Web Builders

[woz1]

Hello.

I am a photographer who would like to set up a web site to showcase my work and generate more business. my problem is i dont know where to start. There seem to be many sites offering free templates, Templates i understand but the rest, domain names and so on are beyond me.

So could you advise me on my next step towards my own web site. what should i be looking for and could you recommend a decent, err, well , site provider.

Regards.

Warren

[Goku]

Hello Warren. Setting up a site is a fairly hectic process that I have quite never managed to understand. I will however try to explain as much as I do and keep it as simple as possible.

 

The first step to setting up a site is registering a domain. This is basically the web address of the site that you will want to appear in the URL. For example, the domain for this site is freepchelp. The end suffixes such as .com or .co.uk can also be modified at additional cost as, I understand it.

 

After you register the domain, you will be provided with a login ID for the administrative control panel of your site. Here you can upload the templates you found on the web, and set and modify various parameters of your site. You also determine the outlook and content of the site here. After you have configured and saved the settings to your satisfaction, you start advertising it and promote it to get more and more hits.

 

However, this is only the basic of setting up a site. Other complex features and limitations enter the picture once you decide your web host. As I said, I have little knowledge about the subject so it might be best to wait until the other experts chip in with their expert advice.

 

Hope that helps. :)

 

-- Goku

[chiaz]

There are two things you need to set up a website: domain name and web hosting.

The latter is of higher priority.

 

You need to get a web host. There are many available, do some research on Google and check out reviews on these web hosting providers before making any form of financial commitment. Also there are different packages available and the cost varies according to the type of package that you choose to take up. Of course, there are some providers that offer 'free hosting', but be aware there are various limitations, such as not allowing scripts, file size limitations, etc.

 

Usually once you sign up for your web host, they will offer you a free sub-domain. This means that if the domain provider is xxx.com, they may provide you with a domain name such as yourdomainname.xxx.com, or xxx.com/yourdomainname.

 

However, this may not fit your needs as it may be deemed as less than professional. Hence you may want to get your own .com (or .net, .info, .org, etc) domain. This usually costs around USD$10. I use NameCheap as my domain name provider, others may have other opinions.

 

There is a wealth of information out there on starting your own website, so Warren you will need to look and read up on this. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask as we are here to help. :)

[woz1]

Ok some of the fog is beginning to clear now guys thanks.

[reign]

You can start by choosing a domain name and i highly recomend to buy one from name.com they offer free 'private whois'(when you register a domain name without private whois all of your personal details are displayed on the web) and they are quite cheap

[Plastic Nev]

There are also several hosting sites that give plenty of help in setting up a website and at reasonable cost.

The brass band I am involved with uses a company calling themselves "Mr Site" have a look here-

Mr Site - Make a website - website builder - Create a website

 

And here is the band website as an example of what you can do-

DARWEN BRASS - Home

 

There are other website builder companies like this for folk like yourself who want want a website with little fuss.

Nev.

[Darkie]

I think the best way for you is looking for an online website builder. Most of them are small business oriented and quite affordable. You do not have to worry about things like looking for site hosting and registering a domain name - they usually do everything for you. Besides, some of them not only offer you a number of pre-made design templates, but also allow you to edit any selected template the way you like it. You don't have to know any programming stuff, because the building tools are mostly visual, but, if you have any expertise in html/CSS, you get access to the source code and may implement changes there. Search the web for independent reviews, try different site builders and then you'll be able to pick the one which provides the best value for money. I can recommend some of them: Site123, Yola, EasySpace... You can see more reviews here.