Need to make craiglist/ donedeal Type Website

mariano rivera

Hi

I have some HTML experience but nota lot

I have made some standard 'brochure' type sites before

I need to make a website like Craigslist or Donedeal

The plan is where people can go to the site and

1. Upload an add/ notice

2. Where i can charge say $1 for each

3. Also, I would like to able to break the site into different sections (Say cars, household, music etc.)


Is there some free HTML template I can use?

Is this type of site a big undertaking programming wise?

Any tips would be much appreciated

Tx

MR

Liam Byrne

mariano rivera wrote: »

Hi

I have some HTML experience but nota lot

I have made some standard 'brochure' type sites before

I need to make a website like Craigslist or Donedeal

The plan is where people can go to the site and

1. Upload an add/ notice

2. Where i can charge say $1 for each

3. Also, I would like to able to break the site into different sections (Say cars, household, music etc.)


Is there some free HTML template I can use?

Is this type of site a big undertaking programming wise?

Any tips would be much appreciated

Tx

MR

HTML alone certainly won't do that for you. You'll need server-side code (PHP) a database (MySQL) and a payment system - although why you're charging in dollars is beyond me.

It's a relatively big undertaking alright.

There may be a system that someone could install and tweak for you, but if you don't know where to start (and assuming that it can be done in HTML implies that you don't) then I'd hire a professional if I were you.

pixelburp

If your experience only goes as far as brochureware then I wouldn't even contemplate doing this yourself, especially if this is a serious business proposition. It'll take longer and you may end up facing some roadblocks along the way. The safest method to a happy ending is to hire a professional; either a freelancer or a firm.

I don't know of any specific software that does what you're looking for, but if you have a plan in mind of how this is going to work, then bespoke software might be the way to go rather than struggling to fit an off-the-shelf package to suit you.

However if you go with an outside individual or agency, and want to keep costs down, then my advice is to make sure you first draft up a basic business plan and / or (rough) technical shakedown of what you want this site to do. So try and sit down and formulate the processes this site will allow, from start to finish, insofar as is possible.

Don't simply walk into an agency and say you want your product 'like' Craigslist: this will only lead to disappointment. Most agencies will attempt to plan out the site's technicalities & processes for you as best they can, but ultimately they can only build specifications based on the information you've given them.

I've seen startup ideas overrun on budget because at the 11th hour the business owner suddenly remembers a core component of the business plan they had hitherto failed to flag, and all because it was still just an idea in their head. So try and make sure you've thought this out full before approaching anyone. It'll save on tears

mariano rivera

pixelburp wrote: »

If your experience only goes as far as brochureware then I wouldn't even contemplate doing this yourself, especially if this is a serious business proposition. It'll take longer and you may end up facing some roadblocks along the way. The safest method to a happy ending is to hire a professional; either a freelancer or a firm.

I don't know of any specific software that does what you're looking for, but if you have a plan in mind of how this is going to work, then bespoke software might be the way to go rather than struggling to fit an off-the-shelf package to suit you.

However if you go with an outside individual or agency, and want to keep costs down, then my advice is to make sure you first draft up a basic business plan and / or (rough) technical shakedown of what you want this site to do. So try and sit down and formulate the processes this site will allow, from start to finish, insofar as is possible.

Don't simply walk into an agency and say you want your product 'like' Craigslist: this will only lead to disappointment. Most agencies will attempt to plan out the site's technicalities & processes for you as best they can, but ultimately they can only build specifications based on the information you've given them.

I've seen startup ideas overrun on budget because at the 11th hour the business owner suddenly remembers a core component of the business plan they had hitherto failed to flag, and all because it was still just an idea in their head. So try and make sure you've thought this out full before approaching anyone. It'll save on tears

Liam & pixel

Thanks for the reply
You raised some good points.
I did think that it would not be straightforward

I have an idea which is just at a very early stage,. I think I should try and do a design on paper for layout purposes

I know this is a very broad question but do ye know how much it would cost be to get a firm/ freelancer to develop the site?

Just approx. costs are fine

I just want an idea of the outlay I would be facing if I go down this route

Webmonkey

The type of site is very common and while at a small scale, the difficulty of it for a professional is quite medium, I don't think it would cost a fortune.

It really depends on how much they charge.

You'd probably get someone to do it for 3 - 5k including design and proper payment handling.

If you need a site to take as much traffic as Donedeal then you'd be looking at more to have it scalable etc.

It's really difficult to put a price on it.

Liam Byrne

mariano rivera wrote: »

I have an idea which is just at a very early stage,. I think I should try and do a design on paper for layout purposes

For a site like this, the layout is actually of the least concern, as that can be tweaked relatively easily.

The main spec required for this type of site is the functionality and flow of the site : signup + select categories + add advert + payment, etc, as well as any additional details such as how long an ad will run for and whether someone can de-activate the ad if something is sold, plus what features are required for someone to PM a seller or add comments/questions, etc.

A layout mockup won't do anything in terms of spec'ing this out.

jmcc

Building such a site is easy. However these sites are like icebergs in that you only see the small bit that is above the water. There's a lot of backend and business support on these sites. You may need the services of a good database architect to make the database design work well. This could be a bit more expensive than the html/webside of things.

Regards...jmcc

cormee

Save yourself a lot of heartbreak and expense - try ClassiPress rather than building a bespoke site. It costs $99, then add another $100 for installation by someone who knows what they're doing.

donalg1

Open a page on donedeal right click and press view source this will give u basic idea of code required

Trojan

donalg1 wrote: »

Open a page on donedeal right click and press view source this will give u basic idea of code required

... to create the front-end of a page like what's on donedeal. That is about 1-5% of the total code you'll need.

--

1) If this is a college project, definitely learn how to build it yourself and go for it.

2) If this is a low budget business experiment, go with something like ClassiPress on a WordPress install, or an off the shelf classifieds site script.

3) If this is a serious business that you want to commit to, you could still start off with (2) above - to build a prototype.

was.deevey

Save yourself a lot of heartbreak and expense - try ClassiPress rather than building a bespoke site. It costs $99, then add another $100 for installation by someone who knows what they're doing.

You might get the basic install for that, but to set it up "Right" e.g. payment systems, product categories, custom search fields, regions, post codes etc it'll cost a wee bit more.

I'm working on a "Pet Project" of mine (property site) at the moment utilizing classipress, out of the box its gorgeous to use .. but to get it doing what you want properly takes Muchos grunt work and organization.

It is one of the nicest scripts out there for a simplistic, very user friendly classifieds site though and reasonably easy to manage/customize in comparison to others..And I went thought ALOT of CMS's and Add-on scripts till I settled on it.

Liam Byrne

donalg1 wrote: »

Open a page on donedeal right click and press view source this will give u basic idea of code required

Sorry, but that's absolute rubbish.

Nothing on the client side will indicate what database tables, fields, server-side code, admin panel and/or even member / seller features are there.

jmcc

donalg1 wrote: »

Open a page on donedeal right click and press view source this will give u basic idea of code required

You do understand that there's a database behind that website, don't you? Seriously though, you are not, as others pointed out, going to see the database schema or the database queries that populate the webpages. You've also got to think about Information Architecture and Usability. There's a lot more to such a website than the HTML/CSS and the database. It is the whole iceberg model of a large website again.

Regards...jmcc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability

donalg1

jmcc wrote: »

donalg1 wrote: »

Open a page on donedeal right click and press view source this will give u basic idea of code required

You do understand that there's a database behind that website, don't you? Seriously though, you are not, as others pointed out, going to see the database schema or the database queries that populate the webpages. You've also got to think about Information Architecture and Usability. There's a lot more to such a website than the HTML/CSS and the database. It is the whole iceberg model of a large website again.

Regards...jmcc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability

What I meant was looking at that code would give an idea of what work goes into one little part of it so looking at it would show how difficult it would be to do it. I didn't mean that code is all there is to it obviously.

Liam Byrne

donalg1 wrote: »

jmcc wrote: »

donalg1 wrote: »

Open a page on donedeal right click and press view source this will give u basic idea of code required

You do understand that there's a database behind that website, don't you? Seriously though, you are not, as others pointed out, going to see the database schema or the database queries that populate the webpages. You've also got to think about Information Architecture and Usability. There's a lot more to such a website than the HTML/CSS and the database. It is the whole iceberg model of a large website again.

Regards...jmcc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability

What I meant was looking at that code would give an idea of what work goes into one little part of it so looking at it would show how difficult it would be to do it. I didn't mean that code is all there is to it obviously.

That's a bit like suggesting that opening the battery compartment of a mobile phone will give you an insight into how to create and build one.

donalg1

Liam Byrne wrote: »

donalg1 wrote: »

jmcc wrote: »

donalg1 wrote: »

Open a page on donedeal right click and press view source this will give u basic idea of code required

You do understand that there's a database behind that website, don't you? Seriously though, you are not, as others pointed out, going to see the database schema or the database queries that populate the webpages. You've also got to think about Information Architecture and Usability. There's a lot more to such a website than the HTML/CSS and the database. It is the whole iceberg model of a large website again.

Regards...jmcc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_architecture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability

What I meant was looking at that code would give an idea of what work goes into one little part of it so looking at it would show how difficult it would be to do it. I didn't mean that code is all there is to it obviously.

That's a bit like suggesting that opening the battery compartment of a mobile phone will give you an insight into how to create and build one.

No but opening the phone itself would give an insight into how difficult they are to make. You obviously won't understand my point no matter how many times I make it

Liam Byrne

donalg1 wrote: »

No but opening the phone itself would give an insight into how difficult they are to make. You obviously won't understand my point no matter how many times I make it

Completely different point, because when you open the phone you can see ALL the components, whereas "View Source" gives you no view of the "insides" of the website system.

I don't want to be rude, donalg1, but if you don't even understand a basic CMS-based website [ http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=74750066&postcount=6 ] then you shouldn't be trying to offer advice on sites that are even more complex than those.

donalg1

Liam Byrne wrote: »

donalg1 wrote: »

No but opening the phone itself would give an insight into how difficult they are to make. You obviously won't understand my point no matter how many times I make it

Completely different point, because when you open the phone you can see ALL the components, whereas "View Source" gives you no view of the "insides" of the website system.

I don't want to be rude, donalg1, but if you don't even understand a basic CMS-based website [ http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=74750066&postcount=6 ] then you shouldn't be trying to offer advice on sites that are even more complex than those.

Or maybe I am in an ideal position to offer advice to someone similiar to myself without the cloud of pretention that is usually found in these threads. If you think you can make a site such as Facebook easily because you have thought yourself html as the op has then by going to view source your attitude would change very quickly and you would realise it's gonna take years of designing and programming to get to the required level to make sites such as done deal and these things are better left to the professionals. You say you don't mean to be rude well don't be then, and I do now understand a basic cms-based website thanks to the helpful members of boards for pointing me in the right direction. everyone has to start somewhere after all, so please save the patronising posts and only post helpful comments

pixelburp

Sorry but Liam Byrne is right in this instance, inspecting the source is simply not going to give you an accurate sense of how complex the potential site is. From experience, in any realistic quote by a web-shop, I'd estimate a good 60%-70% of fees will be for the development & business logic alone; all information the user will never directly see on the front-end

Besides, even if you did right-click and go View Source, if there's any AJAX in the site, you're not going to see it anyway as AJAX doesn't show up on the browser's source (though yes of course there are ways to show dynamic markup from AJAX).

In any case, mariano rivera got his answers & seemed happy with the input, so that's the main thing.

donalg1

pixelburp wrote: »

Sorry but Liam Byrne is right in this instance, inspecting the source is simply not going to give you an accurate sense of how complex the potential site is. From experience, in any realistic quote by a web-shop, I'd estimate a good 60%-70% of fees will be for the development & business logic alone; all information the user will never directly see on the front-end

Besides, even if you did right-click and go View Source, if there's any AJAX in the site, you're not going to see it anyway as AJAX doesn't show up on the browser's source (though yes of course there are ways to show dynamic markup from AJAX).

In any case, mariano rivera got his answers & seemed happy with the input, so that's the main thing.

Where in any of my posts said the view source option would show him absolutely everything there is to setting up a website like this? The OP said he has an idea for a business on line but now needs some way to do this, so his answer is to create a website such as donedeal.ie. He also said he has some HTML experience but not a lot, he has made some standard brochure type sites before and now wants to create a site such as craigs list or done deal. I too have some HTML experience but not a lot, i too thought i would be able to create a complex website such as done deal using this knowledge and becoming more advanced at using HTML, so i looked at a few sites clicked view source and it was then i realised that the HTML required to make a standard brochure type site is nothing compared to the HTML required to make an advanced site such as done deal or craigs list. So by doing this i realised that making these sites would be extremely difficult, so i advised the OP to do the same thing i did and if he did this he would realise how difficult it is to make such a site.


So telling someone to do something that helped me realise the complexities of developing these types of sites isnt absolute rubbish as was stated by Liam Byrne. Obviously I am aware the HTML of one page makes up about 2% of what is required so by telling the OP to look at the HTML of one page he would realise how hard it will be.

In Liams first post he told the OP what he would need "server-side code(PHP) and a database (MySQL) and a payment system, which was very helpful and was what the OP was looking for, however he then proceeded to patronise the OP by saying "why you're charging in dollars is beyond me", now maybe the dollar sign is a typo, or maybe the OP wants to set his site up for a market that deals in dollars i.e America / Australia.

The OP has learned HTML which is the first step to creating a website like done deal, obviously there is a hell of a lot more to it, but why shouldnt the OP try learn the next steps too. Maybe he cant afford to pay a professional to create his site so his only option is to learn it himself. I am sure there were moments when Mark Zuckerberg or Steve Jobs were told what they were trying to do was too hard and its better left to someone else, but it worked out ok for them in the end.

Liam Byrne

donalg1 wrote: »

If you think you can make a site such as Facebook easily because you have thought yourself html as the op has then by going to view source your attitude would change very quickly

Not at all. A page's "View Source" could actually be very, very basic indeed - and in fact, where possible, should be, so as to reduce the download time and cross-browser issues.

Most code - bar the basic content - shouldn't even be visible within the View Source, with any possible Javascript contained within library files in order to minimise the download time via the cache.

In addition, any bindings of events that might actually be controlling the interactions to the previously-mentioned server-side code could also be contained in library files.

donalg1 wrote: »

You say you don't mean to be rude well don't be then, and I do now understand a basic cms-based website thanks to the helpful members of boards for pointing me in the right direction. everyone has to start somewhere after all, so please save the patronising posts and only post helpful comments

I didn't - and don't......I'm just pointing out the facts. Yes, everyone does have to start somewhere and my point was that someone just starting out can't offer the required advice, particularly when your post gave a completely false impression and could easily have led to the OP thinking it was easier than they thought - which apparently was the reverse of what you intended.

Anyway, glad to know that you've gotten your head around CMSs, and yes, members of boards will continue to offer advice to those starting out and point them in the right direction.