Started a small business (website advice)

[SS396Pilot]

Hi guys,

A little background; I've been a long time lurker and occasional poster here for a little while. I've come real close to getting my dream 57 Hardtop, but it hasn't happened yet. I stumbled across a 68 Road Runner and have been in the middle of restoring that so my search, and finances, have been slighty postponed on the 57. I've created a few websites showing my work on the car and as a result, started to get a lot of emails from guys wanting work done on their cars. So to seize the moment, I've decided to start a side business working on our beloved old cars. I have three sites for the Road Runner, and this one will have links to all three inside: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3140568 and site #2 really shows the major fabrication work including full quarters, frame rails, floors, trunk, and even a rocker replacement. I'll be doing a 68 Charger for a customer next starting in October.

I posted this on another forum and since they are such a good tool to have, I figured I'd post this here too. I'm looking for someone to design a website for me and would like to get some more info on the process, price, timeframe, etc. Also, if anyone is in or around Houston and needs some rust repair work done to their tri-five, sent me a note!

Dave
281-660-6069
md11dave@yahoo.com

[r66ss]

Originally Posted by SS396Pilot

Hi guys,

A little background; I've been a long time lurker and occasional poster here for a little while. I've come real close to getting my dream 57 Hardtop, but it hasn't happened yet. I stumbled across a 68 Road Runner and have been in the middle of restoring that so my search, and finances, have been slighty postponed on the 57. I've created a few websites showing my work on the car and as a result, started to get a lot of emails from guys wanting work done on their cars. So to seize the moment, I've decided to start a side business working on our beloved old cars. I have three sites for the Road Runner, and this one will have links to all three inside: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3140568 and site #2 really shows the major fabrication work including full quarters, frame rails, floors, trunk, and even a rocker replacement. I'll be doing a 68 Charger for a customer next starting in October.

I posted this on another forum and since they are such a good tool to have, I figured I'd post this here too. I'm looking for someone to design a website for me and would like to get some more info on the process, price, timeframe, etc. Also, if anyone is in or around Houston and needs some rust repair work done to their tri-five, sent me a note!

Dave
281-660-6069
md11dave@yahoo.com

Dave,

appears your busy and gonna be busy in the future, in running a small business, theres lots of HEAD ACHES :eek:, I guess theres good and bad, Bad is paper work but ya got to make it legal.
keep us posted

[tripleduece]

Dave-Good luck! Work looks REAL good!!!

[737Pilot]

I started my own site after I felt everyone else was very expensive to start a website. I knew about next to nothing of the internet and websites. So I bought lots of books. Well, I still find it difficult and have only basic skills now with a website.

I recommend hiring someone which will probably run you about 500 bucks just to get a home page going. And, like anything else, the fancier the site the more it costs. I wish I could recommend someone, but I don't know anybody for that job.

If you fell like taking on the task yourself, try www.bluevoda.com They have a software that allows you to build your own site (drag and drop basically) and you upload it to thier servers. It is a pretty good deal if you want try it yourself. Atleast check out the site, they have a tutorial video as soon as you go to that site.

[SS396Pilot]

Thanks guys. Yeah Randy, that's the part I'm not looking forward to but as with other things, it goes along with the territory. I'm looking forward to starting the website and I think I'm just going to have someone do it for me. I normally don't take that route, but this time, it'll probably pay for itself if someone else did it. I'll keep you guys posted when I finally make the site and register the name. That'll happen when I get back form this trip on the 15th.

Mike, sent you a PM.

Thanks for the help guys.

[1957chevy]

There are lots of ways to find a website company -- one way is to look for (google, for example) businesses similar to yours and then go to the bottom of the page to see who designed their website.

[Ari]

My brother in law built my wife's website and did an excellent job. He's in CA, if you want to work with him, checkout her site and there should be a link to him on it.

http://www.devraskin.com

[trifive]

Dave

This is Otis, I have been designing websites for a few years, got burned out on them, But after looking at your ( Web Pages ) I think that you could do your on website pretty easy. I don't think you need all the bells and whistles, because yuor photos and info on your pages look good to me.

Here's what I would suggest.

1. get your own domain name www.whatever.com

2. Take the data from your three, Mini websites and put all the info
your main website. the one with the domain name of your own.

3. you can get hosting pretty cheap , and some of them offer a free website creator.

And the best thing is to let us know where your website is so we can visit and spreed the word.

PS I am not looking for work and can't be counted on.

Here are a few websites I designed. Make sure to turn your sound on

www.laketansitn.com

www.trifive.com

www.dfbrakes.com

www.11thcavnam.com

www.doevalleyky.com

and tons of others.


Otis

[Crafty]

The best thing you can do is get someone to help you set up a CMS (content management system).
When you set it up you will decide how you want it to look and how it is laid out, once thats done the information and pictures you want on the page you just type in - just like when you post something here, no coding, no uploading etc, it makes it very easy to add new pages, take away old ones or make edits.

The important part of this is it lets you change the site without having to learn / remember how to code a web page. It also gives you a consistent look across all pages.

You could run all three sites off of one CMS, each with a different look etc if you wanted to.

The downside is it is more complex to set up - but you only have to do it once. I would get someone to help you set things up and once you are up and running its happy days!

Some content management systems you have to pay for, but there are many free ones - I haven't used it but Joomla is quite popular from what I've heard and seen.

[carls 56]

good luck dave!