Getting a web site started-Ideas please

[FROSTY]

Ok heres the thing >I want to get my track days ramped up a lil bit.
The idea is to have a web site with all advertising stuff on it and dates on it
opening up to the confirmed attending list.
Im totally out of my depth about if I can even do this as well as the costs.
I've had advice from a very senior KBer but about half of what he said went over my head.
Advice please folks.

[Colapop]

I don't care if it's basic or flash I'll support it! (Sorry that's about all the skills I can offer...:confused: )

[TerminalAddict]

so you want a calendar type thing with some ads around the place?

[FROSTY]

The idea is---front page is a generic cover off of the track day and how its run.Then open up a page to the rules, available dates etc
If I sound vague its cos Im out of my depth

[TerminalAddict]

ok .. since you have no idea .... :)

something like this?
http://www.calendarix.com/advanced/calendar.php
or this
http://reamdaysoft.com/magic-news-lite/demo.html

[SwanTiger]

Frosty, for a domain name (for example, frostystrackday.co.nz) it is going to cost you approximately $30 a year. Hosting for your web site is going to cost you approximately $100 - $150 a year.

Someone on Kiwi Biker should be able to make you a basic web site free of charge.

From what I can gather, frosty wants a simple website that needs to be updated/maintained on a semi-regular basis.

It will need a main page like a flyer, a collaboration of images from past track days and a bit of bling. Off this page, there will be one which will out line the rules and regulations for the track day. Additional to this will be a simple calendar of up-comming track days and a simple booking form that will send an e-mail to frosty with their details and instruct the person to deposit the money into his account with a specific reference, or wait for response from frosty. In total that is going to be 3 - 4 pages. It might be good to have a small gallery of photos from previous track days and an FAQ page - bringing it to a total of 6 -7 pages.

I might be wrong, but I think thats what you want in plain english isn't it Frosty?

When talking to computer folk remember they are egotistical and think "big, best and elaborative" or over complicate things.

[TerminalAddict]

When talking to computer folk remember they are egotistical and think "big, best and elaborative" or over complicate things.

damn you got me pegged already :)
I was thinking
http://frostys.crotch.rocket.and.the.adventures.of.those. that.want.to.grow.up.to.be.just.like.him.co.nz

.com are way cheaper, but less available
hosting can be arranged (or found) so cost isn't an issue.

infact I'm sure there are domain names available here that you borrow from
frosty.domain.com
I myself have 5 or 6 domains, and bet there a few more here that own domain names
*geek*

[SlowHand]

Hey, that link dont work :lol:

U mean kinda like that motoTT one kiwifuit's got dont ya?

[FROSTY]

Yep swanny has it.
And again yep strat has it too.
I definitely need the KISS principle applied

[TerminalAddict]

a quick look at motott.co.nz

That was made with microsoft publisher .. if that's what yer after .. then get publisher (or what ever app you think works best .. frontpage, dreamweaver, iWeb .. whatever)
make a website then save it somewhere .. your job is done .. the rest comes down to a domain name.
if you want your own http://interspeed.co.nz/domain-names.php?domain and start searching.

[Colapop]

A couple of suggestions (without getting too thinkyy) How about either a link to the track/s or a layout of each perhaps? They'll be held at different tracks?
Are links hard to do or maintain? Coz Paypal is bloody good for payments and you don't have to have to do the whole bank acc. details being given out (could lead to bad things)

FrostysRacing.com
frostydays.com


...are available

[TerminalAddict]

fuck me .. you went from tracks to paypal to the bank without even stopping for a breath :)

now that's nerdy :2thumbsup

[Gremlin]

no offence to kiwifruit... but ouch, motoTT is painful to browse... it didn't either set itself to the browser, or run in 800x600

It all comes down to what you want from the website. A simple static site is easy peasy stuff, and hell, like swanny, some are made in notepad...

Its only when you have to add identities, secure database, shopping cart, that it starts getting difficult. Stuff like frontpage etc makes it reaaaaal easy to do, with WYSIWYG design (what you see is what you get)

[FROSTY]

well over my head--a link to maps of tracks would be good.

[Colapop]

...Stuff like frontpage etc makes it reaaaaal easy to do, with WYSIWYG design (what you see is what you get)
Oh it's ok I actually read the bit after the WIGGYSWIGGY bit!! KISS is good - straightforward no pissing around. I was trying to get some info from Yamaha the other day and had to go through 4 pages before I found a link to some crappy fill-out-the-form-feedback thing that didn't give me what I wanted. All I wanted was a "contact us" button that opens an email.

[Gremlin]

All I wanted was a "contact us" button that opens an email.
As simple as making a link, with it pointing to an email addy... it will then open up your default email program, and starting a new message.

The real issue tho, is whether yamaha wants to be emailed... and if they do, they may want message rules depending on what you want (why some email links come auto-configured with a subject title - for the message rules at their end)

was that english??

[SwanTiger]

Cut the technical talk shit, go have a wank about the size of your hard drive elsewhere, Frosty just wants a website, can anyone make him one? its pretty simple and outlined in my previous post. He'll be able to provide you with content.

If I had the time I'd offer but will see if anyone else pipes up, I have too much shit on my plate at the moment.

[cowpoos]

Oh it's ok I actually read the bit after the WIGGYSWIGGY bit!! KISS is good - straightforward no pissing around. I was trying to get some info from Yamaha the other day and had to go through 4 pages before I found a link to some crappy fill-out-the-form-feedback thing that didn't give me what I wanted. All I wanted was a "contact us" button that opens an email.
you don't want a GTS!!!! piece of over complicated crap!!! look for a gsxr1100 or a zzr100 or a cbr1ooo or if you can find one a yamaha thunderace 1000

[Colapop]

As simple as making a link, with it pointing to an email addy... it will then open up your default email program, and starting a new message.

The real issue tho, is whether yamaha wants to be emailed... and if they do, they may want message rules depending on what you want (why some email links come auto-configured with a subject title - for the message rules at their end)

was that english??
Yup engrish... but this is about www.frostysracing.com


GTS!! Too complicated...
just finding out how stuff works... October....

[cowpoos]

, I have too much shit on my plate at the moment.

time for a diet???

[Gremlin]

Cut the technical talk shit, go have a wank about the size of your hard drive elsewhere, Frosty just wants a website, can anyone make him one? its pretty simple and outlined in my previous post. He'll be able to provide you with content.
I have already offered, free of charge...

Will play with some design etc tomorrow, maybe tonight, and take the rules etc off one of his trackdays. I presume he'll give me some content or something sometime...

As for hosting, I have never done that sorta stuff, so would need a little guidance there...

[SwanTiger]

time for a diet???

I only eat 1 or 2 times a day, small meals, I have about 15kg of fat on me, rest is muscle and bone density and a bit of flab here and there, got some good man tits, thats about it.

[FROSTY]

Guys if we're comparing to bikes here --What i want is a Honda CB100
real basic reall simple and something even I can fix
Actually make that a CB100 bucket racer --one with propper brakes so i can stop it

[Colapop]

So there's no more depth than one page behind? All the links on the first page you see only go to one page and back?

[Gremlin]

So there's no more depth than one page behind? All the links on the first page you see only go to one page and back?
err.... I thought it would be a couple of pages, front page, rules, track info... maybe a gallery....

unless he gives me any specifics, I'll just make something, then see what he says, and keep changing accordingly.

oh, frosty, I'll need a company logo or something... title picture or something... if you have any preferences on colour, tell me too. I won't go any more complex than that at the mo.

[TerminalAddict]

well all my websites compare to goldwings with a/c cd players, you name I've got it :P they are ALL written in notepad (actually vi .. but I won't start the "my nerd cock is bigger than yours" thing in this thread :nya: )

hosting I can do, domains I can, email I can do .. infact fuck it
I'm gonna flop my cock out and say.
if it needs to be done on a server I can do it :blip:

[cowpoos]

Guys if we're comparing to bikes here --What i want is a Honda CB100
real basic reall simple and something even I can fix
Actually make that a CB100 bucket racer --one with propper brakes so i can stop it
so you want something ugly and gutless....that no body wants....and nobodie wants to been seen dead near it!!!!

just so we are clear on this!

[TerminalAddict]

so you want something ugly and gutless....that no body wants....and nobodie wants to been seen dead near it!!!!

just so we are clear on this!

you could make that the "theme" of the website :blip:

who's seen http://www.ratemycow.com ? :niceone:

[kiwifruit]

no offence to kiwifruit... but ouch, motoTT is painful to browse... it didn't either set itself to the browser, or run in 800x600

It all comes down to what you want from the website. A simple static site is easy peasy stuff, and hell, like swanny, some are made in notepad...

Its only when you have to add identities, secure database, shopping cart, that it starts getting difficult. Stuff like frontpage etc makes it reaaaaal easy to do, with WYSIWYG design (what you see is what you get)

None taken....


i know im a n00b :) twil get better with time, at the mo its just out there as is where is.... but it is out there providing the nessasary info etc which is all it really need be.

[cowpoos]

you could make that the "theme" of the website :blip:

who's seen http://www.ratemycow.com ? :niceone:
fuck me!!!!! thats a real website..... bling for that!!!

[skelstar]

FROSTY: I havent read all of this but if no-one as offered Ill write you a site. Itll be in a couple of weeks though...

[Gremlin]

Ok, basic site done, and a bit of content stolen from his threads on KB.

This is mainly for Frosty, but anyone is welcome to have a looksee at what I have done. Its just a basic layout, and definitely a work in progress in terms of content :yes:

Unzip, open index.html, and browse from there as all the links are working etc...

All feedback welcome, and feedback proclaiming me a designing god is preferred :rofl: but hardly expected :killingme

[Skunk]

Its just a basic layout, and definitely a work in progress in terms of contentCool. But not a designing God. God doesn't use tables...

Jokes aside: Looks pretty good to me. Like the style etc. Does seem to jump in width on the Track Day rules day through. Just a visual 'blurp'.

[Gremlin]

yeah, still have to tidy them up a bit... just using Frontpage to do it. Nice easy website to build for someone, as my web skills were rusty, and haven't designed a website for a little while now.

Tossing between having more pages and complicating it, or having # areas for the different rules, and jumping to them, and keeping the website basic and easy to navigate.

This is just sort of an idea for Frosty, and he can see what he thinks etc, what he does/doesn't like, as he did mention he wanted it easy enough to update himself.

hehe, rusty skills resulted in tables... on a quick glance, it didn't seem to like me having differing margins etc :lol:

edit: skunk, what browser are you using?? I was testing in IE, but I think I know what you are saying, as it does it in mozilla. It will be adjusting for the scroll bar, its the only page long enough at the mo...

[Skunk]

edit: skunk, what browser are you using?? I was testing in IE, but I think I know what you are saying, as it does it in mozilla. It will be adjusting for the scroll bar, its the only page long enough at the mo...Yeah it's the scroll bar... Left the main box postion could be a fix for that.

I checked with Safari and Firefox. Mac obviously.

EDIT: I'd stick to how it is, use anchors for the content on rules etc.

[Gremlin]

handcode from there. I aim for pure css layout. Don't get me wrong - what you've done is great. With help from Steve's Templates?
caught.... yep... rather than try and be imaginative (I always sucked at drama art etc) I take something I like, and change at will. But remained true to what the guy asks, and lefted the link in... after all, his design. Haven't even changed the colours on the website yet, as I don't know what Frosty wants.

I never really got the hang off css, and use it for little bits... and I haven't had the time to learn dreamweaver yet... I learnt frontpage as a requirement for a uni paper a couple of years ago.

Biggest problem is continually practising the skills, otherwise you start forgetting stuff...

[scracha]

Frosty, for a domain name (for example, frostystrackday.co.nz) it is going to cost you approximately $30 a year. Hosting for your web site is going to cost you approximately $100 - $150 a year.


If you're going for a .co.nz. then make sure it's got email redirection (most try and scam more money for this). Get a .com for $20 with email from moi.

Hosting, can also do 100MB disk space, 5GB per month transfer), 3 MySQL DB's for $25 per quarter (no contract).

[skelstar]

www.webhostingspace.net

US$1.65/mnth. Domain name US$10/yr. 100MB, 4GB monthly transfer. Unlimited databases, email accounts. Live online tech support.

[scracha]

www.webhostingspace.net

US$1.65/mnth. Domain name US$10/yr. 100MB, 4GB monthly transfer. Unlimited databases, email accounts. Live online tech support.

So $16 NZD for 6 months. You pays your money takes your choice. Let me know how you get on as I've been bitten by some of the cheap hosts out there (overloaded servers or slooooow transfers, although sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised). Online tech support isn't always that great when you're in kiwi time. Picking up the phone is sometimes the best option when you find your site is down.

[skelstar]

I have had my website hosted by this crowd for two years. The site has only been down twice, and they changed the IP address without telling me at one stage, and I was wondering why I was working with data more than 4 days old. My fault for using IP addresses and not domain/machine names on my FTP/MySQL clients.