For those that build or run a website, what do you recommend for getting a website up and running?

PO2 Ruth Snow — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 12:59:16 -0400

I own a domain, but have yet to build the page. I am not sure how to navigate to the next step. A lot of different options and price ranges are making me a bit cautious of which to choose. I don't want to expensive, but don't want crap either.

Response by LCpl William Amos made Aug 11 at 2016 1:14 PM

LCpl William Amos — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 13:14:47 -0400

What are you trying to accomplish? This will make a big difference. If you just want information and a static website, wix might be a good option, if you need a blog wordpress could be a good solution, if you need to sell on the site there are a few different options but it depends on what you are selling and how much of it you plan to sell.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 11 at 2016 1:19 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 13:19:02 -0400

I used to build websites and portals for major multinational corporations. I could write the code but don't care to anymore. I use Weebly drop and drag website builder for both my website and my VFW post. I use iPage to host them both. Reasonable cost. Reliable. Good support. That's my experience. See the results at http://www.jackdurish.com and http://vfw6024.org

Jack Durish

Personal website and weblog of Jack Durish, author and amateur historian

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Aug 11 at 2016 1:21 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 13:21:28 -0400

Hi Ruth, I use blogspot.com for my personal website http://www.rabbahrona.blogspot.com - it's not bad for a free setup, and they have a lot of design choices in the free things. If you want to get fancier you can.

For my congregation site I use Wordpress, which is provided for us free by our denomination. Wordpress is extremely flexible and has lots of options. Our site is simple but effective. I don't do any Java script or other fancy stuff. I do edit HTML on occasion but normally I use WYSIWYG... my congregation site is http://www.bnai-torah-olympia.org if you want to see that. We pay about $30 a year for the domain from register.com and as I say the hosting on WP is provided...

Rabbah Rona's Ramblings

Response by SGT Dave Tracy made Aug 11 at 2016 1:23 PM

SGT Dave Tracy — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 13:23:52 -0400

A good question as I have been wrestling with that myself (glad you brought it up!). I want to set up a website that is interactive with users as well as for news related to the site's content and to do a little blogging. I'll have to keep an eye on this question!
Good luck with yours!

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2016 1:42 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 13:42:08 -0400

As cost is always a consideration, I use a compbination of Wordpress (https://wordpress.org/) and Kompozer (http://kompozer.net/). Many "blog" sites that provide you your own site/blog run on top of Wordpress. It has many templates and plugins and is pretty easy to use. I use Kompozer for fine tuning individual pages.

Page not found — WordPress

Response by SGT David T. made Aug 11 at 2016 2:14 PM

SGT David T. — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 14:14:19 -0400

I use Weebly for mine. I like it because it has an integration with SquareUp which I use for payment as well as the ability to make different types of pages like a blog or a gallery. It is also very easy to use and requires no coding.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2016 3:40 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 15:40:32 -0400

"I sell handmade products and need a place for non Facebook users to view and order products."

Etsy would be a good place to start

Aabaco small business is good as well. This the old Yahoo! service and they provide e-commerce stuff plus easy to use tools.

https://www.aabacosmallbusiness.com/

Yahoo's Aabaco Small Business: Websites, Ecommerce, Email & Local Listings

Yahoo's Aabaco Small Business: Reliable web hosting, domain registration, business email, local listings, and ecommerce solutions for your online store.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2016 4:12 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 16:12:11 -0400

Wordpress works for me.

Response by SN Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2016 7:50 PM

SN Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 19:50:59 -0400

I'm with LCpl William Amos , more information is needed. I personally subscribe to the school of of hard knocks. I've manually coded every website I've ever created. If I didn't know how, I found books, websites, or other source's to help me learn how. Why pay for something you can do yourself? The only issue I have with cookie cutter editers is that they only live for so long before they get bloated, busted or discontinued. Front Page anyone?

Response by Cpl Justin Goolsby made Aug 12 at 2016 12:58 PM

Cpl Justin Goolsby — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 12:58:05 -0400

The biggest thing to consider is why do you want a website? I know it's the trendy thing because everyone has one, but unless you have a genuine need it's kinda pointless.
So depending on whether this is personal or professional, the next thing you should figure out is who your target audience is. Some people make websites for very simple purposes like posting a schedule of events/business/contact info and might only require a couple pages. Others might be creating an encyclopedic history of their favorite tv shows and could require a couple hundred separate pages.
Then there's presentation. Do you want a bare bones website which will probably be very text heavy and bland or do you want something with a little bit more flare which could include some graphical design or even effects scripts. Maybe you have your own images you want to use.
It's right to be cautious, especially when both your money and possibly reputation could be on the line. Best recommendation is to scout around to see what people are offering and what their competition is offering. See if they have a "resume" of websites that they created. Sometimes you can get a feel for the quality of a web designer's work by viewing their portfolio. Also see if they are open to collaboration. There are some developers that will give you exactly what you ask for no more and no less while others are open to suggestions and input. It's your website, so at least you should be satisfied with the final outcome.

Response by SGT Brian Richardson made Aug 12 at 2016 4:06 PM

SGT Brian Richardson — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 16:06:44 -0400

It's good that you own your own domain as opposed to getting it thru some "free" hosting sites. Get a solid Wordpress theme. I use Avada from ThemeForest and love it. It's a one-time cost and very flexible.

You'll need a way to accept payments if you are selling online. So Paypal, Square are good examples. You generally only pay when a sale is made. Until you get some serious volume, it's as inexpensive as you'll get.

I'd be happy to answer specific questions you might have. While the mechanics of getting set up are needed...the content you put on your site is even more important. I have some tools that you might like to use.

Brian Richardson
http://www.thecompanyproject.com

Home - The CompanyProject

The CompanyProject is a membership site dedicated to getting you the information you need to grow your business. Get training and learn strategies.

Response by Donald Halcomb made Jan 13 at 2022 10:54 AM

Donald Halcomb — Thu, 13 Jan 2022 10:54:33 -0500

I need your help with one of my issues. I would like to create and launch my first website online soo. I need a reliable website builder that is really cheap and reliable at the same time. I have heard about this one https://sitecreator.io/ Though this platform is totally new but it's easy to use, more affordable with awesome design.