Need help with web design and build

[Dozymare]

gosh, really don't know where to start....I am in the process of setting up my own business and whilst I am a whizz at PR/marketing/Sales I am absolutely awful at all things technological.....I have gone onto the BT business website, and bought a domain name and hosting. This is also meant to help me with web design, but so far, I can't seem to get anything to work.

What I need is actually quite simple - I can't pay until I am in profit, but more than happy to help someone with the PR/Marketing in return for some help with the webs design/build......Or, if someone is thinking of setting up then to use my website as an example....

Hopefully someone can help! Please do CAT me if you can, otherwise i will be going round in circles on the BT business site forever!

Won't anybody help this dozy mare?

I might be able to do something for you, although I think BT hosting might not be the best idea - have you paid up front?

CAT me or email mr dot anchovy at mranchovy dot com

I'd love to help, I'm not professional but I like to dabble with web design.

I don't use CAT but here is an example of my work:

www.easywheelie.co.uk/

juney, if you would like a few tips for that site, email or CAT me too!

Would it perhaps be easier to tell us the domain name, then we can take a look at your efforts so far and give you our comments, suggestions etc.

Are you using some kind of software to help design the site, or some kind of template system provided by your webhost? Or are you coding from scratch - doubt you are doing that.

thank you all fir responding - I have used BT to host the following domain www.halolifestyle.com but having paid for them to host and register the domain, that seems to me to be all they are doing!!

I have lots of ideas but translating that into a website is a bloody mare (maybe should name change to that rather than dozy!)

Mr Anchovy - what sort of info would I need to email you?? Haven't even got a logo yet but lots of ideas!

Same to you Juneybean - what would I need to send you???

Thanks so much!

I will e-mail you mranchovy, thank you

dozymare depends what you're looking for, what sort of information you would want on the site, whate kind of layout you would like.

If you have BT Business: Webhosting Starter £5 per month then you should have what they are calling EasySiteWizard which will use templates to make it easier for you to create something faster. Templates can also be limiting but will enable you to create something in a short time period.

Have you looked at the Mr Site Takeaway package? For around £20 you can build your own site using templates, you can incorporate a shopping cart with PayPal, get e-mail and they have a helpdesk.
I am also a complete IT dunce yet I managed to build my own e-commerce site with it. Ok so it's not the most dynamic site you've ever seen BUT it does the trick and it was cheap and I can access it at anytime to make instant changes and amendments to the site without having to contact a web designer. Even if you have already bought your domain name it gives you details of how you can transfer the hosting over to Mr.Site
If I can do it then you can!

Funny, I wouldn't have guessed you were a Halo fan dozymare. You are just a couple of miles East of me I see: I'll email you.

As Nick says, BT provide something called EasySiteWizard which you are supposed to use to set up your site. This is probably OK for somebody reasonably technical, give it a go, you might surprise yourself! But it would frustrate the hell out of a professional.

Mr Site is just a different version of the same thing, no point switching to that.

right, am going to have a good look at the BT site today and see what I can do...have also got a Mr Site thing upstairs that I got ages ago for some PR work I was doing....going to investigate! Mr A - how do you know you are a few miles east?! I thought I was totally annoymous on this site [panic emotion and wonders what on earth I have been saying!]

Umm, go here [http://www.dnsstuff.com/] and do a whois lookup. Everyone who wants to respect Dozymares privacy please don't do that!

I believe that you can find services that will anonymise that information for you - not sure if BT offer that service.

However, if you had a .co.uk type address (which you don't) I believe it is in Nominets' T&C's that businesses must maintain contact information (for the purposes of abuse reporting I believe).

Private/non-commerce individuals don't need to do that although your name still appears on the register - which is how mine is set up.

www.mrsite.co.uk

This is my half finished site.

www.whatdowomenthink.net

is dead easy peasy and I was like you and knew nothing, you pick from templates. £19.95 and yes I am sure there are many professionals out there who will say it looks £19.95!

I got the pictures from istockphoto, you have to purchase credits first, photo's are about £4 upwards, you just search the sort of thing you are looking for.

I am paying a freelance designer friend to do me a logo and header for my website, header being the big bit at the top, and have more pics and info to include.

So go for it!

dozymare, as liamsdaddy says, your details are shown in the domain register. You should have an email from me.

carocaro, your site looks really good on my screen, but under the skin it does indeed reveal its bargain-basement origins. That might not be a problem for your target audience, but if you wanted to offer online surveys (using a service like Survey Monkey) for instance your web site would need to be technically a lot better IMHO.

you guys are FAB - thanks so much for your help so far, am going to start looking into Mr site as well........although just heard today that the person I was going into an associate partnership with, is now not sure if she wants to

carocaro great idea, are you live yet? Got any clients????

Thanks, I have some clients I have worked with in the past and use stand alone survey software that is better than survey monkey.

I have been in PR and advertising for over 15 years and it just developed from work I am doing and am being asked for.

Exciting!

ooh carocaro
i like your idea, hope it all takes off.
if you need more women, then i'd be interested in joining up.
Charlie