Web site for my shop

[Tru-Craft]

I want to start a web site for my Machine Shop.
This is not Opel related, well maybe, I have made and will make Opel stuff in my shop.
Gary is probably the best one to ask, but I thought I would ask all Opel folks.
I don't want a big thing, just to show my shop, what I can do, contact info, etc.............
I know nothing about this!
Any advise would be appreciated.
Lyle

[Paul]

I can't wait...

[newman27]

Originally Posted by Tru-Craft I want to start a web site for my Machine Shop. This is not Opel related, well maybe, I have made and will make Opel stuff in my shop. Gary is probably the best one to ask, but I thought I would ask all Opel folks. I don't want a big thing, just to show my shop, what I can do, contact info, etc............. I know nothing about this! Any advise would be appreciated. Lyle

It depends on what you want to spend among other things. Good friends of mine own a company the designs and hosts web sites for companies. You meet with them and explain what your business is and what you are trying to convey as far as a message. They then get you a web domain (which BTW you can do yourself if you want to), they design the web site (iterative process done off-line until you like it) and then they host it on one of their servers for a monthly fee. If you want to go really cheap, most cable companies throw in some free web space to which you can post simple pages designed in Microsoft Publisher or even in Microsoft Word or Powerpoint. That would be the cheapest method. The only drawback there is that your domain name will include the name of the cable operator like www.charter.net/<your name>. So again, it depends on what you want to spend, how much PC skill you have, and how professional an image you want to convey with the site domain name and content...

HTH

Matt

[opelnut10]

Originally Posted by Tru-Craft I want to start a web site for my Machine Shop. This is not Opel related, well maybe, I have made and will make Opel stuff in my shop. Gary is probably the best one to ask, but I thought I would ask all Opel folks. I don't want a big thing, just to show my shop, what I can do, contact info, etc............. I know nothing about this! Any advise would be appreciated. Lyle

Go on Cypress Computer - Home I think he can do what you want to do for a very reasonable fee, his name is Rob, tell him Lloyd gave you the info.

[Dennis Texas]

Originally Posted by Tru-Craft I want to start a web site for my Machine Shop. This is not Opel related, well maybe, I have made and will make Opel stuff in my shop. Gary is probably the best one to ask, but I thought I would ask all Opel folks. I don't want a big thing, just to show my shop, what I can do, contact info, etc............. I know nothing about this! Any advise would be appreciated. Lyle

web sites are free up to certain limits, size wise. You can get free hosting, (geocities is just one) as far as your actual site doesn't sound like you need to have a maintained site just a page with services a few pics and contact info. There are programs out there specifically for computer challenged people (like me), drop and drag mostly, that you can build your site check it out on your computer and when you get it right upload to a hosting server. If that sounds more out of your league you may try a college by you and find a student that would build your template for your site, in fact they would probably do it all for you fairly cheap.
Net objects fusion is one program that is basically drag and drop as you build the site it puts all the codes in the background for you. You just make your page and if you interact pages on the site (multiple pages linked by buttons) you add the buttons and program does all the source coding for you.
Probably not much help I have not had built a site in years so very rusty and things do change as the net progresses so any old information certainly can stand a reviewing. If you go with a paid server to display your site it is basically the same you make your site (some sites actually have programs included to help you build your site) , upload they host it for you for a fee, usually the fee covers more allocation of space for your site and faster speeds.
Since your just now starting this, I would go with a free site publish your web site with them and see how it works, get a feel for what you want, let people look it over and see what they think about it, mostly ease of use and finding of information. Work with it some get some bad spots worked out, before you decide to hire it out and have a maintained site with all the frills no what you want.
If you decide to have one built for you make sure you are the owner of the information, some agencies when you quit paying for "their" hosting they pull your site down and you have nothing to move to a new site for hosting.

[Tru-Craft]

Thanks for all the info!
My shop is small, so something small would be perfect.
Don't want to spend a lot of time maintaining it.
Just some info about my shop and services.
I don't have a product, I just manufacture products from supplied drawings.....a job shop.
Maybe a few pictures of my machines and parts I have made.
Will look into your suggestions
Lyle

[Gary]

Lyle- tru-craft.com is available. PM me.

[wrench459]

Originally Posted by Tru-Craft I want to start a web site for my Machine Shop. Lyle

Are you using any shop management software for your biz?
If so you might want to ask if you can have a site under there server.

[markandson]

Lyle, sounds like Gary may have you hooked up. If not my son just graduated college and does exactly what you need, he can write code from scratch, he doesn't use any kind of helper program. All you would have to do is tell him what you want to show and say and he would do the rest. I am sure he would do it for a very reasonable fee, he already has a job so this would just be a little side work for him. Since Tru-Craft.com is available all you would need to do is buy the domain and then have it forward to your ISP home page, that way you have the best of both worlds, you have your own domain name but you get the hosting for free.

[Tru-Craft]

Opel folk's are great, thanks again everyone for the info.
What a powerful tool the internet is.
I will try to learn the basics of a web site.........old dog/new tricks, but I don't have the time or skill to do this myself.

Gary emailed me and before I had time to type a reply to him, he had a domain name & website started!!!!!
I will have him add a few pictures of machines & some parts I have made over the years. Want to keep it simple but professional looking.
Hopefully with the web site, my shop will be easier to find and help me compete in our tough economy.
I never realized how complex the OpelGt website is.
Gary is skilled!
Opel help and more
Thanks
Lyle