ISP's and web hosting

[Not your average framer]

Thanks for the info about including a hidden email address, but I won't be doing business by email at all. I am only targetting customers who are willing to come in person to my shop.

This might sound a bit daft, but I am fairly niche oriented and customers tend to seek me out, because I do things that most don't. I don't want to compete with everyone else, so I'll leave the usual stuff to the rest of the pack.

I've got an old copy of Web-Express which is easy to use and does all I need it to do. I intend to use only enough text to get my message across and rely mainly on images to illustrate what I do.

My promotional approach is one of offering services rather than products. My thinking is that people looking for products are usually looking for the cheapest deal, but people looking for services are looking for a specialist who can provide the service they require and price is not the primary issue.

I already do a lot of difficult things such as repairing antique frames, copying customers old frames, cleaning, repair, restoration, etc., so this is how I want to promote my business.

[Moglet]

Are you thinking of designing your web site yourself or getting someone to do it for you?

I used Mr. Site which cost £35 and included the first years hosting. It works out about the same for subsequent years.

A big, big "thankyou" for this recommendation, Kaptain! I got my copy of Mr Site Pro last week, and I'm starting to build my own site at long, long, last. Does what it says on the tin! And you've saved me a fortune in web development fees. Ace!

[kaptain.kopter]

Glad you like it.

If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.

The forum

http://www.aboutmrsite.com/

is full of good advice and friendly people.

Let us all know when you publish it, I'm sure it will be great.

Martin

[Moglet]

Hiya Kaptain!

Thanks for the offer of help, the steer to the forum, and for the words of encouragement! I'm a bit like a bull in a cyber china shop with it at the moment, but I'm dead chuffed at what I'm managing to do so far. I get very impatient and frustrated when I'm learning (a spectacular failing of mine). Still, no pain no gain, eh?

I had actually visited your website before you posted the tip about Mr. Site. I thought your site was lovely, and I really enjoyed visiting it: really smart and professional, lovely elegant display of your (fabulous!) photographs, and very easy to navigate and use. When you told us about the tool that you had used to create your site, I was immediately sold on the product, and I haven't been disappointed!

Having a website is now becoming critical to my business direction, and there is no way at the moment that I could have afforded to pay someone else to develop a site for me. Also, the control freak in me really wanted to have a site that I could easily maintain and grow myself. This package has solved both of these problems for me.

You have really helped me, and I appreciate it very much! Thanks again!!

[kev@frames]

Thanks for those tips Grahame and Ormond.

Touching wood !!! I have not had any spam at all from my website and have been up and running with version 1 for the past 2 years. Now up and running with version 2 plus e commerce.

Streamline.net is very cheap at about £19.00 per annum which included my own domain name.

As an add on.. I use Statscounter as an indicator of the number of 'hits' that I get..

it will start flooding in from your paypal address in the java code forms

In a closing the door after the horse (address)_ has bolted type of fashion, I use Gmail, which actually filters 999 out of 1000 spam emails.
However I recently gave up on my ten year old kev at frames dot uk dot com due to spam

[Moglet]

Here goes...

My 'starter for ten' website is now up and running!


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Note to Internet Explorer 6 Users

My apologies, but the site cannot currently be viewed properly on IE6: the browser isn't recognising the background setting. It should be black (Black, BLACK!!!), but IE6 displays it as grey, making all the text content completely unreadable.... I hope to get the problem solved shortly.

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I would very much welcome any feedback, and error spotting - please PM me rather than hijack the thread (and spare my blushes into the bargain ).

John informs me that I'm already visible on Google! The site was only submitted 3 days ago. Bonus!!

My heartfelt thanks to John, Merlin, Spit, and NYAF for some very welcome 'behind the scenes' help over the last few days, and once again to The Kaptain for pointing me in the direction of a tool that this techno-numpty could actually follow! I can't get over what I've been able to do!

I've had two great business days in the gallery. People are finally realising that I am here. I really feel that my business is turning the corner and 'coming of age.' I may be proved wrong, but right now, I really feel that it's going to come on in leaps and bounds and, thanks to all you wonderful Forum members, I'm gaining more knowledge by the day, and I feel more confident when working with my customers.

Most of last year was truly awful for me. Thanks to everyone for helping me get through it, and for helping me to keep believing in better things ahead. Best of all, thanks for bringing some laughter back into my life! Hope you like the site....

(Does this mean that I'm now a Webmogster? )

[Merlin]

Or even a MoggyWebster!!

Good Luck with the site.

[Moglet]

Stumbled on this site today. One of the best-designed sites I've ever visited. Image quality is superb. Try calling up an image detail screen then click on the thumbnail to see the larger image!

They've packed so much information into each page, and yet maintained superb navigability. Most impressive!