web ideas

[mcdaid]

just wondering how id go about starting a web site for an idea i have for a car modifying site. i dont really know much about computers so id need a lot of help with it.

 

[mcdaid]

just wondering how id go about starting a web site for an idea i have for a car modifying site. i dont really know much about computers so id need a lot of help with it.

help

 

[louie]

hire a web developer...

 

[Byron]

Exactly....

Well if you post up details, e.g. the below we can point you to the right person, or just PM me if you need a hand

Plan out:

• Your Budget.
  You won't get anything for under €700.00 really worth using, if you buy abroad, you have no comsumer rights, no quality control and no real respect for Irish business. Depending on your supplier and needs, expect any budget to run into €1,000's.
• Identify Your Needs.
  You probably don't need the world if you are planning doing simple enough things with your site. Think about things like, do you need people to find your site through search engines, do you need to sell online, do you need to present a view better than anyone else (e.g. do you have competitors worth competing against).
• Time Plan.
  Generally the company I work with will charge upto 100% more for projects with a short deadline. Plan well in advanced (like cheap flights, etc) and you will get it cheaper. Generally 1.5-3 months will do the trick, depending on who you talk to. Dedicate time to talking to your developers, meeting with them, etc.
• Project Manage.
  You probably will be asked for a deposit, make sure you have this, and enough to complete the project before you start. Make sure you express any strong views you have on the direction of the website before you start. If you do this, your developers can develop to what they think is technically, and competitively best. If you change things later, it is a little like tweaking a car after 50,000 miles, it's not as easy to do / is more costly, and is less effective than if done in the first place.
  
  Expect to chase up your developer, but always sign a contract prior to commencing work, with requirements based on payment, e.g. concept delivered for the deposit amount, etc.
  
  Question ideas and concepts along the way to reduce potential problems later. If you don't like something, point it out and ask why it is done a certain way. Accept answers which make sense, or ask a friend in media / advertising for an opinion and include them in the process.
• Identify Your Developers Feelings On Things.
  Most web developers love working with their potential clients, they hate working with people who are illogical (like most people), or plan things a way, and after being told why it's wrong, refuse to change even slightly to improve their future website.
  
  It is a fact that nearly every website a developer or web agency makes, they want to have as a potential portfolio project, they generally (if they have a track record) have you best interests, and their reputations interests at heart.

Dunno... maybe that little rant might help you, if anyone else has any ideas / contrary opinions, please do say, I'm trying to get a blog together. Hope it helps McDaid.

 

[Dara]

Exactly....

Well if you post up details, e.g. the below we can point you to the right person, or just PM me if you need a hand

Plan out:

• Your Budget.
  You won't get anything for under €700.00 really worth using, if you buy abroad, you have no comsumer rights, no quality control and no real respect for Irish business. Depending on your supplier and needs, expect any budget to run into €1,000's.
• Identify Your Needs.
  You probably don't need the world if you are planning doing simple enough things with your site. Think about things like, do you need people to find your site through search engines, do you need to sell online, do you need to present a view better than anyone else (e.g. do you have competitors worth competing against).
• Time Plan.
  Generally the company I work with will charge upto 100% more for projects with a short deadline. Plan well in advanced (like cheap flights, etc) and you will get it cheaper. Generally 1.5-3 months will do the trick, depending on who you talk to. Dedicate time to talking to your developers, meeting with them, etc.
• Project Manage.
  You probably will be asked for a deposit, make sure you have this, and enough to complete the project before you start. Make sure you express any strong views you have on the direction of the website before you start. If you do this, your developers can develop to what they think is technically, and competitively best. If you change things later, it is a little like tweaking a car after 50,000 miles, it's not as easy to do / is more costly, and is less effective than if done in the first place.
  
  Expect to chase up your developer, but always sign a contract prior to commencing work, with requirements based on payment, e.g. concept delivered for the deposit amount, etc.
  
  Question ideas and concepts along the way to reduce potential problems later. If you don't like something, point it out and ask why it is done a certain way. Accept answers which make sense, or ask a friend in media / advertising for an opinion and include them in the process.
• Identify Your Developers Feelings On Things.
  Most web developers love working with their potential clients, they hate working with people who are illogical (like most people), or plan things a way, and after being told why it's wrong, refuse to change even slightly to improve their future website.
  
  It is a fact that nearly every website a developer or web agency makes, they want to have as a potential portfolio project, they generally (if they have a track record) have you best interests, and their reputations interests at heart.

Dunno... maybe that little rant might help you, if anyone else has any ideas / contrary opinions, please do say, I'm trying to get a blog together. Hope it helps McDaid.

Hi McDaid,
Byron has laid out a very constructive approach that should assist you but just to add a few points bearing in mind you seem a novice to the whole web area and rather than putting the cart before the horse....

• Do a lot of research online for similar type ideas/websites so you can get a good feel for what they offer, how their sites look etc.. This is time well spent.

• Give careful consideration to the domain name(s) you will use for the site-if you can get a domain name with some of the keywords you intend to target then all the better. If you need to know where you can check out domain names then I'm sure any of the guys here will have their own recommendations

• Be realistic in your expectations-there are millions of people out there that have an idea they think will make them but the reality is often different. Also it will take serious time, sweat and effort to get visitors to the site even if you get the ultimate design/site so you need to be prepared to work on the site on a continous basis.

Just a few quick thoughts and ones you've probably already considered. Good luck with it.

 

[Byron]

Dara,

Couldn't have said it better myself (looks over list, how did I forget research and DOMAINS, domains of all things!!)

Yea I tend to agree, you won't the world on a shoestring, and empty Asian promises are common if you think the Irish are overpriced, they are not for what they do. I had a client who I designed a website for, which had no PR before, after 6 weeks, it had paid for itself. You get back what you put in.