What's needed to design "small" webpages?

R

rodion15

New Member
Hi: I learned HTML and CSS by myself, but then I run into an obstacle: once I've finished a webpage, how to publish it?. I got discouraged by all the stuff needed such as servers, internet inner workings and other shuttle science. I woudn't mind learning some of that "extra" stuff, but not spend hours on it.

My idea is to learn enough to make webpages for small companies (such as a bike shop, neighbouring PC repair shop etc).

Anyone can tell me if I'd need much beyond HTML and CSS?.

Aren't there any web servers that help you out on this? so that you don't have to spend too much time beyond pure design?

I'd welcome some encouraging advice.
 
Frank

Frank

New Member
Making money with web design is not that easy, let alone making real money. Just knowing HTML and CSS won't cut it. If you want to do this semi-professionally, you will also have to learn (how to work with):

  • Javascript
  • Server-side scripting such as PHP
  • A virtual server + PHP installed on your own computer
  • The FTP function of your editor or an FTP program to upload matters to the server. For which you need to have the:
    • host name/server address
    • port number
    • account user name
    • account password
    • root folder/initial directory

The only work-around around all this I can think of is to offer those small businesses to make WordPress or Google Blogger pages for them.
 
D

DesignerBill

Member
Publishing is not that difficult, or costly, but there are several steps involved. I recommend you build and publish a simple site for yourself that will become where you post your own services and eventually your portfolio.

The better web hosting companies, and there thousands of them, provide "one stop shopping" for everything you need. The steps involved in setting up as new public site on the web are basically these:
  1. Register a domain name. You know about these. They end with .com, .org, .net, and newer suffixes like .biz, .info, etc. Registration is different prices at different companies, usually around $10 - $20 per year. You can save money by registering for more than one year. You must renew before the registration expires.
  2. Set up a "hosting account" for the new domain. This gives you a user name and password and file space on the hosting company's servers and access to features such as email addresses, MySQL database, PHP, statistics, special scripts and more. Accounts are available at different levels, depending on the optional features you want. Hosting accounts can cost as little as about $15.00 per year, but with the most often needed features are more like $35-$40 per year and up. You manage these features with some kind of "control panel". The better hosting companies offer help by email and maybe phone support, but that is rare. You must also renew the hosting account before it expires.
  3. Follow the hosting company's directions and use FTP to upload your new web site HTML AND CSS files and subdirectories to the directory you are told to. You will need a free FTP client like FireFTP for Firefox (which I like), or FileZilla (which I don't care for).
  4. If your domain is registered at a different provider than you are hosting at
    (for instance if your client already registered it) you will need to update DNS addresses at the registration company, to point to the servers at the hosting company. Both places should have instructions for this. Your site should be active within a few hours after doing this.
  5. Lastly, you can set up some email addresses for your new domain, using the control panel. You can receive and send email from the hosting company's interface, or you can set up an email client on your PC following their directions.
Those are the basics. Here are some popular, low cost hosting and registration companies:
1and1.com
godaddy.com
100webspace.com (I use this)
bluehost.com​
 
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