Website domain registration help needed

Rozmataz

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Posts
2,773
Loc
Fingerlakes Region of NYS
I have to have my website redesigned... and originally had an editable/somewhat designable program thru my original host.

The company does not have a connection to that program any longer but has directed me to an online website creator that seems fairly reasonable with templates that you just plug your own info into and can edit as you need to.

I like this concept but does anyone have a better way without spending oodles of money on it?!! And what is an average for website design from scratch that you have had created for you.

Mike - this could be a topic for a poll!!??!!

Help! Since my domain registration runs out in a few days... I don't know if I should have them renew it or if I can renew directly? I'm confused... not just blonde.

Thanks
 
How does this have one title on the forum and a different one on the top?

Nevermind - I see now - you changed it in my mid-post!
 
Keep your domain alive no matter what and just upload new pages to the server. Your domain is very important as it is your identity and most likely bookmarked by previous visitors.
 
If your competition is ruthless they could have a standing order to buy you domain name the minute it expires. I've seen it happen in the photo business.

Doug
 
Colleen:
We use Electronic Storefronts as well; great company to work with and for an extra dollar a month, they provide you with a spam filter as well.
Julia
 
$25/month seems kind of high, imo. Frame shop websites dont use a lot of space or bandwidth. Is that bundled with some kind of maintenance service too?

I have a small webhosting company and charge $1/week. ($50/year) including a good spam filter for your email account(s). I have 14 sites of my own and this was the most cost effective way in my case. I was paying $12/month each before that.

My point is that hosting is almost given away now.

Godaddy is the registrar I suggest. Theyre VERY inexpensive. (~7.95/year)

Your domain is presently in the hands of www.enom.com and expires on August 8th. (Netliance) I suggest renewing or switching before it expires, because the registrar will put a lock on it as of that date.

Some webhosting providers offer a web based html editor, but they're fairly limited. Most folks use Macromedia Dreamweaver or Microsoft FrontPage as web editors.

Once the page is set up, maintenance and "keeping it fresh" (current) is fairly easy. The editors are much like a word processor.

Mike
 
Mike - you are too quick... I had just contacted my web/host and they put it into the enom site for the templates... and I just renewed it. BUT how did you find that info so fast!!??!!

I looked into purchasing Dreamweaver - but found it a bit pricey for what I can do right now... so a template works to give me editable presence... until I have a full fledged designed website.

Thanks!
 
Hi

I looked it up here: http://www.whois.sc/rozmataz.com

Mike
 
Roz - I use Front Page for my website and aside from the usual "quirks" that I always seem prone to encountering in every computer software I have ever used - it is fairly user friendly and, heck - even I can work with it (with the help of my friendly "webmaster" - aka Kim's husband).

I have heard Dreamweaver is better, but like you said, more pricey.
 
Mike - that is incredible... all this info available. It boggles my mind... Since I just paid to have my domain renewed, if I have someone else host it - what happens then?
 
Nothing.

The hosting (webhosting server/company) is usually a different entity than the domain registration. (registrar)

To change to another webhost, you just contact your registrar and have them change your listing so it points to the new companies server. It's a setting, and one you can often change yourself - via their website.

Before re-pointing it, you'll want to back up your existing site and have it uploaded to the new server. (and tested) The new company will give you a temporary (numeric/ip) way of reaching your site, until the change happens.

The domain change takes about 6-48 hours to get distributed/broadcasted to domain name servers(DNS) on the internet. DNS translates a domain name(Word)into it's numeric equivalent (IP address), so it can be routed to the correct server. The internet works on a numeric system.

During that period, some people will be pointed to your old site and others to your new site. I suggest submitting the change on a Friday or Saturday night, so minimize any loss of emails or downtime.

Mike
 
Ros

I have my website domain www.matting-systems.com registered with Godaddy in the US and have my site hosted with Irish Domains Ltd. (an Irish hosting company) it was quite simple to have Godaddy point my site to my Irish host….have a look http://www.whois.sc/matting-systems.com

Please excuse the appearance of my web site
I just don’t have time at present to work on it ……but as incredible as it sounds I got a Euro €6000+ about US$7500+ order (beats framing) out of it this week…….I'm still astounded at how well the web site works for me…


Rgs

Dermot

PS: I have to thank mainly Mike and some others here at the Grumble and one or two others in Ireland but mainly Mike for my success in getting my web site as far as I have got it to date…..Thanks Mike
 
Dermot... that is interesting... making more money selling mats than mats!?!! Oddly, I just put cushioned mats around my worktables last week...

Mike - thanks, again - as you make it so easy to understand!!
 
I would NOT buy Dreamweaver unless your very comfortable working with very complex trade specific software. Its not for the faint at heart. It makes the Wiz Mat Designer look like that little kids game where they try to cram the red round circle in the round hole and the green triangle in the triangle shapped hole.

Just fyi.
 
I use dreamweaver on a regular bases. Yes it can be confusing, but by far is the best html editor I have found. I also use it to type up newsletters which come straight up on the browser without having to download it.
Dreamweaver can be mastered with a little help and a bit of patience.

If your worried about money, try outsourcing to India. They have a number of designers that will design it for you for half the price. In regards to Templates designs that you buy, borrow, use. You will find that they will come with a variety of clitches, gremlins, problems. But then again you may find that the start from scratch will be the same, depending on who you get to do it. One thing I think is important to remember and as framers we should understand this, is that you can buy a premade template(frame), but you must understand what you want that website for. There is more to webdesign and functionability than just it looks good. Is it just to look good or do you want it to function properly. Some premade frames (websites) will function just fine, have no seeable detremental affect on the art untill it is taken apart or placed in an area which is high humidity etc. Same as websites in that they will work fine until they are needed to be used by someone with a specific purpose. e.g. Many Australian Government departments do not allow flash to be downloaded, so the viewer will get just a square with a small cross in it. (similar to the images that we cant view on the grumble). If the template company hides small adds in the template to pay for your free template, then this can not only cause anoyance but in some cases the website will not be allowed to be viewed.
The one thing about learning dreamweaver (or front page)is that you can always make minor changes if you understand the basics, these will cost money if you have to send it back to your designer to do. One thing you must keep in mind is that many websites now are designed in flash, php, which is a different language altogether and Dreamweaver will not be as useful if you have shopping carts, photgalleries etc with are based on server rather than browser languages.

I hope I didn't go too much off topic
 
Roz,

Jay and Dave make good points that DreamWeaver (like Adobe GoLive) is a complex program and the learning curve for it is very steep. However, both programs will allow you the flexibility of building exactly the web pages that you want, testing the site before you upload, and making changes quickly whenever you wish.

A web hosting service will, most likely, charge you for each and every minor tweak that you need to make – and that could cost you over a hundred bucks each time you make a phone call to them. That adds up quickly and could possibly be a whole lot more expensive than the one time $400 that DreamWeaver or GoLive costs. And such changes through a paid programmer may not be implemented for several days or longer.

If you don’t want the hassles of learning those programs (GoLive has a “Classroom in a Book” CD tutorial), <u>do not</u> farm it out to a company that is not geographically close to you. When you make changes to your site, you <u>must</u> be able to sit down with them and kibitz over their shoulders. You cannot effectively communicate your wishes (especially with such a visual medium as a web site) remotely by email or phone calls – you’ve gotta be there in person!

If the site is important to you, take the time, effort, and the money to learn DreamWeaver or GoLive. Once you’ve got that down, the only cost to you is your monthly hosting fees (it should be less than $15/month).
 
Sorry Bill,
I think, looking at my last post, you are right about being able to look over the shoulder. Outsourcing would probably only work if you are able to "fix" the things you need to.

Once again, I was judging using my own low standards as a benchmark :rolleyes:
 
Dave,

I probably would not have been so emphatic in my last post, but just last week a friend of mine, who runs a clothing business on line, had her site go blooey. She is not particularly web savvy, so she contracted a group in Russia (after firing a design firm in Baltimore who couldn’t get it right) who seemed to be doing a fairly good job – but after spending over US$5000 on it, it should be.

For some reason, her site returned to an old version and would not accept on-line orders. The guys in Russia seem to have no difficulty with English, but the time difference is a minor problem and communicating her wishes via e-mail and the phone are a major, major problem.

Her site has been down for five days now, and unless she gets it fixed soon, she is looking at bankruptcy.
 
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