Having Own website?

[Tareq]

Hi all,

I want to ask, what should i do to get my own website?
I have Domain Name, first step, now what are the next steps?
i want to have a site with professional design and good service and there is purchasing photos option, and maybe in the future i can add more services like a forum, so any recommendations?
I don't know about building sites as i don't know those languages and programming, i took a course in designing websites but it was so simple not so professional and i forgot most concepts [it was done by Frontpage and photoshop and Flash], so if there is templates and nice designing and i can add flash intro and music and ofcourse Categorized galleries.

I know many people here will give me many websites depends on what they use but i want sites that are so trusty and great services and professionally designs and i can add my own Domain Name i've got and good space and control and protection and security and strong bandwithand or server and everything.


Best Regards,

Tareq

[bieber]

As for the flash intro and music---don't. They're tacky and very 1990's; no one is impressed by them, and if nothing else they get annoying.

Now, with no experience in web development, I'm afraid you're going to have a difficult time setting up a good site on your own. You could learn to do it yourself, but it's going to take a very large time investment. If you want to do that, http://www.w3schools.com is the place to go. Hiring a developer is also an option, but there's a big rub in that; you can find someone who won't charge you a lot, but their work is going to be crap. Anyone can learn to throw some pages together in Dreamweaver, but it takes a lot of dedication to learn the ins and outs of (X)HTML, CSS, server side scripting, and etc. Anyone who's really put in that kind of effort you're not going to be hiring for anything shy of thousands. If you have a lot of money to spare (and judging by your gear list, it's entirely possible you do) this could be an option, but it's only one I'd recommend if you're really serious about making money off this site, and think you can recoup your investment.

There's also a third option. There are a lot of sites out there that will let you register an account, upload images, and they'll take care of everything; they give you an attractive, professional layout, manage image sizing and print-making and so on, and some even let you use your own domain name (SmugMug comes to mind). I very highly recommend the use of these services; they're cost-effective and the end result is exceptionally attractive and convenient to use. Unless you want to invest either a lot of time or a lot of money, it's the way to go. If you want a truly unique and individual site, and you're willing to pay, start shopping around for web developers; just remember that this is a field where you very much get what you pay for. I'd offer my own contact info, but I'm afraid I'm booked for the foreseeable future

[CrazyPuma]

I just wanted to pipe in that a "fancy" site doesn't always mean more traffic/sales than a less fancy site (or vice versa...). As long as it's cleanly presented and site navigation isn't confusing/a pain in the arse, if your content is good, they'll come back. As a websurfer I know I could care less about how a site looks if it has content I want.

I also echo the no on Flash and music, particularly the music. If you insist on offering music, don't make it auto-play.

[tommykjensen]

I agree. Forget about flash. And if you must add music then let it be OFF as default and let the user turn it on if they want it. I hate visiting sites that have music on as default and I leave as quickly as I arrived.

[Tareq]

I see.
Ok, let's say i want simple Flash intro only, and i will ignore music, what more should i do?
really to learn developers will take long time and i may not finish, so i want to get ready sites that can take care of design styles, only i can add my Domain name and i can have some controls over the site, and with paypal and prints option i can get full control on it, not into sharing money with some hosters, I know all what i need is Domain name and web hosting or space and HTML or pages and templates, so if i can get templates from somewhere and i have domain name so only webhosting space i need, i will try to keep my site simple and friendly-looking, so is that difficult or not useful? must i learn to design and build myself?

[bieber]

Templates, I'm afraid, aren't the way to go. They tend to look really tacky. Ready-built services are definitely your best option, unless you're prepared to spend a whole heap on paying a developer...

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by bieber

Templates, I'm afraid, aren't the way to go. They tend to look really tacky. Ready-built services are definitely your best option, unless you're prepared to spend a whole heap on paying a developer...

you know people i am newbie, i don't anything about those services or developers, so guide me.
I am ready to pay if i can get something great as service or website look-like
good enough but most important is my domain name is selected.
I can begin with simple then, later if i want to grow i will do, just i want my website to be special or unique at least, if not possible then i don't want it to be so simple bored as well, i will sell some photos so i want it to be more interesting site than normal simple.

[CrazyPuma]

I'd suggest you surf around and find some sites that you personally like the look of, then try to find out how to emulate them(try googling "photo portfolio"). You may also want to go to an actual website-builder/tech type forum and ask there - I doubt you're going to get any really detailed answers here.

You can build simple websites that still look ok - especially the front page - without any fancy coding. This site here, for example, doesn't use much and I think it looks ok. Not exciting perhaps, but it's fine.

Basic HTML and CSS - is not hard to learn, buy a couple books, you could learn it in a couple days. You can get a lot of simple open source photo-blog type programs, install them on your website, and start hashing away at their codes when you know more. The stuff that's so popular (javascript etc) isn't that hard to learn either for basic stuff - at least it seemed that way to me when I looked into it once, but the more you go for, the more time consuming it'll be. I don't like to spend my time that way, so I stick to pre-made programs and basic old fashioned coding. :P

It really depends on what you want, which is hard for anyone/us to determine for you. And like bieber said, if you have the funds/lack time, you can always find a web developer, pay them, and they'll build it for you. Use the yellowpages, so to speak. Then you don't have to think about it much.

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by CrazyPuma

I'd suggest you surf around and find some sites that you personally like the look of, then try to find out how to emulate them(try googling "photo portfolio"). You may also want to go to an actual website-builder/tech type forum and ask there - I doubt you're going to get any really detailed answers here.

You can build simple websites that still look ok - especially the front page - without any fancy coding. This site here, for example, doesn't use much and I think it looks ok. Not exciting perhaps, but it's fine.

Basic HTML and CSS - is not hard to learn, buy a couple books, you could learn it in a couple days. You can get a lot of simple open source photo-blog type programs, install them on your website, and start hashing away at their codes when you know more. The stuff that's so popular (javascript etc) isn't that hard to learn either for basic stuff - at least it seemed that way to me when I looked into it once, but the more you go for, the more time consuming it'll be. I don't like to spend my time that way, so I stick to pre-made programs and basic old fashioned coding. :P

It really depends on what you want, which is hard for anyone/us to determine for you. And like bieber said, if you have the funds/lack time, you can always find a web developer, pay them, and they'll build it for you. Use the yellowpages, so to speak. Then you don't have to think about it much.

In fact i think i know few friends who know about that web developing and codes and designing, i will ask some if they can do, and i know one company in my country which does this service for many government and i can see nice designs and templates so i may ask them to do for me, at least i can't learn for days to build pages and then i can't control or fix it later if something happened, so i will ask a good trustworhty company to do for me everything and i will pay for them anyway and i will see how it will result.
By the way, are there many photographers or pro or experts design thier own sites or they also pay for developers for this purposes?

I was a good computer guy in the past and i have all books about softwares and programming and developing and hardwares or networking but i never learnt them steps by steps as they most difficult and need time to learn whih can be wasting if i don't use it in something helpful.

[R_Metzel]

I personally like Flash and don't think it is 90's type stuff. A lot of major companies are using full flash sites with full HTML as an option for those who don't like flash. There are many draw backs with full flash, like search engines won't pick up your site, and any people on dial up probably won't wait for the site to load. You could have a Flash/HTML site which combines them both so the search engines still pick you up and it isn't as rough on people with dial up. Most templates are pretty bad, but I have seen some that are really well done. If you do hire someone to build a website in HTML, make sure it is a PHP site. PHP sites are built and designed so the average person can change things, like if you wanted to change a description of your services, or switch pictures around and even add/remove pictures if need be.

It all comes down to what you want to pay though. Nothing wrong with starting out with a template site for a few months while you either learn to write code (which really isn't to hard) or while saving for money to pay a web designer. If you want to learn HTML, as stated before, pick up some books, and search the web for help and answers. There are also programs like Dreamweaver that are pretty simple to use as it almost builds the site for you without you learning much code.

Another option for now is using a site like smugmug or printroom to sell photos on. I prefer printroom over smugmug because I have used both and printroom does great prints and offers a wide variety of sizes and other thinks like mugs and teeshirts. It also lets the buyer preview what the photo will look like cropped at a certain size, and lets the choose what to crop on the picture. Here is an example http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=fotowerks&gallery_id=6 36889&tcount=633&scount=3
You also get to customize what your pages look like and can add your own logo. Just some more info for you to rack your brain with!

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by R_Metzel

I personally like Flash and don't think it is 90's type stuff. A lot of major companies are using full flash sites with full HTML as an option for those who don't like flash. There are many draw backs with full flash, like search engines won't pick up your site, and any people on dial up probably won't wait for the site to load. You could have a Flash/HTML site which combines them both so the search engines still pick you up and it isn't as rough on people with dial up. Most templates are pretty bad, but I have seen some that are really well done. If you do hire someone to build a website in HTML, make sure it is a PHP site. PHP sites are built and designed so the average person can change things, like if you wanted to change a description of your services, or switch pictures around and even add/remove pictures if need be.

It all comes down to what you want to pay though. Nothing wrong with starting out with a template site for a few months while you either learn to write code (which really isn't to hard) or while saving for money to pay a web designer. If you want to learn HTML, as stated before, pick up some books, and search the web for help and answers. There are also programs like Dreamweaver that are pretty simple to use as it almost builds the site for you without you learning much code.

Another option for now is using a site like smugmug or printroom to sell photos on. I prefer printroom over smugmug because I have used both and printroom does great prints and offers a wide variety of sizes and other thinks like mugs and teeshirts. It also lets the buyer preview what the photo will look like cropped at a certain size, and lets the choose what to crop on the picture. Here is an example http://www.printroom.com/ViewGalleryPhoto.asp?userid=fotowerks&gallery_id=6 36889&tcount=633&scount=3
You also get to customize what your pages look like and can add your own logo. Just some more info for you to rack your brain with!

OH MY, this will make things more complicated then.
I think i will never have any personal site then, or maybe i will have simple crap site that won't help me to advertise my works or growing my business later.

anyway, i will keep searching and will see if i can have a good solution rather than learning to writ myself site or developing and designing myself, i don't have time to take photos how can i have time to learn web developing and graphics designing.

Thank you very much for all needed information, i will try to do my best anyway.

[R_Metzel]

Originally Posted by Tareq

OH MY, this will make things more complicated then.
I think i will never have any personal site then, or maybe i will have simple crap site that won't help me to advertise my works or growing my business later.

anyway, i will keep searching and will see if i can have a good solution rather than learning to writ myself site or developing and designing myself, i don't have time to take photos how can i have time to learn web developing and graphics designing.

Thank you very much for all needed information, i will try to do my best anyway.

I would say for now, if you really want to just start selling photo's right away, join printroom or smugmug. I can't remember how much smugmug is, printroom is like 90 dollars a year. That way you are selling while you figure out what to do about a personal site. Most sites like these have a nice drag and drop upload process. And some resize everything for web use so you don't have to spend the time doing it yourself. Then when someone orders a print, you upload the full size photo for printing. If you have any questions about printroom just pm me. I used them for about a year now.

[Tareq]

I will try if i can learn one of those web developing languages, so which language you think it is good? PHP? Javascript? MySQL? or something else?

[bieber]

Tareq, those languages all serve different purposes. PHP does server-side scripting, Javascript client-side scripting, and MySQL is a query language for databases. It's all heavily complicated, and you'd need to start by learning (X)HTML and CSS. Metzel, that's probably the most heinous over-simplification of PHP I've ever seen. Just because a site uses PHP doesn't mean it's configurable by the user, and many user configurable sites aren't built with PHP.

[Skrim17]

tareq, if you have seen a site you like, particularly someone's personal site where you could purchase photos who is a member of this forum I would suggest you email them and see hoe they did it. There is no need for it to be so complicated.