Website Creation Software? Help please.

[clockmanFR]

Our Sustainability Project is accidentally getting noticed. Like me becoming an accidental Farmer?

The Mrs has decided to create a New Web site, that will take over from my old one that i created with MS Frontpage in 1991 and last updated in 2002. (i will let it continue running)

She's brill with MS Powerpoint, PDF, word etc, as she has to be with her work, so she would like a pro looking site with out to many gimmicks, and not to much cash expenditure.

But MS has discontinued Frontpage I am a bit of a loss about any new software. Especially as we will probably need new hosting etc.

A template version we can modify would be okay. 

We did try some free software but our Satellite link in these stormy winds kept dropping out, and the software was not so straightforward.

Your comments would be very much appreciated.

Thank You.

[martin]

Use one of the modern online systems like "Weebly" http://www.weebly.com/ - an absolute doddle to use, and can produce really excellent results.... if the line keeps dropping, just keep on "saving" as you build.

[Bodidly]

Hi clockman

 I know almost nothing about computers and web sites but we recently did a simple site for selling logs. We used a free (apart from domain name) site called Yola it took my friend who only Knows slightly more than me 2 hours from start to finish. This is our site http://www.lizlogs.co.uk/ there are lots of other templates available that mite suit your needs better.

Hope this helps

Beau

[Contadino]

Wordpress.com. It's not just a blogging thing. Free, but if you hit a certain traffic threshold, they'll start slipping adverts onto your site. Also, I've just done a self-hosted site using Wordpress.org which was an absolute cinch.

[wookey]

Whatever you do, don't use moonfruit. Their websites simply don't work with current Free Software/Open Source offerings (too much flash, incompatible with gnash and lightspark). Ideally don't use flash at all if you want everyone to be able to read your site. Use HTML 4 or 5.

The Yola site linked above works OK.

[Justme]

As she is so good with MicroSoft products why not use Publisher?

You can make simple sites with it easily.

[clivejo]

How much traffic are you likely to see?  What's the content text,  pictures, video?

I could maybe give you bit of space on Linux/PHP server if the loads are too bad?

To be honest Id keep away from Publisher and the likes.  I think a CMS (Content Management System) would be far easier to maintain.   Something like Wordpress ( http://wordpress.org/ )  or e107 (www.e107.org) or any of the others available out there.

[clockmanFR]

Justme, tried  it but it hangs because all the MS is different age and types. Hang on we are talking the Mrs here, other software hold on to your hats.!
 
Wookey, Bodidly, thanks She likes Yola as it seems to have good text and simple editing process. Although the fact that we are using are own domain names seem to spook Yola, but at £5 per month as host etc, is that a good deal? .

Contadino, thanks, nothings really free and we are keeping an eye on the small print.

Martin, thanks, tried weebly but her indoors did not like the Script choices.

[martin]

I've used these guys for hosting for the last 3 years - http://www.knethosting.co.uk/- incredibly cheap (£17.99 per annum), nice to deal with - host up to 6 sites, and comes with an included "point and click" install of numerous database driven cms/blogs etc - highly recommended - "123" for domain names, job done!

[clockmanFR]

Thanks clivejo, but her indoors is in charge on this.  

No Video, just pics and text, the site will eventually be spilt into 4 distinct area's so probably about 25 to 30 pages. No cash/card and no direct commercial gain.

At this exact moment she likes the Yola editing system, but things might change if she can not get them to link with our domain names.?

I will report on her findings. I am in the office next door so can here her mutterings like, "i just saved that and now its gone again", so i have to pop in and explain that in my day there was software for creation, software for uploading and editing, Hosts, Domain regs, etc etc, and guess what it seems to me that after 21 years not much has changed.  

[clockmanFR]

Thanks martin, I might mention your £17.99 host to the other half in the midmorning as I think if i say anything at this moment i might loose some teeth!.

But it sounds excellent.

[martin]

and........... http://www.yola.com/tutorials/article/Publish-to-a-domain-you-already-own-1285944418365/FAQs

[clivejo]

There is software for all that, but why waste time!  Whats the point in manually building the page, ftp'ing/uploading it and messing about when you can have a web interface to do it for you!

[clivejo]

Can I have a look at your current site?

[clockmanFR]

martin, i just dragged her indoors to look at your link, she's on it, but it does say leave for upto 48hrs, (do not know if i can survive that long)  .

clivejo , here is my stuff, its very old and old addresses, and may require you to reach for old fashioned paper and pen,  
This lot is just me and its all free as my Brov arranged it, use the main tile hyperlinks and the whats new page link, home page first link does work but is not highlighted in blue.
Eventually this will be one of the 4 area's, and the new site will be called 'echorenovate'.  I know!!!! don't get me going!!!