HappyAfloat
Well-Known Member
Hi, does anyone have any recommendations/experience of a good (and cheapish) web design software package for building a cruising website?
Website Software
- Thread starter HappyAfloat
- Start date
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
webcraft
Well-Known Member
jeremyshaw
Well-Known Member
If you do decide to build a site I think the trick is to set up a simple structure and templates. I spent weeks struggling with Front Page, but now I've done it it is very easy for me to add extra pages. If I was to redesign it I'd have to start relearning all over again, but having put the effort in up front to make it simple, it's not a big job to load new material (though I must confess I'm over a year behind in updates - www.zingano.com if you are interested).
BTW I find hardly anyone reads the logs - they just want pics, so I have given up doing logs (maybe mine weren't interesting enough!) You may find a picture sharing site where you can add captions is another easy solution.
BTW I find hardly anyone reads the logs - they just want pics, so I have given up doing logs (maybe mine weren't interesting enough!) You may find a picture sharing site where you can add captions is another easy solution.
Jonny_H
Well-Known Member
Try www.freewebs.com
Free, easy and quick to set up and update, take a look at my site for an example.
Jonny
edit: Just to confirm - this does not need any software as it is all web based (hence you can update from any computer wherever you are).
Free, easy and quick to set up and update, take a look at my site for an example.
Jonny
edit: Just to confirm - this does not need any software as it is all web based (hence you can update from any computer wherever you are).
Richard10002
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
BTW I find hardly anyone reads the logs - they just want pics, so I have given up doing logs (maybe mine weren't interesting enough!)
[/ QUOTE ]
I read logs if they relate to areas I'm considering travelling..
Keep it up!
BTW I find hardly anyone reads the logs - they just want pics, so I have given up doing logs (maybe mine weren't interesting enough!)
[/ QUOTE ]
I read logs if they relate to areas I'm considering travelling..
Keep it up!
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
BTW I find hardly anyone reads the logs
[/ QUOTE ]
I thought so too - you hardly ever get direct feedback through blogs (if at all).
I've had a blog for 3 years now, and over the years I've had quite a number of people (total strangers) walk up to me and say:
"I've been reading your blog;
- how did that bit of equipment work out for you?
- we've been thinking of going there, what should I look out for?
- sorry to hear about your father.
- how did you do that?
- etc...
BTW I find hardly anyone reads the logs
[/ QUOTE ]
I thought so too - you hardly ever get direct feedback through blogs (if at all).
I've had a blog for 3 years now, and over the years I've had quite a number of people (total strangers) walk up to me and say:
"I've been reading your blog;
- how did that bit of equipment work out for you?
- we've been thinking of going there, what should I look out for?
- sorry to hear about your father.
- how did you do that?
- etc...
Sea Devil
Well-Known Member
Frontpage 2003 works well for me... It was a bit of a learning curve and there is still lots I don't know but it works well for me. I update different bits of my web site daily - adding text and photos and occasionally add new pages when a subject comes up that interests me and I think may interest others... Just added one page on CE marking after an interesting exchange on this forum....
It is pretty flexible and intuitive and with an idiots guide seems to do quite a lot of things although I am sure that other systems are good too.. In the end it is more important to have interesting content rather than lots of bells and whistles..
It is also important to have good Google rating if you want visitors - try googling Michael Briant or French Canals --- and I think it is Front Page that has helped me achieve this...
It is pretty flexible and intuitive and with an idiots guide seems to do quite a lot of things although I am sure that other systems are good too.. In the end it is more important to have interesting content rather than lots of bells and whistles..
It is also important to have good Google rating if you want visitors - try googling Michael Briant or French Canals --- and I think it is Front Page that has helped me achieve this...
CodStewart
Well-Known Member
I use www.blogger.com and love it for it's ease of use. I tried sailblogs etc but they weren't as straightforward to use.
Re: sailing blogs and logs - I get an awful lot of my information from them. I especially avail myself of the personal websites listed at www.onpassage.com and have copy and pasted dozens of logs from others for the routes that I will be taking.
When it comes to the logs, I am not at all interested in what the sunset was like that night etc and prefer those which stick to the nitty gritty of how the weather was and what the anchorages were like, plus other practical pointers.
Once I get going, I will keep the log pure and simple and will do away with the la la la la bits as nobody really cares about that wonderful rum moment that you had in such and such anchorage.
I'll keep my 'adventures' seperate; short, sweet and with pictures, but not too many.
Ole.
Re: sailing blogs and logs - I get an awful lot of my information from them. I especially avail myself of the personal websites listed at www.onpassage.com and have copy and pasted dozens of logs from others for the routes that I will be taking.
When it comes to the logs, I am not at all interested in what the sunset was like that night etc and prefer those which stick to the nitty gritty of how the weather was and what the anchorages were like, plus other practical pointers.
Once I get going, I will keep the log pure and simple and will do away with the la la la la bits as nobody really cares about that wonderful rum moment that you had in such and such anchorage.
I'll keep my 'adventures' seperate; short, sweet and with pictures, but not too many.
Ole.
CodStewart
Well-Known Member
Google 'Robin Knox-Johnson' and I come up on this first page of links for him! Poor bloke!
CodStewart
Well-Known Member
Damn. Well, I was on the first page yesterday. Where's it gone!
purplerobbie
Well-Known Member
First page is free and not to hard to use. MS Frontpage is very good and quite straight forward to use. Dreamweaver is a nightmare. There is no doubting it's the best one but it is hard to work. The more you use any of them the eaiser they get.
Rob
Rob
BrendanS
Well-Known Member
which version of Dreamweaver have you used. Just watched SWMBO putting a website together last night. She's never used it previously, been using it for a couple of months with no training, and has put up a few websites with it. V8
purplerobbie
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
which version of Dreamweaver have you use. Just watched SWMBO putting a website together last night. She's never used it previously, been using it for a couple of months with no training, and has put up a few websites with it.
[/ QUOTE ]
8 I think
I had used ms frontpage first and found i had to try to relearn it all again then i changed to mac and had to start again. i still cant upload pictures from a mac.
There are a couple of different versions of dreamweaver. I think there might even be a light version??
Rob
which version of Dreamweaver have you use. Just watched SWMBO putting a website together last night. She's never used it previously, been using it for a couple of months with no training, and has put up a few websites with it.
[/ QUOTE ]
8 I think
I had used ms frontpage first and found i had to try to relearn it all again then i changed to mac and had to start again. i still cant upload pictures from a mac.
There are a couple of different versions of dreamweaver. I think there might even be a light version??
Rob
BrendanS
Well-Known Member
the point I was trying to make is that you said Dreamweaver is a nightmare. Swmbo has put together some websites for her own groups, with no training. Just for her and her groups benefit. She has spent a few hours a week learning and has learnt to this level
http://www.malmesburysingers.co.uk/
http://www.malmesburysingers.co.uk/
CodStewart
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
the point I was trying to make is that you said Dreamweaver is a nightmare. Swmbo has put together some websites for her own groups, with no training. Just for her and her groups benefit. She has spent a few hours a week learning and has learnt to this level
http://www.malmesburysingers.co.uk/
[/ QUOTE ]
I clicked on the link and just got a page with matrix squiggles and some weird outerspace Clangeresque background interference.
the point I was trying to make is that you said Dreamweaver is a nightmare. Swmbo has put together some websites for her own groups, with no training. Just for her and her groups benefit. She has spent a few hours a week learning and has learnt to this level
http://www.malmesburysingers.co.uk/
[/ QUOTE ]
I clicked on the link and just got a page with matrix squiggles and some weird outerspace Clangeresque background interference.
purplerobbie
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
the point I was trying to make is that you said Dreamweaver is a nightmare. Swmbo has put together some websites for her own groups, with no training. Just for her and her groups benefit. She has spent a few hours a week learning and has learnt to this level
http://www.malmesburysingers.co.uk/
[/ QUOTE ]
I had problems with dreamweaver i didnt think it was to straight forward but i had no training or instruction.
I did mine with frontpage
www.atlantic-dream.co.uk
Rob
the point I was trying to make is that you said Dreamweaver is a nightmare. Swmbo has put together some websites for her own groups, with no training. Just for her and her groups benefit. She has spent a few hours a week learning and has learnt to this level
http://www.malmesburysingers.co.uk/
[/ QUOTE ]
I had problems with dreamweaver i didnt think it was to straight forward but i had no training or instruction.
I did mine with frontpage
www.atlantic-dream.co.uk
Rob
CodStewart
Well-Known Member
Oooer. The lights in my room are flashing on and off. Got......to.........close.......Brendan's......link...........
too weird........Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
too weird........Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
BrendanS
Well-Known Member
which browser you using. Works on all I've tried?
BlueChip
Well-Known Member
I created the Westerly Owners Association web site here in NetObjects Fusion V7, that version is now available free on PC magazine cover disks as there has been a later version released.
NOF is pretty easy to setup and manage, our site is now over 64 pages and we have had over 273,000 hits so its doing the job for our members ad judging by the comments in the visitors book visitors like it.
NOF comes with a large library of design templates so its fairly easy to set up a site and create buttons that look good
The WOA site has now outgrown NOF and there are lots of things I want to do which are not possible within that program, shortly our new web site will be launched which I have created with Dream Weaver. As others have said, there is a steep learning curve with Dream Weaver and IMHO you shouldn't consider using that for a first site.
NOF is pretty easy to setup and manage, our site is now over 64 pages and we have had over 273,000 hits so its doing the job for our members ad judging by the comments in the visitors book visitors like it.
NOF comes with a large library of design templates so its fairly easy to set up a site and create buttons that look good
The WOA site has now outgrown NOF and there are lots of things I want to do which are not possible within that program, shortly our new web site will be launched which I have created with Dream Weaver. As others have said, there is a steep learning curve with Dream Weaver and IMHO you shouldn't consider using that for a first site.
