Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Travel and Tourism is a huge market and I`ve been thinking of a way to incorporate my local areas vacation spots into one centralized website that does a few important things:

1) Advertises these Vacation Spots (Beaches, Castles, Campgrounds, Theme Parks, etc)

2) Allows users to rate and comment on these spots.

3) Operates a blog / stories about people`s trips to the region.

4) Allows people to see a Calendar of Events

5) Allows people to see a Map of the area and where these businesses lie in relation to each other.

- - -

I have the idea, the ability to reach out to these businesses and whatnot - but what I need is someone with a GREAT eye for web design to help launch this thing. It`s conceptual right now and it has the potential to make a lot of money in advertising as well as provide a great service.

Feel free to give me a call if you`re interested in this project.

Apparently nobody is interested? I`ll broaden my search to a site that has freelance web designers waiting for a decent project to tackle. Maybe it`s because it`s Friday / Summer?

Still 21 views and not 1 reply makes for 1 sad panda.

It sounds like you need some type of directory for the places in your area, with independent components integrated into it .... probably not to difficult to do ... have you checked into CMS programs, or rather start it from scratch?


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M Hall
Website Critique Community
International Society of Curmudgeons

I too would recommend a CMS or a Wiki type of web application should get you started.  No need to start from scratch.

I`d like to use Joomla, if possible - so what I`m looking for is someone who can handle the template design and I can (pretty much) take it from there. There are a few things that I need to hammer out, though.

North,
Joomla is a powerful CMS to use, if used properly. I use Joomla for all of the web sites I design and one thing I like about the CMS is that, they are constantly updating the CMS as of June we are on Joomla 1.5.11, which got rid of all the Mambots [mambo-plugins], there is two ways you can go about creating what you want...
1. Use out of the box commercial or non commercial components for Joomla or
2. Have a customized Joomla Component and module to fit your needs...

All of the stuff you mentioned above can be created in Joomla.... right of the top of my head.. without going to the Joomla site here is what you`re going to need if you want your CMS to Look Sharp...
1.  4 to 6 advertisement modules on the front page [use the built in components for this]
2. For the Reviews, you can either go with the basic article rating system and purchase a license of JComments for people to comment back
3. Blogging system - Use Ido Joomla which is a Blogging system or the word-press component for Joomla which works just fine... But I prefer to go with I DO Joomla.
4. Calendar system - Use Jcalendar, is very easy to. and it`s integrateable with the Default Login System that Joomla gives you and also with IDO Joomla.
5. Map System - You can use Segui Business Directory which allows you to charge your customers if they want to upload a Logo [this is a self serve component] which allows any business owner to create their own Business Listings and you get paid... or you can charge them and manually enter it yourself.

As far as the template? well, I can see that it`s a free Joomla template... if you`re going to go that route that`s cool for now... but I just gave you all the Joomla components needed to run your business... Also, turn on your SEF and Search Engine parameters under Global Configuration so you can get rid of the ?option/component junk...
Turn your .httaccess file on and there might be some CHMODing to be done... don`t leave your directories open once you are done developing...




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Edgar Monroy
Web Developer / Owner / Consultant
When starting your own business the need to "know-how" is greater than money!
http://www.nuevolution.net

Oh no. Not Joomla. Never, never Joomla. How a `modern CMS` can be created to not include pretty URLs by default is beyond me!

I`m confused though ... I thought you were a web designer?



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That PHP Girl
Small Business Essentials
Latest Post on SUN: New Facebook Pages - First Impressions

I`ve done a couple of sites using Joomla - but I`m far from a web designer. I can handle the graphics end of things - but making a pretty CSS and custom code is -not- something that I`ll sell as a service. It`s like giving a 2 year old a rubix cube. He`d rather eat it than figure it out. :)

I`m not speaking about my current website. That website is for my design company... I`ll admit it`s still lacking and needs a lot of work - and I`m trying to keep on it the best I can. :)

I`m trying to put together a package for a local vacation website. It`s a new URL, a new website, a new idea (for my area) and hopefully a way for people wanting to visit my area to get an idea of what the best places to visit are.

I appreciate all the feedback so far and if any of you web developers want to call me to discuss my project and offer your services, please feel free to do so. I already have a couple of people looking into quotes - but I`m happy to give someone the work if they can do what I ask.

315-307-3359

Shawn

That`s typically the response you would get from someone that doesn`t have any experience in Joomla, Joomla includes a SEF control parameter in the Global Configuration that allows all your URL`s to become Search Engine Friendly it`s under SEO settings:
You Click on: Search Engine Friendly URL`s and on Add Suffix to URL`s and you are done...

What he really needs to do is go into the template and remove the Auto generated with Joomla1.5 to Auto Generated by "The name of his company"...  this will allow for his site to rank faster on the search engines. What I like most about Joomla once you turn on the SEF controls is, that it names all your pages accordingly to the Title of your Article or Business Directory or Anything...


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Edgar Monroy
Web Developer / Owner / Consultant
When starting your own business the need to "know-how" is greater than money!
http://www.nuevolution.net