Where to start?

shanefitz360

Hope this is in the right section.

I am currently running through some ideas in my head about an e-business, the main factor of which is obviously a site! However, I have very limited knowledge of websites and am totally lost as to where to start. I know about domains, hosting etc but have a few simple questions that would love an answer to.

1. How much does a web design generally cost? (simple site, something like <10 pages with simple features such as a forum)

2. If I buy a design, how do I do change things on the site without going to the designer, or if there is a problem would I easily be able to fix it?

3. If I want to code the site myself, where is the best place to start? (learn html, dreamsweaver etc)

Thanks in advance for any answers, and any obvious questions I've missed could you please answer/give advice.

Chet Zar

shanefitz360 wrote: »

Hope this is in the right section.

I am currently running through some ideas in my head about an e-business, the main factor of which is obviously a site! However, I have very limited knowledge of websites and am totally lost as to where to start. I know about domains, hosting etc but have a few simple questions that would love an answer to.

1. How much does a web design generally cost? (simple site, something like <10 pages with simple features such as a forum)

2. If I buy a design, how do I do change things on the site without going to the designer, or if there is a problem would I easily be able to fix it?

3. If I want to code the site myself, where is the best place to start? (learn html, dreamsweaver etc)

Thanks in advance for any answers, and any obvious questions I've missed could you please answer/give advice.

Hey OP,

1. Cost varies a huge amount. You could pay €200 for a site or €2000. Really depends on what you need. An 'ebusiness' could be anything and if you wanted it for ecommerce (e.g. a site with a shopping cart) you'd likely be talking a significant investment. On the other side of the coin, you can get a basic 'brochure' type site with CMS (content management system, where you can update and edit content yourself) for around €500.

2. As mentioned re a CMS, you can add, remove and edit text and images with this functionality. For things like the fundamental design of the site however - for example banners at the top of the page, or a company logo, etc - you'd generally need access to the source code of the site to make changes.

3. Multiple options re coding a site from scratch, but it does require a significant time investment and a certain aptitude for web design and coding to pull it off. Numerous factors there to consider and if you want to be focussed on the business then your best bet is to get a quality web designer to take care of this for you.

Hope that helps for a start!

Gloomtastic!

shanefitz360 wrote: »

1. How much does a web design generally cost? (simple site, something like <10 pages with simple features such as a forum)

If you're a start-up it's not just site design but logo design as well. You could spend a few grand. Quality counts with design IMHO and you could get it cheap but may sacrifice quality. Pay as much as you can afford.

2. If I buy a design, how do I do change things on the site without going to the designer, or if there is a problem would I easily be able to fix it?

CMS or Content managment system. Talk to your designer about this.

3. If I want to code the site myself, where is the best place to start? (learn html, dreamsweaver etc)

Personally I wouldn't go there. It can years to learn all that stuff to a decent standard and you'll have enough on your plate to worry about.

Don't try and engage a designer on a profit share basis. They have bills to pay and they get asked this all the time. Refusal may offend.

Ask about if anyone knows a decent web designer or stick a tender up on tenderme.ie

But before you talk to your designer know what you want. Changing your mind half way through the process will end up costing you more.