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General discussion

WebHost & many other questions

Jul 2, 2008 9:38AM PDT

Hi,

sorry if some of this is repeat but I was looking through this forum yet haven't really found what I'm looking for.

1) I am looking for a webhost that is reliable and where I do not need to have knowledge of HTML or any other programming that is needed to build a website; templates would work best for me. However, am I limited in regards to the template usage? My plan is to establish an online business to sell homemade and customized body products such as creams and lotions etc. I checked out Bluehost, Netfirms, GoDaddy, SiteBuildIt yet the more I research on the wide array of sites, the more confused I get.

2) Since it will be an online business, I would need a shopping cart.

3) Further, I am new on the market and only my friends know my products, so how could I get traffic to my site. If I choose a host that offers $ 50.00 for Google and Yahoo credits, what exactly does that mean?

4) what is an FTP account?

5) is it true that in order to best get traffic to your site, one should have an informational website and AdSense that is then linked to the actual online store site? That, however, would mean that I need to pay for two separate websites, correct?

6) I have a mac, does that matter? I read somewhere that it doesn't matter because the site is run and saved on the web hosts server. Is this true?


Thanks so much for all your answers!! I really appreciate the Help!
HeMaZe

Discussion is locked

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Since you have no interest in web site building...
Jul 2, 2008 9:47AM PDT

You may want to have it done for you. But first, What is a ftp site? is something you can type at google.com and viola, the answer is there for you to feast upon.

Back to your issues. You are definitely one that wants to have nothing to do with your web site. Go get a web master to do this for you and only pay for performance. They'll also answer how to get site traffic. Let's drill down on that at light speed. Ready? -> Have the product and service people are asking for for the price they want to pay.

Yup, it's that simple.
Bob

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sorry, you're wrong...
Jul 2, 2008 10:04AM PDT

... I am willing to learn hence ask questions... so please, try again... If you don't have any answers to my questions, that's fine. Or let me rephrase that, if you do not have any helpful answers, I understand but please do not try to figure out what it is that I want and please do not insult me in telling me that I do not want to have anything to do with my own web site.. I stated what I want / am looking for but forgive me for being stupid or rather new in the field of creating a web page... not everybody can be all-knowing in the beginning... If it is programming that I need to learn, fine... just say so...

Sorry, it's not that simple
HeZaMe

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Let's try simple again.
Jul 2, 2008 12:12PM PDT

Let's say you have a business. You didn't tell what type but it's unlikely to be one that you sell web pages. Ok, why not concentrate on your business and leave the web site to your partner or a web service so you can provide your service/product rather than learn all this?

-> In short, look at godaddy.com, you get your web site, cart, credit card and more without so much as one line of web code.

It is that simple. Why make this hard?
Bob

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PS.
Jul 2, 2008 12:22PM PDT

My approach is from seeing too many descend into web development and they lose focus on their real business. If you are going to sell web sites and support that is one thing but your car salesman doesn't think they will be making a car...

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what about the 202 level?
Jul 7, 2008 3:58AM PDT

Hi,
I actually very much agree with what Bob is saying here. (Must be professional bias; as a writer, I deal all day long with verrrry smart people who waste time trying to finesse language instead of working on what they want to say and letting me "make it pretty.)

BUT that said... (smiles) if the original poster was looking for Web 101, I'd like to think I'm at least Web 202 (maybe 303?)

I have a wordpress.com blog (http://washwords.wordpress.com) right now, recently purchased bluehost.com hosting and successfully transferred my blog there (http://www.washwords.com, wthough for now I'm still using wordpress.com).

My question is... I see all the "wizards" and programs etc. in bluehost and know wordpress itself has some goodies; plus I have IWeb for the mac... I'm wondering...
My plan for this web site is to expand my blog into a series of e-books on specific topics within my niche (each with its own subpage, if not its own subdomain), where do I get started on learning how to do this? Or, like you say, would I still be better off, just hiring someone? And where is best to look/get started if I do outsource it? I already have bluehost (so I'd prefer not to switch to godaddy. Like the original poster I'd like a "shopping cart" and perhaps a bulletin board. Should I just "try" one of the wizards.

I'm wishing bluehost had a real / good tutorial. The ones they do have "getting started" seems very limited but perhaps I don't know the questions yet.

Thank you.

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Subdomains and ebooks
Jul 7, 2008 6:34AM PDT

Subdomans are easily setup in your cpanel. You can direct them anywhere you want. So each ebook could be a category in your blog and then perhaps each chapter ine blog post in that category. Each of your subdomains could link to the category and hence each subdomain link would be one ebook. You could have an ebook page in Wordpress as well where they are for download or for sale.

To learn more about how to create ebooks, read this article http://www.ezau.com/latest/articles/055.shtml and towards the bottom are some review of ebooks compilers.

~Sovereign

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OK
Jul 2, 2008 12:15PM PDT

1) Most hosts have built-in programs that allow you to install management software to manage any kind of website. Those come with templates that you can edit to your liking. You might look in to Joomla, Wordpress or Typo 3 Lite... they all have great tutorials on how to use. Shopping cart software is also no problem. You can install almost anything on any host, so that's not something you have to worry about, but if you start researching what you want to use, then you can make 100% sure that it's compatible with the host of your choice.

2) A shopping cart or some other system with Paypal integration for example to allow people to checkout.

3) Google and Yahoo offer services you have to pay for to advertise your website for example. Credit means that you have $50 that you can use to purchase a products that will help your site.

4) FTP allows you to connect to your website from your PC and view all the files that are on the website. It's nice for editing file names, creating structures or downloading things.

5) The more relevant information you have, the better. You can spend an entire week researching on how Google ranks their websites. Basically, the more information you have about your products, and the more words you have that people search for, the more likely is your website to show up in a search result. You don't need two websites, it can be all integrated to one website. Joomla and the others would allow you to plugin a shopping cart so you have one website.

6) You can do all that with a MAC or a PC. Everything is managed online (on the hosts computer/server), just like this CNET website. As long as you have a browser, you're set.

~Sovereign

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Thank you so much!!!
Jul 2, 2008 12:32PM PDT

Your response was very helpful and I thank you for it! That's all I needed to proceed.

Again, Thank You!

HeMaZe

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Driving traffic to your site without spending money
Jul 15, 2008 4:33PM PDT

To drive traffic to your site:

1. Use relevant keywords in your meta tags and content. You may take a look at http://www.webdesignexperts4u.com to have a check. (click view source to see how keywords are used in meta tags)

2. Submit articles to various article directories

3. Post comments on blogs and forums.

4. Post a short story about your web site on popular social networking sites like Digg, Del.icio.us etc.