Website and Design

[BBallkid42]

Getting to the point where I want to setup a website for my business but have some questions. Once I purchase a domain name, how do I go about designing the website? What are some people's experiences with setting up a website? I read you have to purchase a domain name and then a web host to help you design the website. Anything you can advise would be great and please include how much you paid for the whole set-up. Thanks

[ajslands]

Well you can use a designer or if you're good with hyper textark up language (HTML) you can set it up using that. Just hire someone, to do it, a biddy of mine payed a thousand or so.
Posted via Mobile Device

[BBallkid42]

Originally Posted by ajslands

Well you can use a designer or if you're good with hyper textark up language (HTML) you can set it up using that. Just hire someone, to do it, a biddy of mine payed a thousand or so.
Posted via Mobile Device

I'm not looking to pay that much. I know buying the domain is cheap and I'm not looking for something flashy and extravagant but just something to get up and running for the moment. My main question is once you have the domain are the tools there for you to design it on your own or do you have to buy the design tools when you buy the domain?

[soloscaperman]

Don't waste your money were in stage that a service company has a better chance having a page on Facebook or Linked.com or something like that. Were are slowly migrating from websites to a page like facebook with apps and a search engine built right into it. I guess you can say ALL-IN-ONE.

[lukemelo216]

I use a company called the logo company. www.thelogocompany.net. They can do a 5 page website for you for $450.00. Then id just shop around for a domain and host name.

You get 5 designs, then move forward with a design from there. I have used them for my logo, brochure, postcards, and now I am having them upgrade my current website. Trust me, use a company to do your website. You can always tell the difference between a website that joe the landscaper put together, and one that xyz landscape contracting had put together by a professional website deisgner.

I will agree that we are getting more and more into the twitter/facebook age for business, but I still think its important to have a website presence too in addition to facebook.

[GravelyWoman]

Originally Posted by lukemelo216

I use a company called the logo company. www.thelogocompany.net. They can do a 5 page website for you for $450.00. Then id just shop around for a domain and host name.

You get 5 designs, then move forward with a design from there. I have used them for my logo, brochure, postcards, and now I am having them upgrade my current website. Trust me, use a company to do your website. You can always tell the difference between a website that joe the landscaper put together, and one that xyz landscape contracting had put together by a professional website deisgner.

I will agree that we are getting more and more into the twitter/facebook age for business, but I still think its important to have a website presence too in addition to facebook.

I paid right around $39.00 to get my website up and running through a website design service called Homestead their website is www.homestead.com, the monthly service is 19.00 per month. This has been the best money spent so far for my business. I have a link to my Facebook page, pics of my work a total of 5 pages. If you have any computer skills at all this is extremely easy to navigate and understand!! To spend 1,000 or 450.00 just starting out was crazy for me. This has been great! In addition, I just added an additional service of accepting credit cards through this company as well. 2.7% each swipe, no monthly service fee nor any cost for equipment, which is a small device that attachs to your iPhone.

Thanks!
Gravely Woman

[soloscaperman]

I use godaddy.com and I built this site for about $8 a month pretty easy too. WHitehillslandscaping.com Just started building it last 2 months when I had extra time.

[THEGOLDPRO]

I built my website myself using intuit, i HIGHLY recommend them, As soon as i made my domain name they called me from customer service and stayed on the phone with me for about an hour to make sure i had it all figured out. Then they called me back 2 weeks later to make sure i didn't have any questions and helped me some more.

[lukemelo216]

yes you can design a decent website yourself using something like godaddy or similar produts. I did that initially, and it was fine, but as the web becomes more and more widely used form of marketing, I believe it is important to have a high quality website built for you. Yes it does cost a good amount of money, but its well worth it in my opinion. People want convience these days, so every bit of marketing we do, we display the website in which they can request quotes right there.

[soloscaperman]

Originally Posted by lukemelo216

yes you can design a decent website yourself using something like godaddy or similar produts. I did that initially, and it was fine, but as the web becomes more and more widely used form of marketing, I believe it is important to have a high quality website built for you. Yes it does cost a good amount of money, but its well worth it in my opinion. People want convience these days, so every bit of marketing we do, we display the website in which they can request quotes right there.

Nothing wrong with use godaddy just because it's cheap, it's simple but it depends on what pacakges you choose and I am still learning. The website itself doesn't show your work, your work pictures is what shows who you are. People want simple sites that are'nt jammed with crap. Look at the method of Google.com and Facebook.com very simply and people like that versus clutter and other tacky stuff.