How do I start a website??

lauren2007

Hi
My hubby is in the process of starting his own driving school and wants a website set up.
i have some basic technical knowledge so I think if someone could tell me where to start I might be able to do it myself rather than pay someone for the privilege.
It will be a basic 'brochure-style' website with prices, contact details etc, maybe 5 or 6 pages at the most.

I need to know: what do I do first?? :think:

If anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it.

Many Thanks in Advance

Lauren

M4RKM

well.. in my opinion, you need to learn HTML & CSS

then you will understand how websites are made, and realise how time consuming they are.

Paying someone £250 for a basic website, will be a much easier, painless idea, and you'll get a professional looking website in a matter of a few weeks...

other people posting after you, will probably recommend software to make your own etc... i however, am a huge fan of hand coding, so then you understand things

M

Dime_Bar

I would imagine that with you just starting a business £250 will be alot of money, so I would recommend using a CMS (Content Management System) to design your site. There are loads of different ones out there and it all depends on what you want and what your capabilities are.

Most of them require a database so make sure your hosting includes at least one.

To find the best suited for you have a look on Open Source CMS which also lets you try some on thier site

timbim_2

Take a look at Serif Webplus SE at https://www.freeserifsoftware.com, brilliant stuff. For only £10, you can upgrade it to the better version!

bingo_bango

I would second MarkyMoo...best way to learn is to dive in and make mistakes.

The W3 School site is great for learning code, so that'll be your first port of call.

You need something to help though, so I'd suggest Alleycode (free text editor) to get you at least in the right place.

For help with layout and design, then get over to OSWD. They have a huge amount of free templates you can use. Just download the files, and then you can use Alleycode to tinker with them and change the content to suit.

Until you have the site built, there is no point in looking at hosting. You will need to buy a domain name though, and no harm in looking now. As it's a UK business, don't feel you need to get .com....it'll just confuse American surfers. You'd be amazed how much American traffic you get on a .com domain in the UK :rolleyes:

For hosting, something around £25 - 30 per year will be the biggest expense you have. This should give you all the flexibility and functionality you need.

If you're stuck, there are loads of forums full of people who will help for free. Lots of advice on coding, SEO help and lots more.

HTH

Marty_J

You could give Google Sites a try:

http://sites.google.com/

heggied

I'd agree with those who suggested learning HTML/CSS. You could do an awful lot worse than working your way through the new Opera Web Standards Curriculum online for free @ http://www.opera.com/wsc/

Also - I work full time as a web developer - feel free to PM me if you've any questions. I'm not touting for business as we don't do the type of site you're after, but I'd be happy to offer any advice I can.

[Deleted User]

Buy a book on HTML and buy a template off the internet to use on some hosting

samhale

Use https://www.tfcph.com for your free hosting, all mine are through there.
.co.uk domains cost £5 for 2 years.

wallbash

All the above are correct

But if you JUST want to have a few pages on the web , showing prices
area , some nice pictures . Recomandations etc
I would use freewebs . No money , No learning code . But would do the job.
Cant post a link

but if you start with the 3 w's dot freewebs dot com :rotfl:

bobbyforeman

I can recommend Serif Webplus as it is very easy to use. I started my own site with Webplus 9 in back in 2006 and have upgraded to Webplus 10 and recently Webplus X2. Older versions are available for free download from Serif . Serifwebresources also provide free E-commerce resources such as booking forms. It's useful if you have an eye for design/art work but don't worry if you haven't as Webplus comes with a suite of templates that you can use. Shouldn't take more than a couple of evenings to put together your first site.

You don't need to know anything about CSS, HTML or Java as Webplus does all that for you. To get you started, don't worry about buying hosting. If your site only comprises a few pages, you may be able to host it for free if your ISP offers free webspace. You just tell Webplus what the free webspace FTP login is and Webplus will convert your work to HTML pages and upload it for you.

The free webspace offered by your ISP may not have a URL which is suitable for a business. Bravenet.com offer free Re-directors along the lines on http://takeme.to/yourdrivingschool or for a small outlay, you could buy a Domain name only which re-directs clients to your site hosted on your ISPs free webspace. I have used 1&1 and EUKhosting and both are good.

If you are happy with your results, you could consider a hosting package in the future and move your website.