What domain/template service to use for a website???

Lerch

Lerch

Well-Known Member
I am looking to start a smallish website to sell knives on. I had orginally thought to use one of the free template web services you see for the blog type sites but I am thinking now one of the pay services may look more professional. I was thinking about using godaddy.com just cause the commercials stick out in my head but would anyone recommend anything different? a friend of mine recommended blu domain but I am afraid i may not be computer savy enough for them

thanks
steve
 
Steve -

My website is hosted at GoDaddy and uses a Wordpress template. I believe I pay $7/mnth for the hosting and WP package and no cost for software.

When I got started I looked at all kinds of different website building software both free and paid. I settled on the combination I did because I felt it was the best combination for me. I was not, and still really am not, very good at HTML and CSS and such website language. However, WP makes it all way too easy. The WP is a blogging software, but if you look at my website, you would never know. It's as simple as it can be, but it also allows you to learn some of the programming language if you want to customize your website based on a template. The WP community is huge, so if you want to change something from a template you can Google "Change header in WordPress 2010 Theme" for instance and it will take you to a step by step on how to do it.

The admin page for the website is very well laid out. I guess I just couldn't be happier with the ease, end product and the cost all combined.

I don't know if linking to my website is allowed, so if it's not mods can feel free to delete this:

www.marrknives.com
 
I use yahoo, it has worked really well, I think it $12.50/month. The templets are easy to use and work well. You get email with you domain as well.
 
If you want to have someone do the work for you, check with "Rock". He can set you up with what you need.
 
I'm using ipage.com currently for my host. They've got a lot of perks including a $75 dollar Google AdWords credit. The cost with them is about 40 a year, and their free Weebly site builder is pretty easy to use. I'm a welder and I figured it out...
 
I've been building and marketing my own and a few others small business websites since 2001. Here's a few things that will help you.

1. Avoid GoDaddy. Just take a lot of time and read their Agreement. You'll then see why. Besides, there are better hosts for your business website that are cheaper, mainly HostGator.
2. Avoid the freebie websites. They're free for a reason and most look very amateurish or they paste ads all over your website, which in turn makes your site look unprofessional.
2. Use WordPress. Most hosting companies have a one click install of it that comes with their hosting packages. Although WordPress started out as a blogging platform, it has blossomed into a full strength CMS program. There are literally hundreds of thousands of free templates for you too choose from. Plus, if you can navigate and use these forums and email, you can use WordPress. It's that easy. WordPress allows you to make professional looking websites without having to know any code.
3. Learn how to implement PayPal (it's very easy) and you can sell your knives or take orders directly from your website.
4. KISS - Keep it simple. Avoid cluttering up your webpage with a bunch of graphics. A cluttered website turns people off. AND what ever you do, don't put music on your site! A study done several years ago surveyed online customers and one of the top three peeves was websites that played music when you visited them.

As for some of the places that "rent" you a website for knives, my .02 is that they look very unprofessional. The first few that I visited I immediately clicked off because I thought they were just thrown up by a noob. It wasn't until later that I learned that some of those guys were some of the best Makers out there. It's just that their websites didn't portray that image! And make no mistake about it, you ability will be judged by customers when they see your website even though your website design has nothing to do with the quality of your knives. It's just the way the World works.

BTW, the tutorial linked above is pretty good. But it was started in 2009 and a lot of things have changed since then with WordPress. It's still easy, even easier now than it was in 2009, so if you don't see the references to the buttons he's outlined in the tutorial, just play around with it a bit.
 
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OP: steer clear of godaddy.. I really can't recommend one for ya, but if you'd like to hear my delima with them you can pm me..

Don,

I was totally done wrong by GoDaddy several years ago and it was a bad deal, never did get back my money but learned a valuable lesson..

I have a small business here in Tulsa Metro along with my knife site, neither sites are up and running I've been so swamped with life lately I've no time to breathe let alone try to figure it out, I'm currently with IPage, I just want a basic site with a shopping cart for my knives.. Maybe we can talk a little more.. I'm gonna send you a pm..
 
I have been looking at shopify.com. Its $29 a month; I know thats a little steap, but it allows you use all major credit cards at no extra charge. Its one highest rated ecomerce sites. Its appears to be built for less computer inclined as well.
 
I have a previous, grossly outdated tutorial so I'll try creating a new thread with the same information I'll post here. Here is a brief synopsis:

Wordpress + ThemeForest = Awesomeness.

This really is the best way to go for knifemakers unless you want a payment gateway on your site. In which case, I recommend Magento or Shopify. They are also open source projects with premium themes. If you don't have a large inventory, then I suggest just adding PayPal buy now buttons to each knife for sale but remember to set your inventory.

For hosting, dreamhost is the the best. There is a lot of GoDaddy hate but there are also lots of GoDaddy users. I currently have 13 sites hosted with GoDaddy and have only had issues with one. I've also had decent customer support from them. However, if a client asks where they should host I won't recommend GoDaddy anymore. Most knifemakers won't have the kind of site traffic that would overtax GoDaddy's overloaded shared servers but better safe than sorry. If you want to avoid GoDaddy altogether, make sure that the service you are using isn't actually just buying their space for GoDaddy, a common practice. WPEngine is expensive but also has premium support.
 
www.atlantavirtual.com - the business is run by a knife knut and when you call for help 9 times out of 10 you'll get Alex "the man" himself
Click to expand...

I wholeheartedly agree! With something as important as your website, don't goof around and try to use some "el-cheapo" service....because that's what you're going to get. Atlanta Virtual likely has more knifemaker accounts than anyone on the web, they are great folks, who will always be there to help you, and will never "mess you over" like many of the generic web hosts.

I've been with Alex/Atlanta Virtual for nearly 10 years, and since my website/hosting has never been smoother or easier!
 
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