Website help (1 Viewer)

[ThomasC]

I just received an e-mail from a fellow choir member; I'm one of the webmasters for the choir's website. This is the main part of the e-mail:

i am an officer for an organization in my major, athletic training, and a discussion we recently had brought up the sad state our website is currently in. now, my questions: what is the best way to promote needing help improving/updating our website? as far as paying someone, what would be a reasonable amount for this person to initially enter some information, make some links, perhaps post some pictures...but also, maybe, do some updating afterwards--posting information we'd provide--or instructing one of the officers on how to work on the website? and where to use a website maker (other than dreamworks or dreammaker or whatever they have for csa/san classes).

I'm just a coder, I don't know the answers to these questions. Naturally, I've come to the HTF for help. Please tell me what you can, thanks!

 

[Patrick Larkin]

I would have your website be "updateable" by forms and a database then anyone can do it and you don't need Dreamweaver or need to know HTML code. Of course, someone would need to develop such a system but its not hard.

 

[Brian Mansure]

Thomas,

It really all depends on many different variables for pricing. Each web design company will have different pricing scales and packages.
From the few questions you listed I would suggest a smaller web design company or person that will do the design/updating and possible training in an all inclusive type of package.
This way you stay away from itemizing every last piece of content and your paying one price for a completed and approved website.
I designed and developed a small website for the church were my mother works about a year ago and it turned out pretty well. Their main concerns seem similar to what your's might be... navigation and usage updates, some consulting and training on how to maintain the site with a limited budget.
Patrick has a great idea with a database driven website but it would take a complete re-development of the existing site using something like JSP, ASP or Cold Fusion to code the site. Then you would need to make sure your current hosting company can support those technologies.
AFA which software you should use to develop/maintain a website in, I use Macromedia Dreamweaver MX and I really like it. You could use Microsoft FrontPage but it's certainly not my first pick. There are some free website builders like FirstPage 2000 but I've never used them.

Good Luck,
Brian