Hi guys,
I've helped a few organisations set up their first websites. Can I share my quick and dirty tips?
1. A friend put me onto
Internet.bs. Despite the name, it's very user friendly and often cheaper than other URL retailers. Once you've bought your domain name from them, you can set up as many different e-mail addresses as you like, forwarding to your standard gmail/hotmail/yahoo account. Here's [link removed for malware alert] everything you need to know about that[/URL].
2. Google 'email alias gmail/hotmail/yahoo'. An e-mail alias lets you reply to e-mails from your gmail/hotmail/yahoo e-mail account as though you were replying from your @whoever.com domain name address. It lets you look all professional without requiring another e-mail account. So, someone e-mails you at
[email protected] and you reply from
[email protected]. Simple, effective, and keeps your private e-mail address private. Each account varies how you do it, but aquick google will give you the instructions.
3. There are die hard WordPress fans (
Morgen Bailey does WordPress author websites cheaply), there are Joomla fans, there are Wix fans... I'm a Blogger fan. Don't roll your eyes. The reason for this is that Blogger is completely and totally free, whereas WordPress and the like try to up-sell you for adding PayPal buttons and personalising the design. With Blogger, it's easy to make it look like
a website rather than a blog, or to
integrate the blog if you want a blog (most writers do). The entire
Pagan Writers website is run off Blogger - three blogs strung together to look like one. All completely free.
Basic HowTo here.
Then, using Internet.bs, you just forward your URL (
www.whatever.com) to take people there.
It's quite rough and ready, but it's free other than the URL, and it allows you a fair amount of control and creative freedom. When you get rich and famous, maybe you'll pay someone to do something swanky. (I melt every time I see author
Colin Cotterill's website).
If you want a free domain name, check out
DOT TK.
As you've already mentioned, YouTube is a fabulous resource. If you get stuck, just type 'How do I...' and it's practically guaranteed someone's made a tutorial about it.
Final tip, there are programmes that purport making the design process easier. Most notably Artisteer. I tried it, found it to be a waste of money. Was quicker and cleaner to do it myself. Blogger really is quite user friendly once you get the basics down.