Webmaster forum - Advice would be greatly appreciated

Author

Advice would be greatly appreciated

verity

2006-06-03, 7:14 pm

I made a web-site several years ago with "Front Page' but it was a very

simple, non-commercial site.

I'm supposed to be opening my own commercial site by October; am not
that fast at using HTML, which I have been learning on-line. My local
computer dealer insists I should use 'DreamWeaver' but my on-line tutor

insists that HTML will be much better in the long run, since I will
have to update the site at least twice weekly.

I know I probably come across as a bit of a prat but I have been ill,
have a full time job again and don't enjoy messing with computers for
fun, as I used to when much younger.

I just want to get my site up & service it myself, the reason why I'm
=E2=80=A8going down this business route, but it has to be a professional
=E2=80=A8business site.

I have the money for start-up and I'm thinking maybe I should get
someone to =E2=80=A8do the site in HTML & then manage it myself, but some
business friends have not found that satisfactory for various reasons.
Thanks, Violet.

Charles Sweeney

2006-06-03, 7:14 pm

verity wrote

> I made a web-site several years ago with "Front Page' but it was a
very
>
> simple, non-commercial site.
>
> I'm supposed to be opening my own commercial site by October; am not
> that fast at using HTML, which I have been learning on-line. My local
> computer dealer insists I should use 'DreamWeaver' but my on-line
tutor
>
> insists that HTML will be much better in the long run, since I will
> have to update the site at least twice weekly.
>
> I know I probably come across as a bit of a prat but I have been ill,
> have a full time job again and don't enjoy messing with computers for
> fun, as I used to when much younger.
>
> I just want to get my site up & service it myself, the reason why I'm
>  going down this business route, but it has to be a professional
>  business site.
>
> I have the money for start-up and I'm thinking maybe I should get
> someone to  do the site in HTML & then manage it myself, but some
> business friends have not found that satisfactory for various reasons.
> Thanks, Violet.

Hi Violet.

I agree it's better to learn HTML, but a lot of people speak highly of
DreamWeaver.

If it's a business site, will you be selling directly from it? If so
you will probably need to get into scripting and working with a
database, which is more stuff to learn.

If you only have a small number of products, you can make a simple HTML
site and use PayPal buttons for the sales.

Don't worry about learning all the stuff, many/most people here are
self-taught, just take it a step at a time.

Try making the site in text first. Don't worry about how it looks,
colours, layout etc. A page of text with a PayPal button on it can be a
very effective seller. Anything after the text(content) is window
dressing. People don't visit sites to marvel at them, they visit to buy
something.

You will hear a lot of talk about W3C and "validation". To a learner,
this makes HTML look complicated. Basically the W3C stuff is
recommendations that are supposed to help browsers etc interpret your
site correctly. In reality (particularly with a mainly text site) very
very few people will have a problem seeing your site, so you are
virtually into diminishing returns straight away if you major too much
on the W3C recommendations.

You will also hear a lot of talk about CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). As
the name implies, this is about style, and has nothing to do with
function. CSS is very handy, and you should use it, but make a site
without it to begin with if you find it too much to take in at once.
The most important thing is to get your content down, and make sure your
links work, and the site works as it should. You can add style after
that.

If you are making a site with a few pages of text, some links and a
PayPal button, you can learn this and have it up in a day!

--
Charles Sweeney
http://CharlesSweeney.com

verity

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

Charles Sweeney wrote:
> verity wrote
>
> very
> tutor
me[color=darkred]
>
> Hi Violet.
>
> I agree it's better to learn HTML, but a lot of people speak highly of
> DreamWeaver.
>
> If it's a business site, will you be selling directly from it? If so
> you will probably need to get into scripting and working with a
> database, which is more stuff to learn.
>
> If you only have a small number of products, you can make a simple HTML
> site and use PayPal buttons for the sales.
>
> Don't worry about learning all the stuff, many/most people here are
> self-taught, just take it a step at a time.
>
> Try making the site in text first. Don't worry about how it looks,
> colours, layout etc. A page of text with a PayPal button on it can be a
> very effective seller. Anything after the text(content) is window
> dressing. People don't visit sites to marvel at them, they visit to buy
> something.
>
> You will hear a lot of talk about W3C and "validation". To a learner,
> this makes HTML look complicated. Basically the W3C stuff is
> recommendations that are supposed to help browsers etc interpret your
> site correctly. In reality (particularly with a mainly text site) very
> very few people will have a problem seeing your site, so you are
> virtually into diminishing returns straight away if you major too much
> on the W3C recommendations.
>
> You will also hear a lot of talk about CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). As
> the name implies, this is about style, and has nothing to do with
> function. CSS is very handy, and you should use it, but make a site
> without it to begin with if you find it too much to take in at once.
> The most important thing is to get your content down, and make sure your
> links work, and the site works as it should. You can add style after
> that.
>
> If you are making a site with a few pages of text, some links and a
> PayPal button, you can learn this and have it up in a day!
>
> --
> Charles Sweeney
> http://CharlesSweeney.com

That sounds really good advice & thanks for explaining thingsso
clearly, I'm not as young as I was and I get a bit confused with all
the new terms. When I started in computing, it was DOS & card readers.
:-)

Charles Sweeney

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

verity wrote

> That sounds really good advice & thanks for explaining thingsso
> clearly, I'm not as young as I was and I get a bit confused with all
> the new terms. When I started in computing, it was DOS & card readers.
>:-)

You'll be in good company here then!

--
Charles Sweeney
http://CharlesSweeney.com

verity

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

Charles Sweeney wrote:
> verity wrote
>
>
> You'll be in good company here then!
>
> --
> Charles Sweeney
> http://CharlesSweeney.com

Thank you sooo much for saying that, I went shopping with my teenagers
yesterday for clothes & everything I held up & said 'how does this look
on me?" they pulled faces at.....I joked 'what about a paper bag over
my head' - you have to keep laughing. :-)

Charles Sweeney

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

verity wrote

> Thank you sooo much for saying that, I went shopping with my teenagers
> yesterday

If you've got teenagers, you're just a young thing!

--
Charles Sweeney
http://CharlesSweeney.com

verity

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

Charles Sweeney wrote:
> verity wrote
>
>
> If you've got teenagers, you're just a young thing!
>
> --
> Charles Sweeney
> http://CharlesSweeney.com

:-) Thanks,
well I'm a young 51 year old that's for sure, but I put it down to good
living, hard work & non-indulgence.

William Tasso

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

Fleeing from the madness of the http://groups.google.com jungle
verity <verity.gray@mac.com> stumbled into news:alt.www.webmaster
and said:

>
> Charles Sweeney wrote:
>
> :-) Thanks,
> well I'm a young 51 year old that's for sure, but I put it down to good
> living, hard work & non-indulgence.

I spent 90% of my income on old whiskey, fast cars and wild, wild women -
the rest I just frittered away.

--
William Tasso

http://williamtasso.com/words/what-is-usenet.asp

verity

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

William Tasso wrote:
> Fleeing from the madness of the http://groups.google.com jungle
> verity <verity.gray@mac.com> stumbled into news:alt.www.webmaster
> and said:
>
>
> I spent 90% of my income on old whiskey, fast cars and wild, wild women -
> the rest I just frittered away.
>
> --
> William Tasso
>
> http://williamtasso.com/words/what-is-usenet.asp

:-) I've spent a bit of money on a wild woman, but i thought I
deserved it since I'd worked for it.

My car does 100 down hill on the motorway but I'd really like a
motorbike, might just get one - <mid-life crisis> don't drink anything
other than occ. glass of red wine.
I don't do frittering, I think money should work for you (yes a
capitalist)

Charles Sweeney

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

verity wrote

>:-) I've spent a bit of money on a wild woman, but i thought I
> deserved it since I'd worked for it.

Waaaahey!!!

--
Charles Sweeney
http://CharlesSweeney.com

Jerry Stuckle

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

William Tasso wrote:
> Fleeing from the madness of the http://groups.google.com jungle
> verity <verity.gray@mac.com> stumbled into news:alt.www.webmaster
> and said:
>
>
>
> I spent 90% of my income on old whiskey, fast cars and wild, wild women
> - the rest I just frittered away.
>

My doctor told me to stop smoking, lose weight and stop going out with wicked
women. I asked "Why?" He responded "You'll live longer". I asked "Why?"

--
==================
Remove the "x" from my email address
Jerry Stuckle
JDS Computer Training Corp.
jstucklex@attglobal.net
==================

Syl

2006-06-03, 7:15 pm

verity wrote:
> I made a web-site several years ago with "Front Page' but it was a very
>
> simple, non-commercial site.
>
> I'm supposed to be opening my own commercial site by October; am not
> that fast at using HTML, which I have been learning on-line. My local
> computer dealer insists I should use 'DreamWeaver' but my on-line tutor
>
> insists that HTML will be much better in the long run, since I will
> have to update the site at least twice weekly.
>
> I know I probably come across as a bit of a prat but I have been ill,
> have a full time job again and don't enjoy messing with computers for
> fun, as I used to when much younger.
>
> I just want to get my site up & service it myself, the reason why I'm
> =E2=80=A8going down this business route, but it has to be a professional
> =E2=80=A8business site.
>
> I have the money for start-up and I'm thinking maybe I should get
> someone to =E2=80=A8do the site in HTML & then manage it myself, but some
> business friends have not found that satisfactory for various reasons.
> Thanks, Violet.

http://squarespace.com/