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[housedoc]

Me and my partner are trying to get a new business together - tell me if i shouldn't be saying this Neo - we have decided on a name - which i won't say unless Neo says it is ok to, but i just wondered if anyone can help me - we need to put a website together and the only software i have is Contribute which i use to update my other website for my interior design and artwork etc. I have been told that this is not a web building piece of software just web maintenance software.

Can anyone please advise me on the following:-

a) are there any free downloads of web building software (that you would recommend) - something for the amateur to use like me cos i haven't really got any knowledge of building a site - but can maintain to a certain extent! I would like to have a go myself but would probably need a fair bit of help. I could do with a WYSIWIG - not HTML cos i don't understand HTML.

if i was gonna purchase a web building piece of software could anyone advise me probably what might be best for me to use (hopefully something that istn't too expensive) and

c) I have manged to sort out a web host but will eventually need to get the site to search engines - i don't know how to do that either - would like some advice on that too - i am in the process of putting together some key words and phrases.

d) if i get stuck would anyone help me? We are only just in the early stages!

[housedoc]

I'm here again - apparently i can let you know what the site is called but it has still got to be set up yet. It is My Webpage

As you can see by the name we are getting into renting villas on the costa blanca also if people have villas they would like renting out then they can contact us. So if you want to RENT a villa let me know or if you have a villa that you would like to RENT OUT let me know.

[housedoc]

You see how not so great i am with websites - sorry the name is http//:www.easyjetvillas.com but if you click on 'my webpage' it will get you to the site - but as i say it still needs setting up - still in very early stages!!

[Cary]

So, your domain name is ...?

http://www.easyjetvillas.com
or
http://www.easyletvillas.com/ ?

[housedoc]

easyletvillas Cary -

[Neo_Art]

Hi Denise,

Give us some more information about your idea ...
How do you see the site structure? How many offers will you add
in your site (5 or 100), or it will be your personal site?
Who will manage these offers? You personally or the owners? .........

[housedoc]

Hi Neo

It will only be a smallish site with say 5 villas the first year - then approx 10 the following year - we don't want to go too big, but will see how it goes. Start small and hopefully grow.

We shall manage them ourselves not the owner. We only want villas on the Costa Blanca so we can personally make sure they are the type we want on our books. If someone wants to be on our books we will check the villas first to see if they come up to our standards. If the villas are not up to our standard - then we will offer the service of my interior design and painting etc to bring it up to standard. Obviously the better the villa - the more rental they can ask. And we take a percentage of that villa for offering to get their clients for them.

We can also go and see Estate Agents in the area to see if they would like to let us have any off their books too. They might have a few that they are having difficulty filling!

So the site structure will be pictures of the villas and info on each one such as prices, where they are situated i.e. a map, prices etc
About Us
Information on the Costa Blanca itself - what the area is like, beaches, restaurants, shops, places of interest, weather etc etc
There will be a booking form for people who want to rent the villas with availability of times, dates etc.
Information regarding key collection, deposits, payments etc
'Welcome Pack' - say comprising of tea, coffee, sugar, milk, beer, soap, toilet roll etc
Villa Booking Conditions - confirmed bookings, cheques, linen/towels, hours the villa will be available from and vacation of the property etc etc
Booking Procedures
Car Hire Facilities - we know a company not far from us - whom we intend to go and speak to - to see if they would be interested in what we are doing - we would also take a percentage of the hire fee
Cleaning and Maintenance facilities of the villa - we will hire someone to clean and maintain the villas (we already know a couple who are up to that!) - and take a small percentage of their fee too

We still have a long way to go yet - but we are hoping that the site will be up and running at least by christmas - even if we don't have too many villas on the site at that time.

We have also got to speak and do a small leaflet drop on our urbinsation and one or two others near where we live to see if anyone is interested in letting their villas out. We know there are a few who do.

I have sorted the Web Hosting and registered our company name. We still have business cards etc to sort out too - but we are just in the middle of sorting the logo first. We had one in mind but because it was too much like easyjet (the flight company) we are changing it.

If you want to know anymore info let me know.

[Neo_Art]

Hi Denise,

I'm too overloaded and forgot to answer your post
What is the present stage of the site?

[housedoc]

Hi Neo

Thanks for asking - no worries - I know what its like being overloaded.

Well I have now managed to get hold of a piece of website building software free that Graeme so kindly recommended and got it downloaded (NetObjects Fusion 7.1) - been busy just reading how to use it etc - looking at templates - i think we have now decided on a template but shall change it a bit! Our logo that we wanted - has now gone on the back burner - cos it is too much like EasyJet (the flight company) so we are in the middle of redesigning that. Once the logo and 'header' is sorted for the website I can then try to put the site together - although I have never started from scratch for a website before. I am only used to maintaining one. Still I will give it a go cos you don't know what you can do until you try do you? But Graeme has offered his help if I get stuck with anything - which I am sure I will!!

We still have a lot of 'background' work to do - but as I said before I have my daughter and grandson out at the moment and I feel I can't sit at the computer all day until they have gone - hope to get a lot more done next week.

[Neo_Art]

Well, NetObjects is a decision (although I always recomend CMS for the
people who aren't familiar with HTML etc, see Drawingirl's site.)

housedoc, on Aug 12 2005, 10:23 AM, said:

- cos it is too much like EasyJet (the flight company) so we are in the middle of redesigning that.

Stay away from EasyJet design, they are a big company (just for
example - their daily budget for google ads is about $18000 )
and it's not a good idea to make your design like their!

Why don't you post a request for Logo design on Arttrade Forums?
It's not necessary to be a paid request