I would like to create a new cost effective website -- recommendations please

Julie,

Try Homestead, I have done both my website through them, They have hundreds of templets. You do not have to only use their templets, you can use it as a "base" then add all you own informations, pictures, etc.



www.fourseasonstravel.org

www.beamazingbath.com

I've built mine on officelive.com

free registration

free domain

free software

the techies say it is a little simplistic, but for me it seemed intuitive and easy took about 4 hours for the intial startup.

I recommend Office Live. http://SmallBusiness.OfficeLive.com



I actually used googlepages which is also free, but Office Live gives you a domain name as well.



LaTisha

http://www.whizkidzshuttle.com

I use Office Live, Free version, its ok but you need to be patient with it, for the price it is the best.



Right now Yahoo has a great plan for geting on the web, but the downloaded software package is just so... unimpressive, however they do have a connection to upload frontpage files.



I suggest setting up on Yahoo and upload from your fronpage or via FTP, you can get a site up and running for pennies.



I myself am trying to set up a nationwide network of artists and designers to work together in advertising and Marketing.



Are there any companies like mine that want to connect and create a nationwide design group?

check out www.sitepoint.com or elance.com



Instead of getting a templated website, by doing it yourself, you can post your requests and get someone to work on a unique solution for you.



Logo design is also an option.



The prices tend to be very competitive.



Localman

http://www.simplesalestracking.com

CoralFly offers completive pricing for small business online starter packages which include logo design, color scheming, online marketing, web design, and hosting. CoralFly offers over 10 years of experience in a variety of industries and will work with you to develop a solution that is modern and geared toward achieving your business goals.



http://www.coralfly.com

Web Presence

Opening up your business to the internet is among the smartest steps you can make for your business. Not only will you have a new way to present your company and your product and services, but you also gain a new global audience. A well-build website not only will allow a worldwide audience to locate and contact you for products and services, it can also help drive your company image. While some companies like local grocery stores may not benefit as much as companies that manufacture a specialty product or offer a service, Web Presense is an important way to reach new customers and can help improve the business image.



Once your website is active, you can begin taking some steps outlined in the Web Site Marketing Guide to ensure that your site can be searched for and found by users who are looking for your business, product, or service.

Typically, a simple five-page website can cost between $400-750 that usually includes conceptualization, design, development, and deployment. Since a web site is a physical presense on the internet, Internet Hosting Companies (Companies that Specialize in delivering your web page to the entire Internet) typically charge between $10-50 per month for their services

There are many companies offering web site creation services and internet marketing most of them can do a decent job. There are also a variety of tools that help you create your own web sites - our recommendation is stay away from those. They make it easy to create a website, but you will lose on the benefits of having a custom-created web site, and it will cost you more money down the line.



Here are some more basic tips that can help you create a solid web site:



a. Contains well-developed content that is organized in a clear, cohesive manner.

b. Contains correct grammar, correct spelling.

c. Contains correct syntax (Well-Coded Website).

d. Offers users clear Navigation.

e. Provides Site Maps.

f. Provides an About Us Page with business information including the year

g. founded, industry, size, location.

h. Provides a Contact Us Page with your company's phone number, address, and email address.



1. The website is not too heavy on graphics.

2. The website employs proper use or Meta Tags (Keywords, Descriptions).

3. The website owner takes advantage of Paid Search Engine Optimization services.

4. The website owner employs Traffic Generation Services.

I made my website through www.sitecube.com .. I love my website and they give you a free trial to try it out with. It was very easy as well.

I had http://www.bluepearl-design.com create a custom site and use Bluehost for my web hosting. It is a bit more work this way, but it is something I enjoy doing.

OfficeLive is good for the price, considering you get a domain too. I agree with those who say you need to have patience with it though.

Hold Everything!



Try Microsoft's OfficeLive Basics. It is completely free!



www.officelive.com

I love onewebhosting.com! You can get not only your domain, but your merchant card services going (the online shopping cart!). The content on the web page has both videos and text that you can down load. Lots of support too. Plus the best monthly price around. Excellent recommendations on which services save you the most from most merchant card service processing. I was most surprised to hear that Yahoo's web package takes a small piece of your profits from each transactions in addition to the ones the bank/merchant card services take . Onewebhosting.com doesn't. They work hard to keep as much as the profits going to you. You know how freaking expensive everything is starting up. Everyone is always trying to have you buy into their product along the way, some you need...most you don't need. Regardless, you are always getting hit hard with unknown fees along the way anyway (ie the banks' own set up fees on for online card processing). Didn't want to use Paypal or others as they take even larger chunks of your profits.

Microsoft's OffficeLive is a good option, I've recommended it to a few business owners I know but there is some fine print...it's no longer free forever, only the first year.



http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/ResourceCente...



"Whether or not you get charged to renew your domain name depends on the offer available when you signed up for your Office Live Small Business account. If you signed up before February 11, 2008 (for an Office Live Basics, Office Live Essentials, or Office Live Premium account) you will not be charged a renewal fee.



If you signed up on or after February 11, 2008, your domain name is free for the first year, then you will be charged $14.95 annually at renewal thereafter. Microsoft will automatically renew your domain name for you each year unless the domain name is canceled prior to the renewal date..."

I would recommend Homestead.com for the website. They have over 2000 templates for you to choose from. You don't need to know html to create the site. You can use the drop down menu and buttons for all the editing. You can import html files, mp3, mpeg, jpeg. You can try it for 30 days for free.



We use to make our site:



http://www.aaaMobleTechSupport.com

The correct web site is:



www.aaaMobileTechSupport.com

If you are thinking of ecommerce at all, you should consider XSitePro. You don't need to know html. You can create simple sales sites or content sites. It walks you through the process of Search Engine Optimization which makes it easier for you to score well with search engines. It is not online. You buy it for $197, download it to your computer.



One advantage is that you create the look and feel and then you create all of your pages. I have built websites with Dreamweaver, FrontPage and using Microsoft Live. I would never consider any of these programs again after using XSitePro. It is so much faster and easier to update with new information.



One point: You will have to get your own host, do your own keyword searches and plan your own site. it is not a template but it comes with a great tutorial and 400 page user manual.

Homestead also has e-commerce option for your business. It has both the quickstore for feature for less than 100 items.



http://www.aaamobiletechsupport.com

You get what you pay for and as a professional web developer, I can tell you its more than just knowing HTML.



Someone mentioned elance previously and I have found that to be a GREAT resource. However, you'll need to know exactly what you need in order to get the best results (since most contractors on elance are from other countries). Come to think of it, you'll need to know precisely what it is that you need to convey in your site, no matter who you work with.



If you use comcast as an internet provider, you should already have the free space and the tools to DIY. good luck!



Patrick Elward