Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hello All,
    I am in a process of building my own website. Actually, after thinking for quite sometime and also considering the responses to my earlier topic--I have almost made up my mind to either learn how to develop a sophisticated website or get a business partner who knows how to develop it. 

 So if anyone has ever tried or has information on the above methods (learning or finding a business partner) please do respond. I will greatly appreciate your time and support.

Like if you have learnt ( taken some courses or workshops) how to develop your website --what was the experience like? How much time did it take for you to completely master the art (if you give your full time to it)? If it was paid course, how much did it cost you? Where u satisfied with the knowledge and tools available?

Thanks for your precious time,
Priya

Depending on what you want to add into your website will partly determine how long it takes you to learn how to code it and put it together. If you want static html pages, the learning time is much shorter that creating something with databases, dynamic content, memberships, etc.

You can cut this down by using premade systems like CMS`s, blog software, etc,. but that is only if they actually do what you want.

Personally, everything I learned was by looking around the net, testing free code and scripts, research .... basically, search/trial/error. I think you need to decide if you want to spend the time and money on courses to build one website, or take the time to research on your own.



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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

If you are going to do it yourself, why not use one of the website builders already available.  There are a number of free website builder site available that offer a wide range of features.  Yahoo Sitebuilder is one that comes to mind.  But, there are many more on the Internet.


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The older we get, the more excuses we make for not chasing after our dreams. But truth is, goals are attainable at any age.

Yes, I developed a Web site from scratch. I`ve used a lot of computer applications, consider myself to be above average in relation to software, and have built a number of small databases (mostly flat, not so much relational).

I tried a couple of applications, then settled on Nvu, from Mozilla. It`s powerful and FREE!

We sell 1 item---signal flags, 26 different flags (one for each letter of the alphabet). However, we personalize messages with them, meaning people can buy them in any quantity, any arrangement. We also offer them in 3 configurations. That`s it. That`s all. Simple.

Then I had the opportunity and fun of working with Webline as we built a *real* Web site! This time for the curmudgeon certificate.

What I`ve learned:

Either you become a near-professional Web developer and programmer, or you leave it to the professionals. Anything in between will pretty much guarantee you one of two things:

1. A site so simple as to be severely limited, or
2. A site that can`t be expanded or changed much without long hours of lots of heavy-duty work.
   

I recommend you start out with WordPress installed on a hosting

I intend to design my website from scratch using as much open-source techniques as possible, namely Drupal and Ubercart, partly because of cost savings but mainly because I want to be in control as well as learn something new.

Thanks to all you helpful people--I greatly appreciate your time and advice. I will definitely look into all the resources you have suggested!
Thanks,
Priya

Hey CriticalMass,
 That is exactly what i intend to do--save and also learn something new!!!
Thanks,
Priya

Hello.  I used Dreamweaver CS3 to build my site (signature link) and I never had any prior web experience.  Granted - I don`t use any databases or fancy scripts but I think this software works well for basics and for beginners.

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Brendita`s Body Works - Organic Skin & Hair Care Products

It really depends on what it is you are looking to do. Either way, if you are going to build your website yourself, your best bet is to hand code it - it gives you the most control over your site, your code will be a lot cleaner than something that is made through a WYSIWYG editor, and you will have a much better understanding of what each line of code does.

What I have found is that the more you know, the easier it becomes to learn even more. So if you have no experience with HTML, learning that might take a little bit of time, but once you know that, learning the likes of CSS will become even easier (after years of on and off work with HTML, I resolved to learn CSS, which only took me a day at that point).

I don`t have much experience with PHP and the like, but what I have seen is that its not difficult to understand once you get the hang of web development.

Bottom line, if you are good technical thinker and learn these type of things quickly, consider coding yourself. But if you have the money, you would be better off hiring someone.

Also, the Wordpress recommendation might be a good idea for you, depending on what specifically you are looking to do.



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Motivation for Entrepreneurs
Entre-Propel.com