[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Nobody seems to have mentioned Google Sites, which is very easy (and free) to use, and integrates well with other Google products.

Here's one my bro made for his missus's business

http://www.beautybygeorgina.com

[Davo]

Bump!

Rather than starting another thread I thought I might post in this one instead.

Am looking into setting up a website (business) and did a quick search of the site. Having read through this one there is a lot of advice, which is really helpful.

Was just wondering if anyone might have any opinions about which webhosting service would be the best?

Basically I want to set up a nice, simple website with tabs across top for navigating. I would prefer to use a template (as I have no design skills and can't program) that is easily editable (eg I can alter text and photos etc). I don't need a payment method at the moment but do need some way of being contacted via email that is not going to get spammed to death. I was thinking that a human recognition thing (type in some hard to read numbers/letters) might help with this?

Have had a quick look at google sites and it seems good but was wondering what the pros and cons are for it in comparison with other options?

I would also like to be able to have a blog page linked to it and for it to work in conjunction with facebook and possibly twitter.

Finally I want to pay as little as possible but get a good service!

Any help or comments would be much appreciated

Cheers Dave

[slackline]

This popped up yesterday and is relevant.

[Davo]

Thanks just spotted that thread and will have a look.

[LucyB]

Resurrecting this thread!

I stayed with fast hosts/ sitebuilder and designed my second website fine. I am now having lots of problems with sitebuilder - although it is easy to use, it has lots of glitches on safari/ firefox. It just won't upload new images. Their support people just say it works better on Internet Explorer but I really don't want to install it on my mac as it is totally rubbish.

I am happy to change my hosting company as I am getting a bit fed up of fasthosts and could probably find something a lot cheaper. I have two websites and a few domain names that all feed into them, and would like something that comes with easy to use web design software. A quick search threw up HostPapa, anyone heard of these or could recommend someone else?

Alternatively, could I use different web design software with my fasthosts package? Any idea how I would do this? And people are still recommending wordpress whenever I ask, but I have lots of reservations about it. I just want a website that gives basic info, I get new people looking all the time because people keep getting pregnant! I don't need to update the content regularly. Any others that would be suitable?

[Oldmanmatt]

We used the Serif Web+.
Our site is a bit clunky, but that's down to us not being too swept up on the topic.
Hosting was reasonable and the software easy to use.
www.theboulderbunker.com

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Have you tried Chrome on your Mac?
http://www.google.com/mac/

I still think you should consider using Google Sites, very easy to use and update, no software required.

[LucyB]

Thanks both. Many tears have been shed today as I went round and round in circles 

I tried to transfer my domain names to another hosting company thinking I would start again and received this reply:

Dear Ms Atkinson,
You have ordered a change of provider for the domain
hypnobirthingsheffield.com
In order for this to be carried out, we require the express agreement of
the domain owner or the domain's administrative contact (Admin-C).
For the Admin-C or domain owner to provide agreement using the
corresponding online form we have by email to the following email
address:
hypnobirthingsheffield.com@contactprivacy.com.
Please could you also get in contact with this person and provide
information about this procedure.
As soon as we receive the consent to change provider, we will start the
process.
We will provide you with details by email on the progress of this action
and the next steps.
Please contact us if you require any further information.


It doesn't even appear to be written in English, and the domain name owner is me. So yes, I give my express agreement. Except they appear to want something else. I don't know what that is.

I just wanted to share that as I was rather baffled....

I looked at the google stuff but just don't like google. No good reason, just general dislike (isn't that why women weren't allowed the vote for so long?)

My lovely husband had the bright idea of digging out my old laptop, chunky clunky thing that it is but still perfectly useable so I shall use this for all my website updates. Isn't Windows utter shite?

Another long evening in store for me now.... 

[krymson]

Hi Lucy,

it sounds like they want your permission, but don't realize that email address is you. Just reply to them that that email is yours and you should be fine.

If they still want confirmation I think you could use that email address to confirm as well.

From what i'm reading i agree with Obi that something similar to Google Sites would be ideal for you. If you really dont like google, you can check out other easy to use website builders here.  Weebly looks pretty promising but its best if you or your husband take a few minutes to read through them yourself.

You should probably move away from Sitebuilder if it's aimed for Internet explorer, as less and less people are using that these days.

[LucyB]

Thanks for that krymson.

I am sticking with what I know for now as using the old laptop is fine for the updating work I need to do.

When I want to change in future though, I am going to have a problem. I can only receive messages to that address, for some reason I have never been able to set up outgoing messages so all return messages come from another email address.

Any idea how I can get round this?

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Any idea how I can get round this?

Can you change your admin email in the Fasthost control panel? I'm not familiar with that one in particularly but with 123-reg etc they have a online control panel you can change contact details etc.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Hi Lucy,

Just spotted this and have a couple of suggestion: -

I think the email regarding your domain move relates to your domain being locked by your existing provider - ostensibly you don't actually own a domain rather you pay to rent it from a registrar (bit more complicated than that but that's pretty much the size of it). In order to transfer your domain you will need to get the IPS tag from your existing registrar, you should then be able to move the domain to whatever new registrar you wish...

Regarding your email, it sounds like you've just got a simple email forwarding account rather than a true mailbox setup - I'd drop fasthost a message (their online live support has always been ok) if you've paid for this service. Their system is archaic and I'd consider moving to a different provider but that's by the by - just don't move to 1 and 1 as their is worse!

I would seriously consider wordpress (.org not .com) - not sure what your reservations are but it's easy to setup and there are thousands of free themes and plug-ins.

If you want any advice or anything like that then feel free to drop me a message as I do this sort of stuff everyday for my clients....

:D

[krymson]

I would seriously consider wordpress (.org not .com) - not sure what your reservations are but it's easy to setup and there are thousands of free themes and plug-ins.

If you want any advice or anything like that then feel free to drop me a message as I do this sort of stuff everyday for my clients....

:D

See that's the thing - I work with computers everyday, you work with computers everyday, so this is all cake to us, and wordpress is easy. but to someone who doesn't, it really isn't that "easy"

Believe it or not there is some technical knowledge and patience involved in managing even the simplest wordpress installation, it's just that, as folks in the tech sector, we deal with issues on such a higher order of magnitude everyday that it doesn't seem significant to us.