Website building for a beginner

[MadameGazelle]

My DH and I have just started a new business and I want to set up a website which will include a lot of images of his products, and I'll be using Windows rather than a Mac. I've done a google search but there are so many sites out there that I don't know where to start - I need a beginners guide, is there such a thing out there or could anyone recommend any sites to me? I am computer literate and have limited knowledge of wordpress but don't find it particularly user friendly. TIA

[YougreatPamplemousse]

I have just built mine using a provider called Yola, I bought me domain name through them and settig up the pages is pretty simple from the many templates. It has a great photo/image page set up too, where you get a page of small images then when you click on one it enlarges it and you can then step through the rest.

[MadameGazelle]

Hi, thanks I'll check that out

[BadgersPaws]

I think straight away decide what this web site is going to do.

If it's non-interactive and you just want to display products with a link saying something like "phone me to order" then that's pretty simple and there are many places that can do this sort of thing, or it's pretty easy just to do it yourself.

However if you want the web site to have the ability to actually let people log in, manage their account, order items, take payments and track stock levels then you're after a very different beast that will take you in a different direction.

So basically are you after the equivalent of putting a catalogue on the internet or a full on shopping site?

[MadameGazelle]

Hi BadgersPaw, initially the site will be pretty much as you describe in your first option, and maybe as the business grows we could then outsource our web design and have something more interactive and complicated! As money is tight I want to build our initial webpage myself; I have some experience within PR and marketing which I hope will help me in my page design! I just don't know where to start!