Post: #1

I want to start up a website but I don't have a lot of cash to spend on it. I know I could go the wordpress free blog route but it's not really a blog I'm planning on creating. Need to create a big site with a lot of content that will be updated frequently.

I don't know where to start or how much this should be costing. I've seen a few companies who charge minimum of £1.5k to create a site for you which is quite frankly crazy IMO.

Whats the lowest I could spend to get a decent looking website up and running?

I'm happy to upload the content myself if someone does all the design work and gets it online for me.

I don't know where to start either, anyone recommend some companies?

Post: #2

I'm just running out for NYe, but if no one else solves this for you id be more than happy to help out/give advice tomorrow. I run a forum of my own, which has entailed me learning pretty much all things web. I have a few other sites, but the forum my main.

What is your site going to be, I.e. Forum, commerce, entertainment... And for which country are you in/targeting.

IMO, 1.5k is too much for something you want to try. Hosting costs next to nothing, and depending on what you want, a site can be scripted, or coded more simply than I think you perceive. Try something, if it Proves popular, then splash out. Heck, I've only spent around 150 pound all in for 2 years now, if that, and it is more than recouped in ads.

Post: #3

Yo King, I can get you sorted on something like this. I usually charge biz owners up the ass but since you're a forum member and just getting started, I'd give you a steal of a deal. If it's just a basic content site kind of thing, I'd keep it really cheap and could make you some videos on how to keep adding to the site in the future.

If I have the right vision about what you're looking for, I think this is much more simple than you realize. PM me if you want and we'll figure it out. Or I can just give you advice and point you in the right direction.

By all means, do not spend 1.5K. If you were an established business owner with a budget, sure, but not on your first web project.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #4

I thought the 1.5k figures were seriously high. I think if someone designs it for me I could deal with uploading and updating it (I assume this would be fairly straight forward). There would be a lot of pages but I'm not sure that I need the creater to create every single page, if they created a design template wouldn't I be able to alter as required to create a new page?

Post: #5

(12-31-2011 07:00 PM)KingofScotland Wrote:  I thought the 1.5k figures were seriously high. I think if someone designs it for me I could deal with uploading and updating it (I assume this would be fairly straight forward). There would be a lot of pages but I'm not sure that I need the creater to create every single page, if they created a design template wouldn't I be able to alter as required to create a new page?

Yes, for sure. If the site was designed using wordpress software (not to be confused with the wordpress.com sites), then it would be a cinch for you to create the pages and manage it on your own once the theme was put together. And that's what most people use for these types of sites these days.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #6

Right so someone would essentially just create the skin / design / layout which I could then manage quite easily myself? That sounds good and doesn't seem like it should be expensive.

I can use the wordpress blog software easily enough, is using it in website format quite similar?

Post: #7

It's been years since I used the wordpress.com site but they've always seemed to make an effort to keep the software similar so you can cross over easily without learning a bunch of new stuff. It's extremely user-friendly once you're up and running (a little html helps from time to time but you can get by without it).

The money you'll end up paying just really depends on how custom you want your site to be. If you just want a basic-looking site, you can find some real nice custom themes out there already designed. ThemeForest.net is my favorite place to shop for premium themes and they only cost about $10 - $30. You'd still obviously need to have someone upload the software, point your nameservers, and optimize the site for SEO, etc (or just learn each step yourself).

The other option would be to have a theme completely custom designed and set up. That would probably run you a few hundred dollars if you have a hotshot Filipino or Indian designer put it together. The advantage is that it will be exactly how you want it to look.

Personally, I'd just start with a nice premium theme and you can always have a custom one created later if your site is doing well.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #8

I don't think I'll find a premium theme that fits with the kind of website I'm trying to create, I haven't so far. They are all too generic looking. So would probably have to pay for the theme.

Post: #9

redacted

Post: #10

Been talking to a few companies / designers to get an idea on prices. Found a Thai based company and explained what I wanted to them, he suggested wordpress website software too so I can easily update it but his idea was for them just to take an existing template and modify colours etc so it's tailored to me. This to me doesn't seem like it'll work as I haven't seen any templates yet that fit the niche I'm trying to create so any template is likely to look generic. He wanted to charge me £350 for this. Does that seem like a fair price?

Post: #11

(01-03-2012 07:49 AM)KingofScotland Wrote:  Been talking to a few companies / designers to get an idea on prices. Found a Thai based company and explained what I wanted to them, he suggested wordpress website software too so I can easily update it but his idea was for them just to take an existing template and modify colours etc so it's tailored to me. This to me doesn't seem like it'll work as I haven't seen any templates yet that fit the niche I'm trying to create so any template is likely to look generic. He wanted to charge me £350 for this. Does that seem like a fair price?

This is not a fair price for thailand. Maybe for England it is. Anyway, wordpress software is not that hard to figure out. I build my site from scratch too and i didnt know nothing about webdesign.

Do it yourself.

Post: #12

(01-03-2012 07:49 AM)KingofScotland Wrote:  Been talking to a few companies / designers to get an idea on prices. Found a Thai based company and explained what I wanted to them, he suggested wordpress website software too so I can easily update it but his idea was for them just to take an existing template and modify colours etc so it's tailored to me. This to me doesn't seem like it'll work as I haven't seen any templates yet that fit the niche I'm trying to create so any template is likely to look generic. He wanted to charge me £350 for this. Does that seem like a fair price?

Hosting on Hostgator.com should run you around $35 a month for the better plan. That allows you to host many websites each with it's own domain.

Wordpress is a one button installation on most of these hosting plans. It takes about a minute.

Installing a theme takes a minute. I don't know why you would pay them to update a theme. There must be a theme in your niche or something close that you can use until you start making some cash.

Upgrading wordpress takes a minute with one button click.

There are tons of tutorials on the net that addresses all of these.

Post: #13

I'm not going to pay them to upload my theme, I was wanting someone to design a theme for me. I haven't seen a theme either free or 'premium' on many of the websites I looked that even comes close to what I'm looking for and it's not even that I have something set in stone in mind I just don't want something overly generic that doesn't really do my subject justice

Neil are you just using a wordpress free blog software for your website? Did you get someone to design your banner at the top of the website and then do the rest yourself?

Post: #14

Hey, you should know that when companies charge 1.5k, they're either

a) ripping you off

or b) offering very high end design services that you probably don't need at this stage in your career.

There is a place for $2500 websites, but it's not a newbie's first ever website. $2500 is what a big company should charge for a sleek, modern looking website that is groundbreaking in design and makes the company really stand out from the competition. If somebody is charging you $2500 for a site that looks totally ordinary and has total ordinary features, you can pretty much tell them to screw off.

Anyway, you can get a half decent site for one or two hundred bucks and host for for a few bucks a month. It's really not expensive at all.

Post: #15

Point me in the right direction then please. I keep getting told I don't have to spend lots of money on this and that I can get a design and hosting for 'X' price but I'm not really seeing examples. If I can get a wordpress theme customised / tailored to my niche for $100 then I'll go for it. I just keep finding either websites offering 'custom' themes that are generic or places trying to charge me the earth.

Post: #16

KoS, I'd reallysuggest, if you haven't, getting some content pinned down on a good domain, with solid hosting sorted, and then workout a theme. Content is king really stands true. The themes on any of my sites have been work in progress for over a year and they just keep looking better.

Plus, the fact that A theme on a blank new site will definitely look completely different to a theme with content coming from all sides, and it will change the way users interact with it.

Don't say the theme is holding you up, the fact is, as lonG as it looks half decent for now and the content is good, people will keep coming, work on the theme, don't let it dominate.

Post: #17

Go to Odesk.com and hire someone to design the theme for you. Find a premium theme at WordpressThemes.com that is in the ballpark of what you want, and have someone on Odesk customize it for $50-$200 depending on what you want/need. It is where I get all of my work done.

Post: #18

(01-02-2012 09:08 AM)WestIndianArchie Wrote:  Anyone have experience with e-commerce sites? I just want to sell my messenger bag to a niche audience, but I'm not sure how to put it together.

Look into Shopify.com or Bigcartel.com. Then find several top notch blogs in your niche and send the owners/writer of the blogs a free messenger bag with a hand written note saying you don't expect them to review/feature/whatever your bag, but that you love reading their blog and thought your bag might be useful to them.

Post: #19

Not mentioned yet, but a combination of "Squarespace" and "Shopify" would totally cover you (probably) and be incredibly easy to set up.

I've never used Shopify, but I've used Squarespace for some of my websites and my friend's websites and it's always been great and looked great.

Post: #20

If I'm going to use the wordpress software what are good hosting options to go for? Someone mentioned hostgator, anyone agree or disagree with that?

Post: #21

(01-04-2012 07:08 AM)KingofScotland Wrote:  If I'm going to use the wordpress software what are good hosting options to go for? Someone mentioned hostgator, anyone agree or disagree with that?

Hostgator is good. I personally recommend BlueHost and HostGator.

Post: #22

(01-03-2012 10:01 AM)KingofScotland Wrote:  I'm not going to pay them to upload my theme, I was wanting someone to design a theme for me. I haven't seen a theme either free or 'premium' on many of the websites I looked that even comes close to what I'm looking for and it's not even that I have something set in stone in mind I just don't want something overly generic that doesn't really do my subject justice

Neil are you just using a wordpress free blog software for your website? Did you get someone to design your banner at the top of the website and then do the rest yourself?

I paid 135 dolla for a new year of webhosting, the first year was cheaper. I have my own domain name as you can see and the wordpress software came with the package. I pay a yearly fee of 10 dolla for extra privacy option. I need to keep my identity safe.

I use bluehost. Im satisfied with their services, they offer lots of free programs.

A Canadian buddy of mine who lives in a pimpin' life in the Philippines designed the header/banner for me. Gonna change it soon. I worked all night last night to change my site a bit.

Post: #23

(01-04-2012 07:08 AM)KingofScotland Wrote:  If I'm going to use the wordpress software what are good hosting options to go for? Someone mentioned hostgator, anyone agree or disagree with that?

Hostgator, go with them. Get a Baby or hatchling plan (if you have only the one domain).

Found a coupon for you, apparently they say SUMMER is the best value coupon but that only gets you 20% off, use hgc25 and your hosting will be 0.01cents.

To add, .co.uk have the FREE option of hiding your registration details associated with your domain. If you need a header/banner i can throw one together if need be.

Post: #24

KingofScotland,

I can understand why this process might seem a bit confusing at first. Let me offer a few suggestions.

Regarding webhosting, I also recommend hostgator to all of my clients. I put together a 25% off coupon for hostgator (the standard hostgator coupon is only 20%) that you or any other forum members can use, if you wish.

The coupon is: coupon4players

Full Disclosure: I get a commission off of your sign up, if you use my coupon. It is still a great deal, but I understand if Roosh wants me to delete it. If it does get deleted PM me for it.

Now, regarding the price difference people have mentioned on this board (one board member mentioned $35 per month, another mentioned only a few bucks per month) this has to do with the type of hosting you select. For instance, on hostgator, you can get plans that range from about $5-7 per month to almost $400. The difference in price is based on what you are getting. For the $5-7 plan, your website, along with hundreds of others, is sharing the same server. For the $400 plan you have your own exclusive server that you can do anything with. The more money you spend, the more processing power (and oftentimes more bandwidth) you receive.

So this leads to the question of which is good for you. For you, or anyone just starting out my recommendation is to GET THE CHEAP (NON-FREE) PLAN. Here is the reason. In the very beginning, you are simply not going to get enough traffic to your website to warrant paying for a more expensive hosting plan. This is ESPECIALLY true, if your website does not have a ton of video and/or high quality photos (think porn site). If you are lucky, EVENTUALLY you will need a faster server. If so, CONGRATULATIONS! Your website is actually getting a lot of traffic. All you have to do now is contact hostgator (or whoever your webhosting provider is) and upgrade your service plan. The beauty of this method is that you will only PAY MORE WHEN YOU NEED MORE.

Now, specifically starting out with hostgator, select webhosting and select the “baby” plan. The nice thing about the baby plan is that you can throw multiple domains up on a single hosting plan. When you select the plan, you will notice that they give you the option for a 3 year plan, a 2 year plan, a 1 year plan, a 6 month plan, and month to month. What you have to understand is that when they say “3 year plan” that means that they are going to charge you for all 3 years UP FRONT. So multiply whatever the monthly payment is by 36 (12 months X 3 years) to figure out how much they will charge your card today, and won’t charge your card again for another 3 years. With the month to month plan, every month you will get the $5-7 charge.

Personally, I usually recommend that clients select the month-to-month plan. It is only a hair more (about $1.50), but you have VERY little upfront cost, and you don’t risk anything if you decide to switch webhosting providers later on.

This post is getting a little long, so I will stop now and post about Wordpress, web design, and premium themes in another post.
Hope you guys found this useful.

Post: #25

(01-04-2012 09:01 AM)Ribbed Wrote:  

(01-04-2012 07:08 AM)KingofScotland Wrote:  If I'm going to use the wordpress software what are good hosting options to go for? Someone mentioned hostgator, anyone agree or disagree with that?

Hostgator, go with them. Get a Baby or hatchling plan (if you have only the one domain).

Found a coupon for you, apparently they say SUMMER is the best value coupon but that only gets you 20% off, use hgc25 and your hosting will be 0.01cents.
...

Just one thing about the .01 cent coupons. They only cover THE FIRST MONTH. After that you get charged the full rate. On the other hand the 20% and 25% coupons give a discount that applies to every month that you have webhosting.

What this means is that the 0.01 cent coupons are only worth it if your site is going to be up for 4 months or less. If your site is up for more than 5 months, you are better off using the 25% coupon.

Less anyone think that I am only posting this so folks will use my coupon, I can make a 0.01 cent coupon as well. I just don't because I don't think it is the best deal for my clients.