.

Any other questions, just hollar.

[bois]

I wish I'd read Nicole's post about three years ago. A woodworking site typically isn't very complicated in terms of functionality, but needs to have contact info, a message from the craftsman, and of course a gallery. You might also want to consider elements to help improve SEO (decide early on what search phrases you want to optimize for). In any case, these are all easily achieved on a basic platform like Wordpress. I had my wife (a web developer) build my site for me, but since I am not technical any time I want to change anything, however minor, I need to beg and plead my wife to make the changes. My blog site is build on google blogger, and I love that I have complete control over everything and can manage it quite easily without knowing how to even spell HTML. One other recommendation is to use an external repository for your gallery content (such as Jalbum). You may need to syndicate your gallery or photos from your gallery in multiple places, so having it centralized can save you a lot of duplicate work.

[Synon]

Jimmy, sounds like you want to keep your website simple and easy to use (which is good!).

As far as numbers go, the cost of a domain and hosting is pretty cheap.

You are looking at around $10 a year for a domain.

Start your hosting off with a very small package, anywhere from $5-10 a month for a basic package should be adaquate to start off. If you find you are getting a LOT of traffic, then you can change your plan.

I would highly recommend GoDaddy, I've always received great service whenever I've had a problem. I've had them host dozens of different domains and hosting packages for me or my clients.

Now... the potentially expensive part is actually designing the site itself. Using a sytem like wordpress allows you to do it cheaply and create a simple site yourself, but you are forced to use their templates and not everyone wants a blog style website (it's depends on what you want).

A simple site with just a gallery and contact info should cost between $100-$500 (or more if you want more bells and whistles)

Here is a site with exactly that, just galleries and contact info that I did for a friend of mine: http://brophotography.com

[dvoigt]

I did mine through Microsoft Office Live. I just pay for the annual web name: http://handmadewoodgifts.com and nothing else. I created the site myself, it is pretty user friendly and you don't need to know any html coding for the web pages. If just takes time to create it all.

I was initially wanting to sell things direction from my site... but that has slowing changed into just being a place to showcase the different things that i can make. One day when I'm a household name (ha!) maybe I'll sell just on my own site.

D

[jowens]

Hi, I'd echo Nicole's comments, and I'd also stay away from GoDaddy for several reasons. Dreamhost is fairly decent and has a nice simple Wordpress setup. But, teh suck is that you're still doing the care, feeding, design, and security yourself until you hire someone for that. One option might be squarespace.com. It's inexpensive, reliable, more user friendly, and combines hosting, the content management, and more. I use Wordpress but I don't mind doing the coding and care and feeding on it. With squarespace you could start on your own, have a pretty decent site, and always have a designer do more if you wanted later. Plus someone else worries about the technical stuff. There's a free demo you get for 15 days. Hope this helps,

Jason

[PaulMarcel]

Why GoDaddy got rated as the best place to work in Arizona is beyond me. Even without considering its web product, I despise how they treat people on so many levels. I interviewed there and at the end of the interview told them I wasn't interested. I wonder if the horse blinders are standard issue or if they are supposed to buy that, too.

[mikem]

I will second the recommendation for Hostgator. I have gone through quiet a few hosting services, and they have proven to be the best for shared hosting.

[protectedvoid]

I wish I'd read Nicole's post about three years ago. A woodworking site typically isn't very complicated in terms of functionality, but needs to have contact info, a message from the craftsman, and of course a gallery. You might also want to consider elements to help improve SEO (decide early on what search phrases you want to optimize for). In any case, these are all easily achieved on a basic platform like Wordpress. I had my wife (a web developer) build my site for me, but since I am not technical any time I want to change anything, however minor, I need to beg and plead my wife to make the changes. My blog site is build on google blogger, and I love that I have complete control over everything and can manage it quite easily without knowing how to even spell HTML. One other recommendation is to use an external repository for your gallery content (such as Jalbum). You may need to syndicate your gallery or photos from your gallery in multiple places, so having it centralized can save you a lot of duplicate work.

Actually, the way things are going, old-style SEO may actually be disappearing. With Google's new "Instant" algorithms, it uses geo-location as part of the search parameters when returning search results. So, depending on where you are in the country can greatly influence which sites are displayed in your results.

Blogger isn't bad, and neither is wordpress. However, if you want a truly custom design, say like: Canvas Systems, Server Rentals, or Edible Accolades, these two platforms are going to limit you somewhat. You'd need someone well versed in templating these two platforms to give you a truly unique design. The links I've provided are to sites that I've designed for the company I work for (It's my day job). They are based on a separate platfrom called DotNetNuke, which runs on Microsoft's ASP.NET web architecture. While DotNetNuke is not my favorite development platform, it is reasonably easy for a complete novice to use to maintain their own content, forums, image galleries, slideshows, and the like.

[protectedvoid]

Why GoDaddy got rated as the best place to work in Arizona is beyond me. Even without considering its web product, I despise how they treat people on so many levels. I interviewed there and at the end of the interview told them I wasn't interested. I wonder if the horse blinders are standard issue or if they are supposed to buy that, too.

It all depends on which side of the "customer experience" you're own. If you're like me and own / manage several domains, I regularly have sales reps calling to kiss my a$$ and offering me discounts / freebies. Plus, after their most recent server upgrades, things do run a bit speedier than they did previously.

[protectedvoid]

Jimmy, sounds like you want to keep your website simple and easy to use (which is good!).

As far as numbers go, the cost of a domain and hosting is pretty cheap.

You are looking at around $10 a year for a domain.

Start your hosting off with a very small package, anywhere from $5-10 a month for a basic package should be adaquate to start off. If you find you are getting a LOT of traffic, then you can change your plan.

I would highly recommend GoDaddy, I've always received great service whenever I've had a problem. I've had them host dozens of different domains and hosting packages for me or my clients.

Now... the potentially expensive part is actually designing the site itself. Using a sytem like wordpress allows you to do it cheaply and create a simple site yourself, but you are forced to use their templates and not everyone wants a blog style website (it's depends on what you want).

A simple site with just a gallery and contact info should cost between $100-$500 (or more if you want more bells and whistles)

Here is a site with exactly that, just galleries and contact info that I did for a friend of mine: http://brophotography.com

I agree with the sentiment on domain pricing and basic hosting fees. However, I would be very wary of someone charging $100 - $500 for a simple site w/ a gallery. In my experience (I've been doing this professionally for 15 years), the only people that will even go near designing and implementing a site for that price are interns, or people doing it on the side, at night, to supplement their income. I charge anywhere from $300 to $1200 just for a logo, and I still come on the cheap side. A simple site with a completely custom design built on a CMS will routinely run between $1200 and $2500, depending on the system requirements and sophistication of the site goals.

I would caution that, when looking for someone to design and help you implement your site, think about the level of craftsmanship and time you put into your own work. When it comes to implementing a sound design and web strategy, you absolutely get what you pay for. It can take anywhere from 12 to 24 hours to nail down a solid strategy and finalize the design. At $20/hour, you're already up to (at worst case) $480. That's just the design, and that's just at $20/hour, which is about 1/5 of what the average pro shop charges per hour.

To get started, I would probably begin with either blogger or wordpress. Choose a theme that best suits your tastes (for now), get a gallery widget for your photos or something like SlideShowPro, and try that first. If you start getting enough traffic that you decide that you'd like to do more, perhaps a custom design, THEN, I would shell out some money to establish your brand identity and build a site using a custom design, possibly integrating an e-commerce application. There's no reason going all-in without really knowing where you are, or what kind of response you'll see. Likewise, I wouldn't spend $500 on something that I'm most likely going to be unhappy with. Just stick with the basic wordpress or blogger themes available for now, and see how things go after your site has been up a while.

By the way...I don't mean to sound like a pretentious ass or anything, but I have to deal with people every day who devalue the type of work I do. Web design and implementation is a constantly evolving field that requires constant learning of new technologies, while maintaining the knowledge you've already committed to memory for backwards compatibility. And, a true designer designs nothing by accident. There's a point, purpose, and science behind every design decision we make, and while aesthetics are what most people see (the "tangible" part of web design), there's a lot of thought, logical ordering, flow-charting, etc. that goes into the overall user experience behind the scenes, and it's this knowledge that determines how successful a site will or won't be.

[jimmykx250]

Thanks to you all on your replys. I do have quite a bit to consider. ProtectedVoid I understand where you are coming from. I do think a website is a representation of you and who you are so thats where I struggle on wanting to start with a lesser quality website. But i need to be real and deal with a budget as well. THanks again to all of you who granted the time to share your thoughts!

[jscott]

Check out www.squarespace.com

They have everything you need to build and host your site and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I'm in the process of building my site with them.

[iSawitFirst]

However, if you want a truly custom design, say like: Canvas Systems, Server Rentals, or Edible Accolades, these two platforms ....

Wow! Edible Accolades made me really hungry. Good job!

[jvt]

I'd highly recommend www.dreamhost.com - watch for their sales (every couple of days) and you can get hosting for a year for $10-$15 and often times a free domain name. I host about 10 different sites through them and have had no issues with stability or response time.