Website advice

Coeus

Hi all!

Could some tech-savie individuals give me two bits of website advice?

I wan't to build one or two new websites utilising some ideas I have had. I would like to generate some advertising income from them too

Could you advise:
i) The best method to obtain a domain?
ii) What design package to use?

Any input would be greatly appreciated,
Coeus.

iMayne

Coeus wrote: »

Hi all!

Could some tech-savie individuals give me two bits of website advice?

Make sure customers / viewers know about it: Advetising.

Could you advise:
i) The best method to obtain a domain?
ii) What design package to use?

1: Not keen on that question. But if you seek good hosting providers, you can look at 1and1 or 123-Reg.

2: If you are a professional, go with DreamWeaver. If you are not, why not go with wordpress? It's easier and fun.

Regards.

buglawton

If you'd like to dabble with site design then try Moonfruit (very much for the non-techs), it got a mention in yesterday's BBC Click! program on TV. You can still catch that episode on iPlayer, its near the end of the prog.

http://www.moonfruit.com/accolades.html

Apparently it automatically does your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for you, helping your site to be found. Not sure how you would 'port' your design onto your own domain, but at least you could get some basic sites in in a few hours for free (I think there's a 15 MB limit per account- reasonable so long as your images are web-optimised as you upload them).

iMayne

buglawton wrote: »

If you'd like to dabble with site design then try Moonfruit...

...Apparently it automatically does your SEO..

But what about direct contact? In the event something went wrong, the customer would like to speak to a tech person. Does MoonFruit has a support telephone number?

buglawton

I think it will be so easy to use that he only support you would need is from your kids if they are 10+ years old. There is also no doubt a friendly Moonfruit forum to ask questions on & get advice. For free, I am not sure if phone support would be offered.

Moonfruit is a way to dabble with your design and proof of concept. But the time this thread has grown with another 5 posts you could probably have 2 sites up & running.

I suggest watch Click! then decide.

PS here is a typical example site:
http://allertoncourthotel.moonfruit.com/

Note that this example are hosted under Moonfruit's domain, I think the stricky part might happen when you later want to place your sites under your own domain name. Moofruit then offers you a bigger package with hosting and domain name included for £50 per year. But if you have already built up a Google rank within Moonfruit, you might suffer a dip in traffic while Google gets used to your new domain name.

iMayne

... if they are 10+ years old.

LOL im 20+. I just got it, MoonFruit is a software company not a hosting company :eek:
Never read your post correctly, my brain is moving faster than my eyes in the early morning lol. But yeah, MoonFruit is ok.

buglawton

Err.. Moonfruit does offer integrated hosting, their online site builder is no doubt based on their many years or so in the site creation software business. Looks like you need to have kids & wait 10 years...

Edit: Just saw an example of a Moonfruit site on it's own domain name
http://www.louiseredknapp.net/
this one is slightly more er, colourful.

Coeus

Wow that was very quick! God I love the digital age.

I'm leaning towards using Dreamweaver as I did a module on it in University so i should be able to pick it up rather quickly. Glad to see it was listed on the first response!

Any further input on i) The best method to obtain a domain?

Don't know what it is lately but got a very strong urge to learn and create. So I thought why not make some money off it too?

iMayne

...Any further input on i) The best method to obtain a domain?

First think about the name of your website. Make sure it's not taking by other businesses, active or dormant. Make sure the website name describes what you are offering or doing.

Domain names are easily to get. They are priced per year. 123-reg.co.uk has good rates, check them out.

:cool:

buglawton

Aha OP, you now reveal yourself as quite a tech savvy person! Well I use Mydomian (American) 'cos they are cheap and simple and their renewal fees every few years are also reasonable. My previous research showed that using a UK registrar like 123 for the same domain name would cost double.

iMayne

My previous research showed that using a UK registrar like 123 for the same domain name would cost double.

Is it because that cost is in US currency so the conversion would be from UK to US?