| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
captain54
Lucky 700
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 744
Location: chicago
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:05 pm Post subject: Recommendations for "DIY" website services.. |
 |
|
I've been using Dynamod.com going on three years now..in addition to hosting your domain, it.allows you to pick a number of templates and insert your info, demos, logos, etc..in order to personalize...it's about $15/monthly...
their choices or options for layout now seem kind of limited, considering all the other choices out there, such as intuit.com, dreamweaver, inventa, imagemakers, to name a few...
anyone have any experience in this area or experiences they'd like to share? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Without a doubt I'd go for Squarespace. The hosting plans start at $8 per month and are scalable up from there. The templates are great and easy to customize with your own code if you want to. Above all... they're classy, and don't in any way look "home-made" or clunky. They have many examples on their site.
Check them out... they offer a free two-week trial with no commitment.
The basic plan gives you an address like ... "Captain54.squarespace.com" ... I purchased my custom domain from GoDaddy, and have it pointed at my Squarespace site. This way you can preserve you website identity. If you get the Pro plan ($14 per month), Squarespace will host your custom domain directly without you having to re-direct it. I'll probably upgrade once the site is built and my content is ready for prime-time 
I've tried others over the years, and am quite happy writing my own HTML/CSS, but this is just too easy. The only small issue was that they don't have a native mp3 player yet, but all that meant was I had to put a couple of lines of code in manually (cut and paste from an online resource).
Have fun with the free trial...
_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
captain54
Lucky 700
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 744
Location: chicago
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 1:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
the lack of mp3 player could be a deal breaker for me, but overall it sounds pretty good..
I'm in the same boat...Godaddy domain registration pointed to dynamod.com...
what do you mean 'don't have to re-direct it"...?? once you point your godaddy name at your host, isn't it automatically directed there? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bill Campbell
DC
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 621
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Building your own website from a template is like a company getting
the receptionist to voice their commercial.
If you think a website will benefit your business, have a Pro build a nice one.
There's several excellent designers who are members here. (Lou Z & D
_________________
www.asapaudio.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
captain54
Lucky 700
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 744
Location: chicago
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:18 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Bill Campbell wrote: | Building your own website from a template is like a company getting
the receptionist to voice their commercial.
|
I've had a website built from a template now for a while, and have never had one person say..."boy, that looks like crap".... of course, there may have been some that hated it and just never bother to offer feedback, but I doubt it.
Sure, I'd like to have a shiny new BMW to take me to the store to get groceries, but I can't afford it. Instead, I have a 7 yr old 4 cylinder compact to take me there. According to you, I should stay home and not venture out of the house because I don't have a pimpin ride to take me there. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Really, the lack of a native Squarespace mp3 player is not an issue at all... just get one that looks nice (there are loads of free flash ones to choose from on-line) and upload it to your site... then just make a call from the page when you to load the file.
OR... My current iteration just involves pulling the player straight from another site. I'm currently using the Adobe flash player directly from them. Of course, if Adobe goes down, so does my player!
What I meant by not redirecting was that Squarespace is not a domain registrar, so you can't buy your domain from them (as far as I know). As you're doing the GoDaddy thing anyway, there's no problem... it's the same.
_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
captain54
Lucky 700
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 744
Location: chicago
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Bish wrote: |
What I meant by not redirecting was that Squarespace is not a domain registrar, so you can't buy your domain from them (as far as I know). As you're doing the GoDaddy thing anyway, there's no problem... it's the same. |
OK....If you can't purchase and register a domain with Squarespace then it needs to be directed...I guess what you're saying is, included in a monthly fee, they will direct it for you....irregardless of who you registered and purchased it with. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bill Roberts
Contributor IV
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
Posts: 148
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada.
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I have been using DOTEASY.COM for over 7 years, $ 25.00 gets you 10 emails, yourname.com and FREE hosting with no banners, server down just one time on one of my sites wwwmbradybroadcasting.com since 2004. You can use the free template system, build you own HTML, or have a pro do it. No Monthly fees at all, I set up a site on a free server with no banners, at agilityhoster.com but it's total junk, and slow as a spazzzz,check and see how slow at: www.brbvo.com I am going to move this one to DOTEASY.COM in the next few weeks, and break down and get a PRO like DB to design me a new site. P.S. I ride a Motorcycle and don't own a car, and when I shop I need to carry a back pack...if I had a better looking website...I could be driving a BMW!!! LOL!
_________________
-----
VO-BB Member # 764 (Dec 2009) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bill Campbell
DC
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
Posts: 621
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
"According to you, I should stay home and not venture out of the house because I don't have a pimpin ride to take me there."
No, I said...
If you think a website will benefit your business, have a Pro build a nice one.
You could have a nice, original one designed and built for about $500.
Well worth it if you're getting professional rates for your work.
That said, I don't think you have to have a website, as long as you market your demo via email or mail, and have your demo parked at a P2P site.
I drive a Lexus, but it's ten years old, and has a Pep Boys (spray can) paint job.
_________________
www.asapaudio.com |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
captain54
Lucky 700
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 744
Location: chicago
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 3:44 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Bill Roberts wrote: | | P.S. I ride a Motorcycle and don't own a car, and when I shop I need to carry a back pack...if I had a better looking website...I could be driving a BMW!!! LOL! |
Sorry, man ... never bought that argument and probably never will. Maybe it comes from years ago, and being involved in the family graphic arts business. I was witness to many companies with expensive state of the art equipment leases they couldn't afford, and quite a few went belly up.
Its not one magic ingredient that's gonna make a successful career. Its a combo of a lot of things. A $10,000 Telefunken Ela-M 251 is not gonna be the key that's automatically gonna allow me to bank 7 figures in VO income.
What's wrong with trying to make the most of what you have? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Bish
3.5 kHz
Joined: 22 Nov 2009
Posts: 3738
Location: Lost in the cultural wasteland of Long Island
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Bill Campbell wrote: | | If you think a website will benefit your business, have a Pro build a nice one. |
Squarespace does not preclude using a professional web-design service at all. It's going to have to be hosted either way. I just find that the templates on Squarespace are a good starting point... some of their examples are obviously professionally designed. I have heard that pro design is actually a very cost-effective option with a Squarespace foundation because it's such an easy (i.e. not as time consuming) platform to work with.
I certainly agree that a clunky website may well be a turn-off to some clients, and if getting a good looking one is outside of someone's skill set, then a few hundred sent to a competent designer is money well spent.
_________________
Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bransom
DC
Joined: 06 Nov 2008
Posts: 650
Location: St. Louis, MO
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 8:52 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Let me second Peter's recommendation for Squarespace. It's probably the only templated solution that doesn't look templated. And it has a content management front end that allows you to endlessly mod the template, if you choose.
Check with George Whittam. He's using it now for Eldorec.com.
_________________
Bob Ransom
"I really need a pithy quote here." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
georgethetech
The Gates of Troy
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
Posts: 1878
Location: Topanga, CA
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 1:30 am Post subject: |
|
|
Heh, I was 'bout to mention I use it for my website, and there comes Bransom.
I chose it because I didn't have time to design a new website and I enlisted my wife and assistant to handle it, both with good design eyes but very little if any HTML skill. The only "gotcha" with squarespace.com is they have no email server, so that will be an extra charge from another company. I am use Google A s right now, but I can't say it's been flawless with Apple Mail and Blackberry. I even paid for their Enterprise plan to get support, but have yet to ever get a response from them when I ask for help.
_________________
If it sounds good, it is good.
George Whittam
GeorgeThe.Tech
424-226-8528
VOBS.TV Co-host
TheProAudioSuite.com Co-host
TriBooth.com Co-founder |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Darren Altman
Cinquecento
Joined: 17 Oct 2009
Posts: 551
Location: London, UK
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
captain54
Lucky 700
Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 744
Location: chicago
|
| Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 10:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Looks good Darren...cool jazz drum chops! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
