I need Advice I would like to know were I can go to get a cheap Domain Name and Were to go to get a Website done?

Anyone?

bridgemedia.ie good compny , makes off wiccle.com

jurdy

Hi,

If you want a really good website for free that you can build yourself in half a day and have no web design skills goto jimdo.com

I stumbled on this on saturday and cant beleive its free. the only thing you pay for is the domain name ?60 and you dont have to pay that unless you upgrade.

I cant recommend them enough.

if you want a look at mine: http://www.brotherstextiles.jimdo.com

like I say done in a couple of hours and all free

MAC31 - 20 May 2009 09:21 PM

I need Advice I would like to know were I can go to get a cheap Domain Name and Were to go to get a Website done?

Anyone?

The free website is fine, but not if you want to appear professional.

You can be in business for 30 yrs and the moment you put up a website that doesn’t look as good as your competitors or doesn’t appear profesionally done, your competitors will take your potential business. Eight out of every ten people would choose a more professional website to do business with as opposed to a website that doesn’t look professionally done.

The psychology behind it is: Businesses that are respectable and are doing well invest in their image. 

Imagine if ZARA used a free online service- http://www.zara.freewebsties.com. What would that do to their image?

Conversely, if you are a one man show, you can appear as if you are a company with 300 employees is you have a professionally done website.

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for.

For domain names:
I use GoDaddy.com. I have about 70 domains hosted there, but at one point I have had over 300 domains with them. They are under $10/yr. (US Dollars).

After you buy a domain, you must look into hosting. If a domain name is a “house” then “hosting” is the land or property where you will build that house.

Some other things you will need:

- a logo
- content. Good content is key
- a contact form for people to fill out and get a hold of you (this way you don’t publicize your personal info)
- images (that will give you a professional appearance and not appear that you are operating out of your apt)

What kind of website are you looking to build? Do you want to blog or run a message board such as these forums?

I build websites and have been doing so for about 10 yrs. I also specialize in online marketing and SEO (search engine optimization) which means that I get your site to come up when someone is searching for you on Google and Yahoo.

You don’t have to optimize your site, but it’s worth the extra money if you want long term business. Just keep in mind that building a website won’t mean that it will be found on search engines like Google and Yahoo.

You can see some of my basic services listed here- (edited- send me a private message for services). If you’re on a specific budget, let me know and I’ll see if I can work with it.

I just moved out to Las Rozas in April, from Los Angeles so if you’re in Madrid, I can even meet up with you to go over any project details.

Send me a PM if you have any questions.

Good luck!

well what with you buying all those domain names and having so much to lose its probably natural that you will come on here telling us you are all this and that.

Personally I dont care what you have got or what you think to mine or anyone elses site, besides who cares this guy might just want a prescence on the web and not want to spend a fortune.

There are plenty of people who use the site and for your misguided information the company in question are quite willing for you to use your own domain name.

Sorry but I dont see your point.

Other than trying to create yourself some business. Hold on what was that to look professional you have to go trawling around forums looking for work

I pity you

Thanks

Ive just had a look at yours and dont rate it either!

leatherdoctor - 11 June 2009 01:14 AM

well what with you buying all those domain names and having so much to lose its probably natural that you will come on here telling us you are all this and that.

Personally I dont care what you have got or what you think to mine or anyone elses site, besides who cares this guy might just want a prescence on the web and not want to spend a fortune.

There are plenty of people who use the site and for your misguided information the company in question are quite willing for you to use your own domain name.

Sorry but I dont see your point.

Wow! Someone is bitttttter. Must be because you paid ?60 for a domain name. What you don’t understand is that you still paid for your website and hosting by paying the exorbitant amount of ?60 for the domain name. They just found a clever way to take the same money by “bundling” it with the “FREE” service.

By the way, I wasn’t attacking you so sorry if you felt offended by my original post. I was trying to prove a point for people who want to build an online presence, you’ll be better served doing it right from the beginning.

I saw your website and in your About Us page you say-

The leading retailer of work wear and associated apparel. Based in the Nottingham we have now been successfully trading for over 3 years.

Now, if you are the “leading retailer” then why are you so cheap to look for a “free web service” to represent you?

Web presence still implies “professional look.” If you don’t understand that, then you will never succeed online.

I’m sorry for you, that you don’t see my point. Obviously, you don’t believe that presentation is important in the business world.

Honestly, would you buy something online with your credit card from a website that doesn’t look professional? Answer that honestly and you will see my point.

Maybe you can see my point here.

Both of these websites offer the same brands and they are both operating out of the UK.
Both of these sites may have one employee or 100 employees. Visitors to the site will never know. But what we do know is that one of them invested in their online image, which builds trust and credibility, and has a solid online presence.

The other one, did not.

Which one would you trust and buy from?

http://www.jklclothing.co.uk 

or

http://brotherstextiles.jimdo.com (yours)

Do you see my point now?

This article will help you (don’t worry, I didn’t write it so you can let your guard down and actually learn something)
http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/06/site-trust-indicators.html

Hopefully, this thread will be helpful to all those looking to start an online venture.

Other than trying to create yourself some business. Hold on what was that to look professional you have to go trawling around forums looking for work

Must be the same thing you did when you posted your link, in that sly and subtle way…

leatherdoctor - 11 June 2009 02:12 AM

Ive just had a look at yours and dont rate it either!

That was something that I put up for friends who constantly ask me what my prices were and what services I offered before I moved to Madrid. A way for their referrals to contact me.

Here’s one that I just did- (edited- send me a private message for services).

=)

Hiya!!

As a newcomer to this forum, I was reading your entries about websites and design. I have to say that I have been looking around for ideas as am about to launch my own business.

After reading all the entries, I agree with both of you. Yes a website does need to look clean and professional, because at the end of the day it is a worldwide portal to your success.

However, a lot of smaller businesses do not have the funding to set up a “professional” website, nor do they know where to look to get said website for a realistic price, particularly if computer jargon baffles them!!

At the end of the day, smaller businesses can build up to professional websites should they be successful. My belief is that after spending many hours of internet shopping, providing that the site is clean, not too busy and easy to navigate round and has the best prices, then it gets my vote.

As for security on the internet with your card, that doesn’t mean anything nowadays as it is so easy for hackers to get the info no matter how professional you are ( look at the banks for example and the problems they have encountered!)

Anyway, time for me to down off the soapbox and give someone else a shot!!

xxx

Lola31 - 14 June 2009 01:56 AM

However, a lot of smaller businesses do not have the funding to set up a “professional” website, nor do they know where to look to get said website for a realistic price, particularly if computer jargon baffles them!!

The funding is all relative to whoever is buying the website. For example, if you can have a professionally built website for under 1,000 Euros and your online representation looks professional from the get go, then to me that is a very small price to pay to build my brand.

It’s not really what I would call “funding.” I can understand though that 1,000 Euros is not in everyones budget, but maybe 500 euros is? You can fund that with a credit card or a loan from mom or dad! If 500 Euros got you a well built professional site with less pages, then you’re still off to a good start and can build up from there.

I guess it all depends on the person looking to start their online business and how professional they want to appear.

Lola31 - 14 June 2009 01:56 AM

At the end of the day, smaller businesses can build up to professional websites should they be successful.

Or, they can build a professional website from the beginning and implement an effective marketing strategy and ensure their success…from the beginning.

That’s the beauty of the net. Unlike putting up a brick and mortar store, coffee shop, restaurant, etc…You can be profitable with an online business very very quickly.

Lola31 - 14 June 2009 01:56 AM

My belief is that after spending many hours of internet shopping, providing that the site is clean, not too busy and easy to navigate round and has the best prices, then it gets my vote.

I couldn’t agree with you more. Professionally built websites come with all of those things because they are the building blocks to a solid foundation online.

Lola31 - 14 June 2009 01:56 AM

As for security on the internet with your card, that doesn’t mean anything nowadays as it is so easy for hackers to get the info no matter how professional you are ( look at the banks for example and the problems they have encountered!)

This is absolutely true. Dang hackers!

When I said this- “Honestly, would you buy something online with your credit card from a website that doesn?t look professional? Answer that honestly and you will see my point.”

I was referring to the psychology of an online buyer/shopper. They are more likely to purchase from a well designed website that they trust and they perceive to be credible.

Online, you build credibility and trust through your website design. It is the clients first impression of you/your business. The thinking is “If you care enough to invest in a nice professional site, then you care about your customers experience (which includes customer service).”

Web Design (item #3) http://www.marketingsphere.com/marketing-articles/build-trust.html
Building trust with site design- http://www.improvetheweb.com/trust-as-the-most-important-online-value

Good luck with your business!

This is what I like! An interesting and informative posting; likewise the replies. I can see each poster’s point. Broadly speaking I am with Lola on this one. It is horses for courses.
The IMAGE thing IS important. Would you want to see a medico or let a bloke tighten your wheel-nuts if their grammar and syntax was no better than that of your average eleven-year old kid? I look through websites and often cringe at the poor English language content. This fatal flaw is not confined to cheap websites either: The effect is the same; it destroys the confidence of browsers; deters potential clients.
I checked out about 100 websites. These were mostly British but many were those of Spanish companies targeting the English-speaking communities. The copy content of about 90% (no kidding) was littered with appalling spelling and grammatical errors. One was a TV production company. In one paragraph alone there were about five schoolboy howlers. Believe was beleive. Coastal was costal, etc. 
I have (at a modest fee) tidied many up.  As a consequence the content of those websites now appears as professional as the websites themselves. I have given each the essential makeover necessary to give them credibility. By the way: Don’t blame the web designer. His or her job is to create the website. It is unfair to expect them to tidy up your lousy copy to journalist standards. Get it checked and fix it first.

See what I mean? Coincidentally I went from here to a ‘Spain Information’ website, which is part of a newspaper group! In the following introductory paragraph alone I counted at least five spelling or grammatical errors. Sloppiness comes to mind. Who could take them seriously?

The Orihuela Costa is the costal area of Orihuela on the Costa Blanca in South East Spain. Orihuela is an historic and exceptionally picturesque city situated approx. 20 kilometres inland of the Orihuela Costa.
The Orihuela Costa lies on the most Southern point of the Costa Blanca and comprises of roughly 16 km of fine powder-sand beaches, rocky coves and sparkling blue waters of the Mediterranean, stretching from Punta Prima (just south of Torrevieja), Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Villamartin, Campoamor and Mil Palmeras

I use Microsoft Office Live for Small Business.

You can import a domain name or register one for free for 2 yrs then ?10.99 a year after.

I bought my http://www.businessname.co.uk for ?6.49, imported it to the site and use there templates etc.

Its easy to do and design anybody can do it and many so called consultant web designers do it without any formal training or ability.

All you do is either copy templates/layouts from other sites and use nice colours, test it with people you no and away you go.

A friend of mine paid 500 Euros for his, gutted, his site is crap and unproffessional, but the consultant consulted so much with him that it was the clients ultimate design agreement and not the consultants, aparantly thats how they get around it.

The hardest part though is getting your site optimised so that when people search they get your site in the top section.

Many http://www.business.co.uk sites won`t be found in search engines, even if you type the direct address, Yahoo and google only list the optimised ones using the words in the address.

Direct tool bars will only find your address.

So paying a consultant to optimise your site is important unless you advertise with say http://www.yell.com and then your link will re direct to your site.

I built my own company website…  😊

You can view it via the link in my signature, so if anyone wants to pick holes in it, or offer “constructive” criticism, that’s fine.

It cost me $179 with bravenet.com for two years hosting, the domain name of my choice and included online website building software and tools. There’s easy to use templates and a “website wizard” that can easily guide even the most novice users step-by-step to creating even quite complex looking sites.

Obviously I’m learning new things all the time, but as a small business, it was important that my web presence was both cost effective, easy to manage and most importantly, I have total control so that I can update things exactly how and when I want to.

My website will arguably get better as I learn new tricks to improve on the overall design and layout, but one of the most important factors was that people would be able to find it easily. This is where SEO’s (Serch Engine Optimization) was important. It’s not just about having the right domain name these days, but about ranking highly with all the search engines, especially those like Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc… which people can pay a lot of money for.

My SEO cost me nothing financially, but a little of my spare time searching the web for advice and reading documents which are freely available that spell things out in layman’s terms. I just Googled “SEO” and “Search Engine Optimization” and signed up to a newsletter that provided free guides. Obviously they are advertising different things, but it’s entirely up to you if you want to buy anything. All the free advice and information provided helped me rank my website #1 with Google and the others for all the important keywords people will use to find my site, within a few days.

So, for $179 and a little of my free time, I have a site that offers me a web presence I’m more than happy with and has generated great business for me, at a minimum outlay. It’s a fairly basic and simple site, but then that’s all I wanted, no glitz or glamour… it’s not like I’m trying presenting my self as a big flashy company.

Sorry if this sounds like an advert for Bravenet, it really isn’t. There’s thousands of low-cost web hosting services out there just as good or even better possibly. Just Google for them and also read some user reviews.

Clearly though, what’s important is deciding what is appropriate for you or your business and finding your niche. Of course there’s always ways to improve your site over time. It also depends entirely on your type of business as to what’s most suitable. If you want something extravagant, that’s also very complex and ultra-professional, then it’s probably best to engage the services of a professional website designer or consultant.

If you’re just looking for something for yourself, or for a small business that simply offers the means for clients to see some examples of your work, learn a little about your business and as a point of contact, then there’s plenty of free and low-cost options out there.

Looks fine to me. Well done. As a general tip I would say avoid sentences over 21 words long. Full stop (a pause for breath as my teacher used to say) then the next sentence. Your paragraphs are well spaced.
Another tip, but this is personal opinion. Unless you look like Quasimodo (the hunchback of Notre Dame) put your piccies on your website. People do not buy services; they buy people. They will be curious and perhaps a little hesitant of employing someone who is going to be in and out of their home for weeks. do come across as likeable. Just a thought.

There’s a picture of my dad and I with one of our clients on the “Kitchens & Bathrooms” page, along with one of a client and I planning things out in some “before” photos. I know what you mean though.  😊

Thanks for the feedback.

Once I’ve had the plastic surgery and the nose-job, I might include some more…  :coolsmile:

Interestingly, the next leap forward I plan to take will be to translate my website to Spanish. We’re getting a steadily increasing amount of work from the locals, so obviously it would be nice to have the facility to switch the language content from English to Spanish.

Although my Spanish is pretty good, I would want to ensure that grammatically, everything is spot on. This side of any future website construction is also a little outside my comfort zone at the moment. I’ll also need to optimize searches fo Spanish at the same time.

poco poco…  😉