Setting up a website for business

Izzyb_2

Hello,
I was wondering if you could help me.
I am wanting to start up a business, I want to set-up a website that customers can also buy my products online.
Does anyone know the best place to start. Any recommendations for website design / hosting?
Any other tips on starting up welcome and a big help!
Thanks.

Premier_2

Izzyb wrote: »

...Does anyone know the best place to start. ...

Ebay?

At least it's already got the traffic

paddyrg

Get a logo sorted first, then look at a ready made shop package like the ones from easily.co.uk, very simple to administer and you can do it yourself. If you want more control, then look at some serious investment in someone who knows what they're doing who can get things moving for you!

newbie2011

Where do people suggest for a logo to be designed?

big_Daddy_Dave

You need to spend abit on this, speaking as a consumer, any website I see that is not up to scratch makes me think the services/goods offered by the company are cheap, not bargain cheap, useless cheap.

as stated design a logo aswell, try and make it look premium, even if a site doesnt do much but looks good it gets points from me

hope that helps

MAEM

Hi I needed a logo and website designed and posted it on peopleperhour, a freelance website where different companies bid for the work, you can look at their feedback portfolio and their own websites to decide. I've had mine designed for a fraction of the price anyone else has been charging. It doesn't cost you anything to post a job.

Alternatively I see someone else on this forum is starting up a website business, perhaps you could try them?

alien1234

There are quite cheap solution available. Some companies offer templates for online shops. Hm...You need to first decide what market you do, if its low price strategies, than using these templates would be ideal. However, if you are looking for sleek design for high values items, you will require a programmer to write the back end programme for you and a web designer to design the layout for the front end. A very good programmer normally does not have a sense of design and a good designer do not know how to create an online shop. It is a struggling point and cost quite a bit.

JuniorDesigner

There are also some good really easy to use DIY websites, weebly dot com is one I currently use for my online portfolio, you can add products to pages that people can purchase items from and you can also buy a domain from the site also which takes all the weebly marketing off of the page as if you've made it yourself!

paddyrg

I would say if you are starting out, and have 1-2 products, use ebay - maintaining a bad online shop is worse than none at all. If you are non-technical, do you really want to get help when you change a price or the VAT rate changes?

RuthnJasper

I built and ran a website for an am-dram society I was in using "Mr. Site" - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mr-Site-PC-Mac/dp/B000I59YJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304544102&sr=8-1 I think you can use it to set up a facility to take payments. It's pretty user-friendly.

Also - for logo/design - have you thought about approaching students from a local art college/university? They may be glad of credible work to be able to include in a CV for future prospective employers.

Good luck to you. xx

bilko1234

look at zen cart or similiar (google it)
then hosting and domain from someone like croxhall.com.
you can get templates for zen and the other like that for only a few quid or have one made for you again for around £100.
start small and build up a presence,