creating a website

[ozwinner]

Good luck with HTML, youll need it.

Al

[Coldamus]

Keep in mind too, that once you register a domain name, you need a web hosting account as well.

Forget using your ISP to do it all (like bigpond etc) unless you have a few spare $$$

Agreed. As always, I am skint, so am working on a different approach:

My current Bigpond plan is $69.95 per month for unlmited usage, throttled after 12gb. A static IP address will add $10 per month. I am reasonably competent with html, so can create my own site and have set up a server running Apache and php on Windows 2000. I have a business name and ABN.

The intention is to get a static IP address and register a .com.au domain which will be pointed to that address. When the server is fired up, I should be on the net. Secure transaction processing is beyond me, so I propose to use PayPal links.

As far as I can see, this should all be legal with no cost for web hosting or traffic and complete control over the site. I suppose BigPond's rules on allowable content still apply but that will not be an issue. It will be a conservative, strictly legitimate business site. However I want to avoid restrictions on my choice of database, ActiveX controls, etc.

Are there are any holes in this strategy? I've tested the server on my current dynamic IP address and it works OK.

Sorry to hijack your thread, Benji, but I figure it has already been de-railed!

[TermiMonster]

The only problem I can see is if your site gets really popular...in which case your clients speeds will drop down and they will probably give up....not a bad problem to have, because if you have that problem, you will be making so much money that you won't mind paying some IT guru a small fortune to take care of the details.

[Coldamus]

Thanks for the reply. Once the site starts to bring in some income, the running costs should not be an issue. However I don't expect that to happen overnight, so I need to keep the costs down until then.

[abitfishy]

Um, I don't know mate, with reasonably stable third party hosting starting at about $12mth, I wouldn't bother going the static IP address on your own server, and also have to deal with security issues etc. Also, if you want mail at your own domain, you'll have to install and configure a mail server using something like mdaemon or maybe there is something more basic but still a lot of stuffing around. For the low cost of hosting, let someone else deal with it already setup for you.

[calypso]

Hello,
the simpliest and best way to create a website is www.hpage.com.
There you have 300MB storage space and many design templates and it's totally free.
For people without programming skills but also suitable for professionals.
hpage offers many features - here some examples: If you do not want to make all contents of your website public, you can edit a special password-protected member area, where only friends, family members or other registered people have access. This is only one of the many extras available at hpage.
Other extras, for example a newsletter for your visitors, your own ad-server, an own forum, a personal shoutbox, etc.,

All the best!

[HazzaB]

Hey Guys,

I am looking at doing a site as well, I contacted my server and they started at about $600.00 to start, shopped around and can get on line for $130.00, thats domain name rego $34.95 for two years, and hosting for $9.95 per month, thats with www.webcity.com.au and a mate told me about a mob called www.crazydomains.com.au they also have some really cheap offers. Don't ask which one I will be getting. I haven't been allowed to make a decision yet.

HazzaB