Website Builders, it's a minefield! Advice wanted please??

[Guru Murti]

Hi All

I have a solid business idea. I need a website. Being a non-techie, and computer dumby, I have been toying with the idea of using an all-inclusive package with a web hosting company whereby you get a builder, hosting, managing software, search engline registration blah blah

I have become pretty good with Frontpage, thanks to Ed, who got me started (cheers mate, I went home and realised it was already on my PC, so I got well into it!) But, am I right in thinking a website builder would be better for a newbie like me? (I need e-commerce) If so, does anyone know about SITE BUILD IT??? Are they good, they do seem to have hijacked all reviews on the web, so they are over positive...

I also thought about getting a pro-team in to design the website, but I don't like the fact I would be dependent on them for what could be weekly updates etc etc. I do need control over the site.


I would be really grateful if anyone can advise me with this?

Cheers
GM

[117]

If it's to do with e-commerce then it's always a good idea to get a professional to at least deal with that side of things, you can buy books and stuff from amazon etc about starting out in e-commerce but unless you really know what you're doing you could end up leaving yourself wide open.

Regards actual design, if you wanted it to look that professional but want control over content why not get a pro in to do the designing, and get them to provide a way of you controlling the content yourself - the most primitive example of this being blogging using a blogging site - they set up the design and you send in the content yourself

[fac51]

Yeah it's true you can get a web designer to build your site but add a 'content management' function so you can update it yourself.

as for the company you mention i've never heard of them. i would take look at 1&1 and see if they offer what you need, they do pretty much everything. do a google and find the 1&1 for your county/area.

[arfur]

the web host i have has jobbies that create standard type sites and you play with the colurs etc and make it look pretty. i think they have commerce bits in them.

check out http://ukwebsolutionsdirect.co.uk/hosting.php and http://ukwebsolutionsdirect.co.uk/fantastico.php look at the e commerce bits down the list.

[Guru Murti]

Thanks for that guys, I will have a good think. It was mentioned that for e-commerce I'll need a pro otherwise I would be leaving myself right open....isn't a simple link to paypal or moneybookers secure enough? (I guess that is all I would need)

[117]

Thanks for that guys, I will have a good think. It was mentioned that for e-commerce I'll need a pro otherwise I would be leaving myself right open....isn't a simple link to paypal or moneybookers secure enough? (I guess that is all I would need)

ah right didn't realise you meant just through paypal, in that case yeah that'd be fine for your needs

[fac51]

yeah link to paypal would be fine, check out some of the paypal guides to setting it up for business use.