website help needed

[benzo]

In the not to distant future im hoping to set up a charity. This charity will revolve around a website. If the website fails, so does the charity. I cannot over emphasise the importance that this website will play.

My initial ambition is to setup an organistion so as to ensure that all the 'business systems' are in place. When the organisation is running smoothly i will then apply for charity status. With charity status achieved, funding will be available. This funding would then allow me to employ an IT person to create a decent website. In the mean time, i need to DIY version 1 of this website until i can get an IT guru to set up version 2.

problem: My IT skills are pathetic & yet I need to generate a decent website.

What idiot proof products / software / books should i be looking at. Where do i start, where do i begin?

[Don]

Errr.

Convince an IT guy that your charity is so worthy of support that he should do you a first version free.

You'll be a long time developing the skills else.

[benzo]

thanks don. So best I left well alone? If thats the case, then i would have to spend my own money paying for a professional to build the website.

What ball park figure would i be looking at to have a website constructed by a professional?

Apologies for the questions. Just to re-iterate, i know naught about this field. I do know an IT consultant, and have thought about asking for some help. Would'nt feel right tbh.

thanks.

[_dobbo_]

benzo said:

What ball park figure would i be looking at to have a website constructed by a professional?

Depends entirely on what you want. If it's a handful of pages with some information, a contact form, etc, then a few hundred notes will cover it.

If you want a cleverer site which allows for taking donations and has a online shop etc, then you would be looking at a bit more, I'd guess the thick end of a grand.

If you want lots of pretty flash animations and menus, more still, anything up to a few thousand quid.

[benzo]

_dobbo_ said:

benzo said:

What ball park figure would i be looking at to have a website constructed by a professional?

Depends entirely on what you want. If it's a handful of pages with some information, a contact form, etc, then a few hundred notes will cover it.

If you want a cleverer site which allows for taking donations and has a online shop etc, then you would be looking at a bit more, I'd guess the thick end of a grand.

If you want lots of pretty flash animations and menus, more still, anything up to a few thousand quid.

thanks dobbo.

Slight change of plan. will need to write a business plan and go for charity status first, get the funding, then get the website developed.


Slightly unusual topic. Thanks for the help.

[_dobbo_]

Good luck with getting it all set up! Several PH'ers run web design businesses and would be able to do pretty much anything you need - remember to ask here when you are ready to go.

[benzo]

remembered.

[SGirl]

Can you not just buy a website template for now? They're a lot cheaper than custom site development, and it'd fill a gap while you wait for your charity to be approved. All you'd have to do is come up with the text and photos.

[benzo]

SGirl said:

Can you not just buy a website template for now? They're a lot cheaper than custom site development, and it'd fill a gap while you wait for your charity to be approved. All you'd have to do is come up with the text and photos.

hi Sgirl and thanks.

Thats something i was visualising. Finding a cheap or free pre-formed package, then inputting the neccessary data to create the website. Just no idea it was called a template. When appointing trustees, i will keep an eye out for a person with strong IT skills. Will make life infinitely easier. No point in shooting myself in the foot, by doing a bodge job.

thanks again.

[Scraggles]

have seen templated websites, they look sort of ok until u want to change something... if u dont know IT stuff, it is going to be very hard to change it as the template does not cover your new website, ur stuffed.

got a m8 who sells nice stuff, but is not good with computers, he got a friend who is good to help him, website both looks good and works and when he wants new stuf added he not need to know how, it just happens

as a previous poster mentioned, lots of guys here who make sites