How do I do a website?

MKwife

My dad has a small business and has finally decided to join the 21st century and have a website!

How would we get a website?? Dont' really want to pay anyone if we can do it ourselves but do not have a clue how to do one.

Can anybody help me please?

aardvarkuk

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=how+to+make+a+website&meta=

Halloway

There are three things you have to consider: the 'What' and the 'Where'. There's also the website URL to think about.

The 'What' is the content, what the page looks, what information it contains and whether the customer can do anything else, e.g. online ordering. At its most basic this is written in a simple language called HTML. Depending on the functionality of the website this can get very complex, but a simple website can be done in HTML.

The 'Where' is who is going to host your website. These days most people get a third-party company to host the website. They basically hold the content on their servers so that people can access it from the Internet. If you have broadband internet (e.g. ADSL, Cable) then it is possible that the company which provides that for you will provide some free space to host a basic website.

The other thing you should think about is the website name which is generally known as a domain name but often referred to as a URL when used in a browser. The domain name for this website is moneysavingexpert.com. The people who manage this website will have purchased the right to use that name for a set period of time. Your website should have a name which is similar to the business name, e.g. mkwife.co.uk . Have a look at https://www.freeparking.co.uk which is the domain reseller I use - there should be some information to get you started and I think if you buy the name from them they will provide a small amount of free webspace to get you started.

You can get various levels of assistance with all this, from companies who will sell you templates which you can modify, to companies who will do the whole lot for you. The best way to find them is to ask around locally, particularly if you don't want to spend too much. If you have no webpage writing skill then it's probably best to go down that route, even if it costs a bit, because there is nothing worse than a badly-produced website, which to be frank, a lot of home-made websites are.

chuckley

the search engine is ur friend....

save-a-lot

Hi

Get hosting that includes Fantastico as part of the cPanel (control panel of your hosting account). All this is a series of scripts that you can choose to auto-install which is very easy.

With my hosting company I have used some of the content management systems that are bundled with the hosting package. Well worth looking into, as you get great functionality very easily. For example, the page contents are maintained via an admin area and updating the site is not that much different to typing here in a forum.

I use https://www.fuzioned.com and their packages and support are fantastic.

HTH

lushlady

this came through my emails today - looks like a good opportunity

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/officelive/default.aspx

Start doing business online - Free

Microsoft Office Live

wakandem

Get an idea on paper how you want it to look & the text more or less worked out. Also if there are prouducts you need to sell or sevices then you will need pictures for the site, prepare them.
The more yo8u have prepared the easier it will be for someone or yourself to make it into the website you want.

Blacksheep1979

If you don't have a clue and it will be important to the business then DO pay for it as otherwise it'll look like it's been done by a drunk child - not something that's going to help the business.

save-a-lot

Hi

If it is something requires a simple design and no branding then try www.oswd.org for a free CSS website template. The link is to Open Source Web Design, a totally free resource. Also, if you do require modifications to these templates then give me a shout, I'll give you a hand free-of-charge - I am a hobbiest website owner and the opportunity to help would be a pleasure. PM me if interested.

[Deleted User]

If your father needs any advice, take this; if you do it yourself, it will look home-made.
If you use a template, it will look like you've used one

If you pay someone, it will look like your father cares about investing in his business. Tell him the cost of a website is approximately the same as an advert in a small magazine.. but your website will last a lot longer.

Hosting - don't pay a lot - you can get 100mb (plenty) for £35 a year and domain names shouldn't cost more than £10 a year (or every other year). Personally I use netweaver.co.uk

To be honest, sites don't cost that much anymore. You can get something decent made up for under £500

save-a-lot

MKwife wrote: »

My dad has a small business and has finally decided to join the 21st century and have a website!

How would we get a website?? Dont' really want to pay anyone if we can do it ourselves but do not have a clue how to do one.

Can anybody help me please?

MKwife - could you give more information please on what the business is etc, and purpose of the website. That would help greatly.