Hello from sunny funny Falmouth - Webmaster Forums UK SEO SEM Webmaster Community Forum

mamos · #1 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 07:35 PM

Hi All

I have decided to build a website for my company and I am sure I am going to need a lot of help.

Be prepared for a lot of simple questions

mamos

temi · #2 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 08:00 PM

mamos,
welcome to UK WW, let us know the aspect of you site building you need help with

mamos · #3 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 08:31 PM

Hi Temi

I used to build my own websites about ten years ago using notepad and raw html but I want to add a few things to my new website that would be very difficult and time consuming if I did it that way so I have decided to try and learn some new technologies.

Now I know I could just pay someone to do it all for me but where's the fun in that.

At the moment I run an online business without a website at all. I know that seems dumb but it is true.

As soon as word got out that I was open for business I started receiving orders via e-mail and the word has spread and my website never got built because I was coping without one.

However, this is a part time business that I now want to take over from my day job.

I have given myself 2 years in order to phase out the main job and bring in the new.

Why 2 years,because I have 2 years left on the lease of my industrial unit and if I can be making a living out of the new business by them I will let the least go and remove 90% of my overheads.

My new business involves clients sending me images via e-mail and I process the images and send them back via e-mail and then I bill them via paypal.

This has been working OK but I would like to refine the whole thing, eliminate the need to send large files via e-mail and set up a system where they pay before they download the finished artwork.

mamos

temi · #4 (**permalink**) 03-09-2008, 08:49 PM

mamos,
Your operation sounds good and well planned. The fact that you run an online business just by email shows website is not the only way to run and online business but to meet you two year plan you definitely need to add a bit of automation to your site like you are planning.
Some sort of shopping cart and a sytem of uploading file to a location your customers can download it from will be required. There are lots of shopping carts out there so you do not need to reinvent the wheel on that account.... anyway, whatever way you plan to proceed with your website, someone in this forum is bound to know a thing or two about how best to proceed.

Good luck