Armed Polite Society

Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: BridgeRunner on May 20, 2010, 09:44:06 AM

Title: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: BridgeRunner on May 20, 2010, 09:44:06 AM: I am having issues getting my business website created. I do not have skills in this area. A friend of mine insists that I can just do my own, using template software that my hosting company will provide. It is my understanding that that stopped working well in about 1998. Gotta say that I am leaning towards trying it (can't get access, of course, to try it out until I sign up with a hosting company). Used to be there were dozens of random site builders available free all over the place. That does not appear to be the case anymore?

So, I worked my way through the pricy companies ($3000 for a single page, with no special features or functions at all), the random guys in Mumbai claiming to be local, the guys who can't spell and couldn't spot a visually appealing webpage if it bit them in the eyeballs, and I found a guy who is actually local, who is not obscenely expensive, and whose work looks ok. Just ok, not fabulous, but ok.

He has been insistent that he does "his" hosting with 1&1 hosting. Apparently, they suck. I am not interesting in hosting my site with a company like that. I would prefer to use Liquidweb, which seems considerably less sucky, is local, and just has a less fly-by-night feel overall. Why the heck does everyone I talk to about this project tell me what company they use for hosting? Seems to me if I pay someone several hundred bucks to build a site for me, I should get to state where it will be hosted.

Are my expectations unrealistic here? I'm ready to tell the guy that I host with Liquidweb or the deal is off, but if I'm not going to find someone at all who is willing to host where I want to host, then I need to have a backup plan before I kill the current deal.

So, please tell me about this business. What am I doing wrong, how much should I be spending on this project (five or so pages, contact forms, etc.)? And finally, anyone have anyone to recommend? I am really not happy with anyone I've found.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: charby on May 20, 2010, 10:18:43 AM: When I did it I charged $500 for a site with 10 hours of work included and $50 an hour afterwards.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: AZRedhawk44 on May 20, 2010, 10:29:01 AM: Get the site constructed and delivered to you as a set of files. The developer should tell you if it is designed for Microsoft IIS or for Apache, and then take it to whatever hosting provider you prefer.

Anyone that won't do that is in bed with the hosting company.

What are you looking for, specifically, for your web site? Informative only? Contact submission page? Client accessible intranet for secure documents?
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Nick1911 on May 20, 2010, 10:33:54 AM: ^^^ agree.

A website can be delivered as a zip file or on a cd-rom. Where you put said files is up to you.

You will need to make sure that if any server side scripting is used (as often is for a contact page), the language it's written in is something that can be run on your hosts machines. (IE: PHP, JSP, ASP)

geovario.com is who hosts APS, THR, and Calguns. They might be able to hook you up with a good deal.

dreamhost is a host that several of my friends use.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Bogie on May 20, 2010, 10:46:01 AM: Darlin', how can I help you?

I'm not a "coder," but I'm a heck of a modder... and I know my way around the graphics crap...

Did extensive stuff with www.woundcareconference.com (zen cart ecommerce package), and I'm trying to get a coupla other things going.

I'm serious. I could use a few shekels, and you could use a break...
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Bogie on May 20, 2010, 10:47:04 AM: What's your domain anyway?
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: BrokenPaw on May 20, 2010, 10:47:19 AM: I host (and write) my own websites, as a way of sidestepping most of these issues, but I will say this: a site that is made using a template or automatic page generator....looks like a site that was generated with a template or automatic page generator.

Depending upon how dynamic the info is on the site you want (how often you want to be able to update content, and so forth), a basic site like you describe is relatively straightforward. I do all of my sites with a PHP/MySQL back-end, and HTML/Dojo on the front. Using MySQL on the back allows pages to be updated in a trivially-easy way; you just add new info to the DB, and it appears on the next page refresh.

Most hosting providers will give you the option of including database service (and it's usually MySQL unless you're going for very high-end service).

I'd be willing to talk to you about creating a site for you. PM me if you'd like to talk, I can send you URLs of sites I've created. I can also either host for you on my own server for a nominal rate, or bundle up whatever it is that I create for you and you can plunk it on whatever hosting server you want (or I can help with that setup, too).

(Not trying to undercut Bogie; if he can do what you want, go with him -- I was writing this before he posted)

-BP
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: zahc on May 20, 2010, 10:53:39 AM: I'm a big fan of Dreamhost fwiw.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: BridgeRunner on May 20, 2010, 10:57:14 AM: Quote from: Bogie on May 20, 2010, 10:47:04 AM
What's your domain anyway?

Don't have one yet :/

Really, I am pretty much a complete moron with the web stuff. The most advanced I ever got was figuring out how to use Geocities and a dozen or so html tags. In 1998.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Harold Tuttle on May 20, 2010, 11:33:06 AM: network solutions has a nice template system that will get you online 24/7 ASAP

sure a custom website looks awesome, but thats a 10K job for serious work.

http://www.networksolutions.com/web-hosting/package-comparison.jsp
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Bogie on May 20, 2010, 11:46:02 AM: How many "pages" are you thinking of, anyway?

You want your home page, you want a "about me/contact me" page, etc... You probably want a page for each thing you do, descriptions of how it's done, reasons why they need to call you, etc...

Do you have your own LLC or anything like that yet?
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Monkeyleg on May 20, 2010, 05:59:30 PM: I've been with hosting.com for a couple of years now, and I'm extremely happy. I can talk to someone in tech support at 3 am if I need to (not that I need to).

There's already people here who have offered their help. I'm no designer, but I know one who would do a good job aesthetically and technically for a few hundred dollars.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Harold Tuttle on May 20, 2010, 10:28:25 PM: I HAVE FOUND THE BEST DESIGNER FOR YOU:
http://yvettesbridalformal.com/
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Regolith on May 20, 2010, 10:33:30 PM: Quote from: Harold Tuttle on May 20, 2010, 10:28:25 PM
I HAVE FOUND THE BEST DESIGNER FOR YOU:
http://yvettesbridalformal.com/

[barf]
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: sanglant on May 20, 2010, 10:49:01 PM: Quote from: Harold Tuttle on May 20, 2010, 10:28:25 PM
I HAVE FOUND THE BEST DESIGNER FOR YOU:
http://yvettesbridalformal.com/
holy web design from '92, batman.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Regolith on May 20, 2010, 10:52:10 PM: Quote from: sanglant on May 20, 2010, 10:49:01 PM
holy web design from '92, batman.

I don't think you can accurately call it design. It's more like someone vomited code into a .html file and then posted it...
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: BridgeRunner on May 20, 2010, 10:53:50 PM: My spouse's response to that: "It's like Borat: The Webpage"
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Regolith on May 20, 2010, 10:58:47 PM: Quote from: BridgeWalker on May 20, 2010, 10:53:50 PM
My spouse's response to that: "It's like Borat: The Webpage"

:lol:
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Bogie on May 20, 2010, 11:34:35 PM: omfg...

Looking at the rogu... er... photo gallery, I suspect that the sentence she uses most is "Yeah, honey, I know you're an A cup... But it's your wedding - you're supposed to have great boobies."
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Perd Hapley on May 21, 2010, 12:05:00 AM: Quote from: Harold Tuttle on May 20, 2010, 10:28:25 PM
I HAVE FOUND THE BEST DESIGNER FOR YOU:
http://yvettesbridalformal.com/

FUNNIEST THING I HAVE SEEN ALL DAY!! THANK YOU!!
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Harold Tuttle on May 21, 2010, 12:13:49 AM: MS paint GPS FTW
http://www.yvettesbridalformal.com/Yvettes_New_Location1.html
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Regolith on May 21, 2010, 12:16:31 AM: That site has got to be a parody or something. It's just too crappy to NOT be one. It's like "outsider art" for web design.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas on May 21, 2010, 10:39:35 AM: It's missing the blink tags.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: Marnoot on May 21, 2010, 10:48:53 AM: Quote from: Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas on May 21, 2010, 10:39:35 AM
It's missing the blink tags.

I don't think most modern browsers support the blink tag anymore.
Title: Re: 'Splain me please...website builders/developers questions
Post by: sanglant on May 21, 2010, 11:36:57 AM: firefox does, ie doesn't. all i know. =) oh and you can disable it in FF