I need recommendations on how to start a website.

[chaska]

I'm in the process of starting a business selling custom made Connoisseur-quaility audio and musical instrument cables. And it looks like I'm going to need to start a website. Initially, I'll be doing this on ebay, but....

I've not done anything like this before. Is it possible to do a good website if you're not a pro? I have experience in design and sales, etc. I'm not worried about content. It's the technical end that concerns me.

It doesn't have to be terribly fancy in the beginning.

Any pointers?

[wtmusic]

1. Buy a good editor

like Dreamweaver or GoLive.

Then have at it. Not really any shortcuts.

[billbuckhead]

3. Check out network solutions or you can pay interland $100 month

[asthmaticeog]

2. Get Dreamweaver, learn how to use it.

Code snobs can scoff all they want, but you can do fantastic stuff with WYSIWYG software if you apply yourself to learning it properly, and it's much faster to learn than hand-coding.

Alternately, do you know any web designers who are also musicians, and who'll barter? I just did a website for a luthier in trade for a hand-carved archtop guitar, and we're both really happy about it.

[mcscajun]

4. Look at some of your local ISPs

Many of them have business web solution packages that will make the process very friendly, including templates for your site, add-ons like 'shopping carts', etc.

[chaska]

5. Aren't there really simple sites where you just plug info into...

prearranged formats?

[Cadence]

6. Microsoft publisher has that.

It's really easy to use and practically does the whole site for you.

[chaska]

7. Now we're talking...

Let the Microsoft bashing commence.

But that is more what I had in mind.

[Cadence]

9. Pfffft. I know people bash microsoft

but whatever... when you just need to do something fuck it.. it works. Btw this is coming from a unix hack.

Publisher has about fifty templates all set up with whatever kind of business you need to start. It's easy and you'll get it done. I made this site with it www.bandfortruth.com because I didn't feel like screwing around with html anymore.

[chaska]

10. That looks like it would do the trick alright.

nice.

[wtmusic]

8. If you'll be doing ecommerce Yahoo! Stores is not the worst way to go

for hosting.

If not I recommend Verio.com if you want speed, and GoDaddy.com if you want reliable, cheap hosting. Verio is about $20/month, Godaddy is $4/month.