Build your own website?

[Wee Print]

Hi Everyone,

I currently use godaddy's website tonight to build my website. (weeprint.co.uk) as you can see its not the best, I had to use the avialable templates which aren't that great.
Does anyone know of any good website builders that are free or cheap. Or would I be better getting someone to do it all for me?:|
Any help is welcome

Thanks in advance
Jenny

 

[Faevilangel]

Honestly get someone to do it as they will be able to get your message across while using their experience to make it appealling and attract visitors.

These free website builders are great for getting a basic website up, but a lot of the time they are lacking in the basics to make your website great,

I have converted a couple of websites from the free website builders to a professional site and this is my ideal job as I have a stepping stone to base the website on, not design wise but content wise.

If you want to get a designer in to do the site, you need give the designer a few starting tips e.g. a few sites you like design wise, a few sites to competitors and know what you want your websites message to be.

If you want to do it yourself, then there are a few:

http://www.wix.com
http://www.110mb.com
http://www.webs.com

 

[Zeal]

I echo what Gareth has said.

But, a few other things:

• Don't use a free host / free builder - having unwanted adverts = Urg!
• Visitor counters should be bombed There's no real reason for them..

• New site - well I suggest Wordpress.. It's free, excellent to use. Loads of decent plug-ins.
Templates are free.. or very decent premium ones for £25. Or again, a custom design.

 

[Faevilangel]

I echo what Gareth has said.

But, a few other things:

• Don't use a free host / free builder - having unwanted adverts = Urg!
• Visitor counters should be bombed There's no real reason for them..

• New site - well I suggest Wordpress.. It's free, excellent to use. Loads of decent plug-ins.
Templates are free.. or very decent premium ones for £25. Or again, a custom design.

Flash based websites (wix) urghh
visitor counters = urgh, google analytics is sooooooo much better.

Wordpress rockssssssssssssssss, and 3.0 has made it so much better

 

[sanjiv]

I agree that really you should have it professionally designed however if you really can't afford it, it may be worth going for a website builder however from what I have seen, they aren't brilliant but there may be some good ones out there but I haven't really used any so can't say.

If you are interested, I am a web designer and could probably cut you a good deal.

 

[BDR_London]

Having a well designed website can do wonders for your business. As it will improve the first impression you give of your business. I like wordpress as its very easy to use and there are plenty of quality free templates and lots of support for newbies. When you have the budget to invest you can get a bespoke design any time.

 

[Wee Print]

Thank you so much everyone for your help. I'm going to have a look at wordpress but if that doesn't work out I will get someone to do it for me.

P.S My godaddy website drives me insane, it has a silly counter and it wont let me use google analityics or anything really. As soon as you try to add images it puts them all off centre or has a panic attack.

 

[Zeal]

Use wordpress.com for them to host you a site for free. Not for commercial use though.

However - a domain name = £6 for 2 years
hosting as little as £3.99 a month

Can't grumble at that if it's for your business. Least that way - you can install what ever you want on.. including wordpress.

 

[pcproblems]

Looks like the domain name is in your name which is a good thing..

I assume that godaddy doesn't allow you change the metatags as the title is set to Home and the description is home page

-------------------[snip]---------------------------
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
<title>Home</title>
<meta name="description" content="Home Page"/>
<meta name="keywords" content="business cards, flyers, posters,
leaflets, graphic design, printing local, clackmannanshire, menstrie,
labels, cheap, "/>
-------------------[snip]------------------------------
A friend has recently used a site called Yola for a template site and it worked out fairly ok.

 

[Dawg]

Looks like the domain name is in your name which is a good thing..

Am I the only one who sees an 800lb gorilla in the room? Do you really want to call your business that?

I know you are in Scotland, but still....

 

[pcproblems]

Am I the only one who sees an 800lb gorilla in the room? Do you really want to call your business that?

I know you are in Scotland, but still....

Good old school boy humour me thinks

 

[Wee Print]

My clients and I like my name, so im happy.
Just to let you know....I live in the
Wee County, which is Clackmannanshire so its personal to our county.
It is a play on the word 'we' and and it is also a Scottish word.
I think its straight to the point and lets people know exacually what I do.

 

[Wee Print]

I have tried downloading Wordpress but my computer doesn't like it (its quite old) so at the moment I am trying Yola. It has a better range of templates than godaddy so thats a good start.

 

[Zeal]

wee Print - I'll send you a demo link in a PM - you can mess around freely on it as you like Least then you can see if it's for you..

If you need assistance uploading / installing it - pm me.. free of charge.. it takes literally minutes

 

[pcproblems]

I think we just giggled a bit coz we tend to think of it refering to having a pee

Yep, yola doesn't look too bad. I did my site using a free program called Kompozer. Good luck !

 

[Wee Print]

Thanks Zeela.

 

[TheChangingMan]

heard webeden.co.uk is quite good, its also advertised in some decent web mags

 

[Wee Print]

Sorry I meant Thanks Zeal

 

[BusinessIdeas]

I have tried downloading Wordpress but my computer doesn't like it (its quite old) so at the moment I am trying Yola. It has a better range of templates than godaddy so thats a good start.

You dont need to download it, godaddy do a "one click install" for you, you wont be able to use it with the free hosting tho, you have to buy a package and it doesnt cost much a month.

 

[bdw]

Wee print don't waste time trying to explain Scottish idiom and humour to the Sassenachs. We know what you mean.

Your choice of name is actually good if you are servicing the "wee coonty" and its surrounds. (I played bowls for West Dunbartonshire for 13 years and I always enjoyed my games against your mob with their battle cry, "C'moan the wee coonty!")

With regard to your website, if I visited it as it stood I would almost certainly not do business with you as it does not portray a professional company to me. Free websites like this never do with the pages jumpng up and down to create space for the ads, etc. You should also get rid of the "click to enter" page. It serves no purpose.

I would recommend that you get a website designer to build and SEO your website for you. A target price would be £500 for this and you should get a full ROI well within the first year.

.

 

[Wee Print]

Wee print don't waste time trying to explain Scottish idiom and humour to the Sassenachs. We know what you mean.

Your choice of name is actually good if you are servicing the "wee coonty" and its surrounds. (I played bowls for West Dunbartonshire for 13 years and I always enjoyed my games against your mob with their battle cry, "C'moan the wee coonty!")

.

Atleast someone gets it

Yeah if I when to my website I wouldnt either. It looks like I will just have to pay someone to do it for me. Thanks for all the advice everyone

 

[bdw]

Please give me more information about building our own sites

Well done "Ross". Ten nonsense posts in 30 minutes eh?

.

 

[pcproblems]

Atleast someone gets it

Yeah if I when to my website I wouldnt either. It looks like I will just have to pay someone to do it for me. Thanks for all the advice everyone

I'm sure that BDW could help you. He knows the language and everything
Take a look at his website, it's very impressive.

 

[ooh]

My clients and I like my name, so im happy.
Just to let you know....I live in the
Wee County, which is Clackmannanshire so its personal to our county.
It is a play on the word 'we' and and it is also a Scottish word.
I think its straight to the point and lets people know exacually what I do.

Just for your info, the way I (someone based in SE England, no knowledge of or about Wee County) interpretted the name was we as in small/little.

 

[Wee Print]

Just for your info, the way I (someone based in SE England, no knowledge of or about Wee County) interpretted the name was we as in small/little.

Yes that is correct, 'wee' means small/little in Scottish.

 

[bdw]

I think they know what wee mean.

Frank Sinatra knew what wee meant.

"In the wee small hours of the morning
While the whole wide world is fast asleep
You lie awake and think about the girl
And never ever think of counting sheep
"

 

[venlions]

I would suggest you that you can start with HTML as it is very simple programming language and its tutorial is easily available at internet. Their are many different languages vb.net, asp.net in which a beginner can design a website but before go for these languages first start from basics.