Settng up a website?.

[AndyRM]

Is it just pictures and a bit of text? If so, an Instagram account (free) might be easier and cheaper.

Not a bad shout actually, although after a short while scrolling you're asked to Log In or Sign Up which is annoying.

 

[si_c]

Is it just pictures and a bit of text? If so, an Instagram account (free) might be easier and cheaper.

It limits your audience significantly though. Not everyone uses Instagram.

 

[si_c]

You can get really cheap web hosting for a couple of quid a month plus domain renewal (this is an annual cost, you don't technically own the domain name, you lease it for a period of time, usually 1-2 years).

Offers like GoDaddy or Ionos are better as they do have tools which make building your website easier, which is why they are more expensive.

If you want a traditional blog type website with simpler content, something like wordpress is an option - great content management tools, reasonably cheap (under a fiver).

But for a better solution the undeniable giant at the moment is Squarespace, they have invested a lot in their tools to make your life easier and whilst I hate their constant advertising across social media, they are really good.

 

[markemark]

It limits your audience significantly though. Not everyone uses Instagram.

Indeed. However it's quicker, free and other users often find new accounts quicker than google ranks your page if organic searches are sought. Downside, as you say, is that not every has Instagram and you are at the mercy of Meta and can be switched off.

 

[keithmac]

I don't really do Instagram and if one pings up in my searches I don't normally click the link, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[keithmac]

Make sure your subscription includes a spelling and punctuation check service....🤣

Where was the spelling error?

Are you classing the full stop after the question mark as a punctuation error?

 

[T4tomo]

Where was the spelling error?

Are you classing the full stop after the question mark as a punctuation error?

"Settng" and yes, because it is.

 

[keithmac]

I

"Settng" and yes, because it is.

Ahh, the thread title 👍.

Luckily people like you are around to keep us right!. < yes that was intentional..

 

[Emanresu]

If you want to build one offline so you can catch these and other errors, you can download Apache which will give you a Xampp server on your PC plus a Mysql database. You can use one of the many free HTML5 templates for the front end such as this one. You put it all together offline then use something like Filezilla to upload to the hosting site.

Time consuming, just like bikes, but you'll be able to tweek, develop, change etc without additional costs.

 

[AndyRM]

I don't really do Instagram and if one pings up in my searches I don't normally click the link, but thanks for the suggestion.

On this - do you use Facebook? Because if you do, you can "push" stuff from there so it shows up on Insta at the same time, and vice versa. If you don't it's a bit of a moot point, but it is a quick way to chuck up content.

 

[keithmac]

On this - do you use Facebook? Because if you do, you can "push" stuff from there so it shows up on Insta at the same time, and vice versa. If you don't it's a bit of a moot point, but it is a quick way to chuck up content.

Yes I have a Facebook account, will have a look into that thanks.

 

[AndyRM]

Yes I have a Facebook account, will have a look into that thanks.

No worries. You can set up a page which can have all your car stuff but won't interfere with your personal notifications etc.

 

[MontyVeda]

At the expense of being covered in ads or giving you such a minimal amount of functionality (unless you really know what you're doing) that you end up paying for it anyway.

I'm not seeing any ads on my blogger sites.

 

[AndyRM]

I'm not seeing any ads on my blogger sites.

Some are better than others, Blogger is a good example of this, but there's still a link back to Blogger which although unobtrusive is still an ad.

Blogger is probably a pretty good platform for you @keithmac.

 

[swee'pea99]

I checked out three or four youtube tutorials before settling on this one, which I found excellent, and used to build this and this over the course of a month or so. From, it's worth saying, a standing start - I knew absolutely nothing when I started out. The tutorial's quite long, at two hours and change, not least because he goes over bits more than once, but I found the repetition really helpful in getting things to stick.

For the hosting, I went with HostGator, signing up for three years to get the overall price down to pennies. If I remember rightly it was a hundred quid or so all in, for enough space for both (image-heavy) sites with loads to spare.

The only other thing I'd mention is that HostGator were excellent when I needed some technical support in the early days, as have been Astra - makers of the (free) templates recommended in the tutorial.

It all depends what you're actually looking to achieve/build, but for basic pics 'n text sites, I've nothing but praise for the tutorial, hosting, and tech support throughout.