UKH

I need to build a professional-looking website, with dual language options, links to social networking sites and preferably the ability to pay via Paypal.

I've never done anything like this - does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

I use "wordpress". Are you going to host it yourself, or are you looking for a free site?

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

If you have hosting that supports it, a content management system like Drupal might meet your needs.
I've not used Paypal in a website but I imagine most of the functionality is provided from Paypal's site and a cut-and-paste link.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Either create a noddy blog style site or pay someone to do it for you.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

I was a professional web developer since 1995 (moved more into solution architecture now) but unless I had a lot of time on my hands I'd think about getting someone to do this for me. If you've never done this before you will be biting off more than you can chew.

However you could always use it as a learning experience - but if this is your first site, by the time you've finished it, and know much more than you do now, you will look back and think its not up to scratch and get sucked into a black hole of constant reinvention.

Is it urgent?
Is it important (critical to business)?
Do you have day job?

If the answer to any of those is yes I'd consider hiring someone. Especially if your motivation is to just get the site built, as opposed to actually learning the skills for yourself to use in the future.

My opinion is:

If you want an actual professional website - get a professional to do it. And all these template sites might look professional to people who don't know, but they aren't.

Sorry that might sound harsh and yes you can learn skills yourself, but the basic skills you would pick up, would be the basic skills that professionals picks up 10, 15 or longer years ago and have been build upon year after year. Exactly as yorkshireman says it will take you building a shite website to realise it is shite and those skills wont be improved upon until the next project or rebuild.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

If you're after a professional looking site, pay someone to do it.

I made my own and used it for a couple of years but got a very cheap price from someone to redo it and they've done a far better job than I ever could.

Bad websites are possibly worse than no website.

In reply to jezb1:




I totally agree. And it doesn't cost that much to get one made. A friend did mine, if you want details let me know.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not really interested in learning the skills, I just need it up and running and looking professional.

I would also need it to be editable by me, once constructed. Is that how it usually works?

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Content management systems that you can operate yourself are easily set up. To update your pages i.e change/ add text/pictures etc. is then about as easy as posting a message to UKC.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Thanks Gordon, good to know.

In reply to Submit to Gravity:

Best thing is just to try it out.

Use one of the free hosting services like freehostia.com. or Heliohost.org. You can install a default Wordpress site with just a few clicks. From there you can play around with different themes, many are free, some are pay for. You can add plugins and generally get a pretty good idea of how it all works.

You'll need a url. You can get a free one from freenom.com.

If its all too much for you, or doesn't do what you want it to then hire someone to do stuff for you. It will have cost you nothing and you'll at least have some idea of how Wordpress works which you'll need to know regardless of which route it you take.

Even quicker is set up a site at Wordpress.com. Its easier but you're limited in what you can do. I don't think you can change themes for instance or add plugins.

In reply to stp:

You can change themes at wordpress.com.