Getting your own website

abalex

abalex

Well-known member
I'm planing on having my own website but i don't have a clue on how to build one, so I'm looking for a good online website builder site where I can put my movies, reels etc...
I've checked sitecube.com but all their websites almost look the same or have the same features, i've been to citymax.com but can't upload videos so I'm giving up.....any advice will be appreciated.

thanks in advance.
g.
 
Hey,

I don't suggest you use a online web builder/template. What you should do is find someone who designs websites. Now this can be expensiiive so what I did was found someone just starting their portfolio and he did it for free. He did a pretty nice job with my site, I'm happy with it.

If it's for a portfolio or some sort of site to show off your work especially, do not go for these site building or template options. It'll only make you look tacky. Simple is best and you can always get someone to get you a free design. All you gotta do is fill in the text or content, just learn basic, basic HTML and you'll be all set.

Good luck!

-Chris
 
Get a friend who's familiar with web stuff and asks him to be your webmaster. You don't have to build a site from the ground up. Just ask the friend to modify slightly an existing template and you're all set. It's not going to be a tough job for your friend either. Everytime I need to update my site with with videos I just upload it to the server and my webmaster just write a simple code. Done!
 
i use iweb fwiw: 86streetstudios.com

gets the job done , the focus isnt the site, its the content imo.
 
I disagree with the idea that the focus is the design OR the content.

The primary focus of an effective website is the user, and you need to find someone who understands the importance of starting with the user's needs, wants, and expectations. Design and content are both driven by those considerations.

Above all, remember that YOU are not your client, so if you ever catch yourself saying "I like/don't like that particular shade of green"...or whatever...it's irrelevant.

Of course, if the website doesn't need to be an effective communication vehicle, you can just put up anything and call it done.
 
Actually, you are all right, and wrong. The website is a reflection of you and your business. It should be clean, attractive, and above all, functional. It doesn't have to be fancy, or have lots of flash and images, but it does need to work for the client, regardless of how out of date their browser is.
 
This states the idea in a more concise way -- "it does need to work for the client" -- but it's what I was saying. Unless you understand the client, how can you make sure it'll work for them?

Start with the client. Find out what they want and what delights them. It's a wonderful "secret" that, in this case, the answers ARE in the back of the book.
 
powerdog said:
This states the idea in a more concise way -- "it does need to work for the client" -- but it's what I was saying. Unless you understand the client, how can you make sure it'll work for them?
Click to expand...
That's the easy part- at one point or another, everyone is a client, even me. I listen to other clients and the service they got here, or how bad that place is, or how much you will spend there. What is important to you? What pisses you off?

Bright, busy colors and hard to read fonts, are the top of most lists. Poor spelling kills me. Look at sites that appeal to you, and study them. The actual designing is simple these days.
 
Bult my own with Yahoo SiteBuilder. I enjoyed it and the exercise has taught me a great deal about presentation. I like being in complete control of my site and not having to call someone to find out why something isn't working and then hoping they aren't too busy to fix it. Plus it wasn't expensive.
 
The trouble with doing it yourself is in not being aware of easily overlooked details. For instance if the name of your home page is "home" or "template master" it won't be very search engine friendly. It should be something like "name of company, location, services provided", not literally of course, use specific information. This is the first thing search engines look for. Basic stuff. ChrisHurn gives good advice: look for someone building up a portfolio who'll do it for free or next to nothing.
 
Content/design issues aside, as far hosting goes doteasy.com is pretty good price wise: free for a basic set-up, $8 and $10/month for more advanced. Cheap domain registration, too. They have a template-driven site design program, but it sucks...

I taught myself how to build my own site after studying what I thought were the best-in-class sites in my industry -- weddings/event stuff. If that's not an option, I'd echo the suggestions to hire someone to do it right. There is a lot of great, young talent out there looking to build portfolios. One idea might be to find a web builders forum and hold a mini design contest: $200 (or whatever) for the best website meeting your criteria.

As far as media..I use streamhoster.com to push the video. They're a bit more expensive than other options but give you full, instant-on streaming via dedicated video servers. No waiting around to download or buffer.
 
Doteasy is cheap, which is really good, because their support is slow, and they have regular issues with mail servers. I use them, and I wouldn't pay for it. But, for the price, you can't beat them.
 
Thanks everyone for your help. I'll provably going to look for someone to build it for me.
g.
 
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