help me out, you website builder types....

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

i was thinking about building my own website. is this a difficult thing? what software(s) are good to use? i heard that dreamweaver is good, but not user friendly?

any help is appreciated. thanks in advance.

[badger]

I will not claim to be a Web site building guru, but before imparting advice on Web buildin', please consider the following questions:

1- What will the purpose of your site be? Is this a professional, or a personal site? Is it for a group, like a non-profit or church?

2- What is the intended audience? Is it just for family and friends to view photos and get family news? Is it for building your business? Is it for getting your resume posted online for potential employers?

3- How often should such a site be updated? Is this a one-time information spot that will rarely be updated, or a daily blog that will be updated constantly?

4- How soon must this site go online? How much time you have to put this site together will determine how much effort can be put into more site details. For example, if you need it online in two seconds, you'll likely only be able to get a text-based site out. If you have a few months, you might get into a cool Flash intro or something.

[GrapevineSooner]

A lot of webhosts use web interface software that you could use just to build a bare bones site. They also may use a service like Fantastico that give you the ability to install all kinds of Content Management Software, Blogging software, photo albums, etc.

But like Badger said, it depends on the purpose of the site. At least from a starting point.

[jage]

Another easy thing would be to download a blog template that works much like a site. Check out free ones from Wordpress that you can easily download to your webserver. (If you don't have a webserver, make sure you buy one, along with a domain name. I use www.inmotionhosting.com personally).

Badger asked some really important questions, so it really depends on your use for the site. If it's business, you have to think about things like security and how you are going to control your server-side database and file structure. If it's just for personal use, I'd definitely try a free blog system.

If it's your own business I can't stress to you enough how much the look and feel of your website matters. Make sure you get a great logo (if you can afford it, hire a graphic designer). Have a professional build a website for you, one that is good at coding the back-end, not just with graphics. The amount of traffic you will get from a professional site vs. one you built yourself with some drag and drop software like dreamweaver will be a huge difference.

Remember, people judge your site and will click back within the first few seconds of looking at it.

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

it's my business website. it doesn't have to be anything reeeeally elaborate, but it would be nice if it was just fairly decent. it wouldn't be updated alot, i wouldn't think.

thanks for the replies.

[Lott's Bandana]

Peemed ya, SCSF.

[badger]

If it's your own business I can't stress to you enough how much the look and feel of your website matters. Make sure you get a great logo (if you can afford it, hire a graphic designer). Have a professional build a website for you, one that is good at coding the back-end, not just with graphics. The amount of traffic you will get from a professional site vs. one you built yourself with some drag and drop software like dreamweaver will be a huge difference.

Remember, people judge your site and will click back within the first few seconds of looking at it.

What he said. I was hoping to show you the most notorious awful business site out there that I saw last year... but apparently the site was so bad that it's offline now :D

[stonecoldsoonerfan]

can anyone suggest what software to use if you were going to take a stab at constructing it yourself?

[NormanPride]

Well, most software requires at least a little bit of technical knowledge to get the good stuff going. If you just want something basic, you can look here (http://www.oswd.org/) for a start. It's been forever since I've designed a website, so I don't know the latest tricks and stuff.

[Al Gore]

Easy.....
http://www.joomla.org/

[soonerboomer93]

we've switched to coding out the website in visual studio and then just publishing it that way