Building a web page

[Dedman]

I am getting ready to create a website for a business I am starting. I don’t know html or anything like that so I am going to be using one of the web design programs out there like front page.

Any suggestions or recommendations of a good easy to use program?

[Mobius]

Yes: NONE!

Hire a profressional!

You wouldn't try and audit your company accounts by yourself, nor would you do your own taxes: so why do you think you can create a business web site with no qualifications at all?

I am often surprised that new business owners think they are capabale of creating a commercial web site - from scratch - with no experience at all.

Don't get me wrong: The greatest thing about the web is that ANYONE can create a web site. Inconveniently, this is also the WORST feature of the web too!

Creating web sites is a LOT more than learning a bit of HTML, or downloading Dreamweaver8 (which I recommend as a development tool, BTW). You will not know how to structure the page such that Googlebot will rank it appropriately, nor will you be aware of the Google Age Delay issue. Nor will you have the required marketing skill set required to create a web site which successfully calls your visitors to action. Nor, I suspect do you have the skills to write compelling copy for the site, not create the required graphics.

Having a web site is a good start, there's no doubt about that - but the difference between havign a site, and having a site which actually does some good for your business are two totally separate things.

If you want nothing but \"brochureware\" then you MIGHT be able to have one built for under a couple of grand, but once again, you'll need to provide the copy for such a cheap site - and you need proper copy, so figure on spending at least $1000 for creative consulting and copy production.

Simply copying some design from a famous site, and changing the colours and images is not a winning formula, so don't fall into that trap. Also, don't try to \"break\" the web by doing anything which users won't immediately recognise. (i.e. no right-hand navigation, logo must be top left, and it must lead to the home page, etc.) Don't let anyone try to tell you a dark background is a good idea: it's not, unless you're paying a very good graphic designer to carry it off for you. Do not under any circumstances use serif-faced fonts for anything except headings. Do not use blue text. Do not make the site content expand to any percentage of the page width: no site should exceed 760 pixels in width, except for some tricks which can allow a site to appear wider than it is.

I could spend hours telling what not to do, and what to do - but this is why you hire a professional, because it is a false economy to think a site you will create will be a success: history and conventional wisdom dictate otherwise, sorry.

[Dedman]

Any CREDIBLE sources want to chime in?

[WarAdvocat]

You just have to remember how to read Mobi-ese:

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Dreamweaver8 (which I recommend as a development tool, BTW). Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Especially if you want to use flash.

[Ferno]

Get Dreamweaver 8, or any other software suite that has basically lets you see the finished product as you're making it. And since you're designing it yourself, it will reflect in the best possible light what kind of services you offer.

[dissent]

LOL @ WA !!

Honestly, though, you may want to consider Mobius' point. Depends on what you expect your website to be able to do.

[Plague]

Definitely consider Mobi's point. However, that's not saying that you shouldn't start learning. HTML along with Dreamweaver is a start, and you'll need to add some basic CSS along the way as well.

[Dedman]

I did consider Mobi's points. However, I am finishing up my MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship so I am well aware of the non-technical traps he mentions. A website does not equal business sucess. Anyone who thinks so is kidding them selves.

What I am looking for is a site where customers can see the product, learn a little about it, and order it if they are interested. No flash, no fancy stuff, no bells and whistles. I am running this business part time out of my basement so paying a developer is out of the question.

I envision the site starting out very simple. When the business takes off and start supplying my sole source of income I will hire a developer to put a better site up.

Dreamweaver seems to be the consensus.

[MD-2389]

I agree, Dreamweaver will make things alot easier for you. However, I do recommend NOT using white as a background since its harder on the eyes. A black background would be best, but even a grey one would suffice.

[Plague]

In that case, you may want to look at some of the open source content management systems. A lot of them already have ecommerce modules that are built in or downloadable.

[Capm]

some web hosts have template shops that you can pre-install, lunarpages.com, for example, has 2 or 3 free online stores softwares that you can choose to install and customize. Of course you still need your verisign and all that, but it does take alot of the work out of it.

They also have a webbuilder app on the site, I didn't use it (already have a site, duh) but It is fairly automated and the pages it makes don't look real bad, its just not real highly customizable. Would be a quick and cheaper way to build the site (dreamweaver isn't cheap last I checked) lunarpages.com starts at about 8bux a month.