Member Avatar for webecedarian

This is such an embarrassingly vague newbie-type question that I'm not even sure where to post it. The Web Design forum is already broken up into sub-categories, so I thought I'd try here first.

I'm toying with the idea of starting a website. I'm clueless, but I figure most of you are knowledgeable about this kind of thing.

My idea would be for something fairly simple (and cheap!) that would involve a perhaps 3-6 sections for posting notices/ads and a small discussion forum, which of course means an avenue for posters to register. The first thing I'm wondering is how to choose a competent person to set it up. (No, I don't plan to do it myself!) Any idea what's the least I should expect to spend?

:icon_question:

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Member Avatar for jwenting

any schoolkid with a pirated version of Frontpage can do it for a few hundred dollars.
A decent professional probably for a few thousand.

Member Avatar for BestJewSinceJC

A few thousand dollars? To set up a website with a few sections and the ability to register? Lol ok.

Member Avatar for jwenting

Sure. Would need a database, proper testing, design work.
All takes time.
At €75 an hour (not an uncommon rate for a professional), 3 days work would be €2000.

That's why I say a well trained professional, rather than some snot nosed kid who can click buttons in Frontpage.

Member Avatar for BestJewSinceJC

^ An exaggeration in terms of how long. Agreed on the professional, obviously, but the OP would be a fool to offer anyone even close to $2000 to do this project.

Member Avatar for jwenting

He wants a "small discussion forum", something for "posting notices/ads", and probably other stuff.
That seems to indicate at least a complete phpNuke and phpBBB installation or something similar.
That requires a mySQL database, some template customisation, graphics design, etc. etc.

I'd think 2-3 days for setting all that up, doing the graphics and CSS to conform to his wishes, testing it all, and teaching him how to administer it (especially the latter, as I assume he won't be buying an extended support contract) is probably optimistic.

Of course if he goes with a cohosted solution where he accepts a standard template and very limited control over LAF, advertising, etc. etc. he'd probably get it cheaper, as he'd just get an out of the box installation rolled out from a stored standard image, but I assume he wants more than that else he could just do a standard installation of those products himself.

Member Avatar for Fazza

I don't know anything about programming in HTML or PHP but I have managed to create my own websites - if you find the right host you can quickly and easily setup forums and blogs quite literally at a touch of a button and it sets up all the required databases for you!

My host (just like many other hosts) uses a piece of software called cPanel which when I log on to my account I can press a button to install Blog software such as Wordpress or B2Evolution and I'm sure I saw a list of forums I could install - all just by clicking on the install button.

The only information I had to type in was a username and password to allow me to log in to it and start work.

Why not find a host that uses cPanel and have a go yourself - it's easier than you'd think!

:)

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