Web Site, Starting From Scratch

Hi All,

I'm completely ignorant (I know, you already knew that) but this time it pertains to website design.

I want to start up a website for let's say, JaxSon Construction Company in Jacksonville, TX. I have a DSL account with SBC.com. They supposedly have space set aside for a website if I so desire.

Basically, I just want to get my name out there and maybe post a few pictures of past projects, contact info, etc. I would also like for anybody performing a Google Search for construction companies in Jacksonville to be able to find my website.

Is this something that I can do or should I pay someone else to do this for me? I have looked at several of the threads in this forum and I must admit that you are all talking over my head.

Any help that you can offer to a newbie will be greatly appreciated.

TIA

You got a few ways to go about this:

1] Hire someone to do a basic site for you, prices i dont know, but the more fancy the more $$$ :)

2] Take some time out, learn HTML (its very easy, a few good tutorials, and sites) should get you started with the basics.

3] Get a friend and make the website, just to see how its done and you can work on it yourself after that.

As far as hosting

1] Get some webspace and a nice domain name, if youre really interested in getting this done properly, I'd get a domain and some hosting, of course you can start off with the free space from SBC and later move.

2] use the free SBC space you have, check it out properly though, as to limitations and such.

3] Use some free hosting temporarily, if the SBC hosting doesnt work out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TechZ

..3] Get a friend and make the website, just to see how its done and you can work on it yourself after that..

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Alternatively :- blagg someone here into doing it, take no notice whatsoever of what they are up to, & then come & ask the next sucker, I mean kind soul :D !, to help you if it gets busted .. :grin:

Seriously if you just want this :-

Quote:

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..get my name out there and maybe post a few pictures of past projects, contact info, etc. I would also like for anybody performing a Google Search for construction companies in Jacksonville to be able to find my website..

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(so a basic static page, as opposed to something that can process orders etc)

Then if Mayet or somebody equally knowledgeable on page rankings turns up, I think you can most probably manage to diy ;)

Pages like this show just how simple basic html coding can be. You are doing html coding by adding tags in replies, such as [ b ] [ /b ] (no spaces) to make bold statements for instance :).

This might not be a very popular idea, but if you dont want to really get into it all, learn a few basics, then use a WYSIWYG editor, like Frontpage, its not great, but it gets the job done. There are templates also available to use, and good hosts will offer you plenty of tools to get started.

You may also want to look into picking up an advanced language like PHP/ASP for more dynamic pages.

pure html gives what's called a "Static" website, if you rarely update it and things are constant, it's the easier way to go.

If you plan on have a lot of "dynamic" content, that changes frequently, you will want to pick up one of the above with a good database backend, makes maintaining the changes much much easier, however it is harder for the initial setup.

Another solution to go on the fly would be to go with a webhosting that has a online WYSIWYG editor/ site builder to get him up and running, then when you have more time to learn how to build web pages with option to upload them to the server later.

Search Engine Optimization will ensure that you get teh top results in your area you wish to perform.

I wont rewrite what i have already written but this thread below was written by me on the art of search engine rankings. Any questions on what to do post it here and I will help...

http://forums.windrivers.com/showthread.php?t=69419






My New Site: APC Computers Cairns

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mayet

..http://forums.windrivers.com/showthread.php?t=69419..

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Didn't know you'd done that :thumbs: ... Methinks that's something lots of folks would like to know, perhaps you might 'stickify' that one ?

you can do a diy website page with MS Publisher... then, upload the small number of files (?!) to a webspace of your choice. if you have a domain name with something like 123reg they offer submissions to 10 search engines for free - including the popular yahoo and google. this also means you can point the name to your site easypeasy...