Creating a website?

Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Pittsburgh
Your Mac's Specs
iMac G5
Hey guys-
Kind of a noob when it comes to creating a website/hosting and such. :[
What would be the easiest way for me to create a site that i plan to make money off of? I was considering iWeb but i don't want to pay the $79 for it, since it wasn't included on my iMac G5. Any cheap or free programs and hosting plans? I do eventually want a domain name (.com, .net or something) once my site is created.

Thanks! :Oops:
 
Joined
Mar 2, 2007
Messages
250
Reaction score
18
Points
18
Location
St Helens, OR, USA
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook CoreDuo 2Ghz 768M RAM
Hey guys-
Kind of a noob when it comes to creating a website/hosting and such. :[
What would be the easiest way for me to create a site that i plan to make money off of? I was considering iWeb but i don't want to pay the $79 for it, since it wasn't included on my iMac G5. Any cheap or free programs and hosting plans? I do eventually want a domain name (.com, .net or something) once my site is created.

Thanks! :Oops:

Getting a domain name, especially for a business is well, good business. People tend to take you less seriously if you've got something like www.50pagesforfreewithadsalloverit.com/mybusiness rather than a "real dot com" address.

Stay away from Flash for a business site (Why Flash Is Evil).

Dreamweaver is okay, but I prefer to hand-code stuff.
Nvu (based on the old Mozilla Composer code base) is a good, free html editor. You get WYSIAWYG (What You See Is Almost What You Get) AND you can edit the actual HTML.

There are a lot of good, inexpensive hosting plans that include a free (or several free) domain registrations in the package when you're ready to put up that site and make your millions in a google takeover.
 
T

todd51

Guest
I agree with voiceofra. Definitely get a "dot com" name for your website. Is this going to be an online business that comes fully equipped with a shopping cart? Or are you just planning on making money through page hits and ads?

I do agree with trying to stay away from Flash also. It becomes a pain updating things in Flash.

I would start learning HTML/CSS code. Maybe try your luck with learning PHP also.
 
OP
Dîstü®béd
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Pittsburgh
Your Mac's Specs
iMac G5
Yes i definitely want to get a "dot com" address once my website is created because i need to look as professional as possible. But if i use something like dreamweaver to create it, wouldn't it be easier to find a host that lets me create the site in the "control panel" or whatever? Then it's already uploaded and ready to go. I know some HMTL/CSS but not much. Can't i just use a host like freewebs that lets you create the site right there, then get a "dot com" address for it?
 
OP
Dîstü®béd
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Pittsburgh
Your Mac's Specs
iMac G5
and yes, to answer your question, it will have a shopping cart and such.
 
Joined
May 27, 2005
Messages
975
Reaction score
61
Points
28
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
Your Mac's Specs
17" MacBook Pro, 8GB iPhone
To be brutally honest, if you want to build an internet business you need to learn how to properly code and design a website. No "control panel" at freewebs will make a site that looks professional, and certainly not good enough for people to spend money.

I'm sorry it has to be put this way, but it's the truth.
 
OP
Dîstü®béd
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Pittsburgh
Your Mac's Specs
iMac G5
Thanks for being honest, but i knew it was coming =p
Freewebs is very unprofessional and i would never use them for a website, i was just using their company as an example. I think ill go with Nvu to create my site, now i just need a hosting and domain plan after i create it.
 
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Try godaddy.com

They offer .com addresses at a very reasonable price mostly under $10/yr, They also offer a slew of hosting options. I have been with them for 5 years now and never had any issues. Their tech support staff is excellent and I am just a happy customer. (No I am not employed or have any relationship other than a customer)...
Good Luck
 
Joined
Jul 9, 2008
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Where would be the best place to learn how to properly code a website?
 
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Messages
104
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
Close to nowhere, far from anywhere
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini
Check out W3C... http://www.w3.org/

Go to Barnes and Noble or some other book store and pick up a few books, if possible.

There are many resources out there and Google's search is really your friend...

Some say not to use Flash, but there is a fine line that can be crossed when you attempt to use a lot of Flash... I've put Flash and PHP together before, IMO, that is the best way to do something. I don't like all Flash sites and I don't like all HTML sites. But using PHP, Flash, and HTML are really the elements to create a good site.

If you like, just check out PHPNuke... http://phpnuke.org/

And for some Flash templates... http://www.monstertemplates.net/flash-templates.php
 
Joined
Jul 9, 2008
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Points
6
Location
Houston,TX
Like INTELigent mentioned.... W3.org is the place to go to for all your standard web coding.

For applications that will assist you in the coding of your site, there are many to choose from. It really depends on the level of knowledge and experience you have. I know some developers that use only a text editing application. For beginners I think RapidWeaver or iWeb is easy enough to use to get something going. More advanced coders/designs will want to use something like Coda or Dreamweaver.

For hosting your site you will want to select a company that is not just the cheapest thing around but that has great support. If something gets messed up on the hosting servers then you want them to fix the issue and quickly, not just a temp patch and it break again.

Try to stay away from Flash. Main reason is that it can take a long time to build, edit, and learn. Unless that's what you want, then more power to ya.

Hope all goes well and good luck with your venture.
 
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
81
Reaction score
2
Points
8
Location
Israel
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini Core 2 Duo, PPC G4
You might want to try RapidWeaver - it's not free but it's the best low-cost WSIWYG web design program that I've used (and I've tried them all). Also, once you know html and css, you can easily use it in combination with RapidWeaver.

I'd highly recommend little Oak Hosting. They have three levels of hosting packages, starting at $25 a year, and their support system is the best. They're also Mac-savvy and they have excellent support for RapidWeaver. You can order a domain name through them when you sign up for a hosting plan. I did that and within less than 24 hours, I had my website up and running.


I recently wrote an article that might help you:

Finding a Mac-Friendly Web Host


Claire
 
Joined
Jul 10, 2008
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
You may want to choose a host that has easy to use and easy to install scripts such as shopping carts and site builders. Try a host that has Fantastico or another easy way to manage scripts.

Take a look at Joomla and Virtumart as a content management solution with a shopping cart. Takes a bit of getting used to, but it's fairly simple to get around and there are tons of templates out there for Joomla.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top