Website Creation Software...

peterbeaumont · Nov 11, 2012, 12:19:05

Could anyone recommend a reasonably-priced piece of software to create a simple website, please?
I've only ever used MS Frontpage (some time ago, but it was adequate) and Kompozer (which I found a bit "buggy" and gave me annoying layout problems).
I just seek something relatively simple for occasional use.
Thank you.

zappaDPJ · Nov 11, 2012, 13:56:07

I'd consider going about it a different way. As a website is a very public window to your content you want it to look as professional as possible and website creation software isn't really going to help with that.

You might want to take a look at something like WordPress http://wordpress.org/. It's free and easy to use, has a multitude of plug-ins to enhance functionality and there are literally thousands of free to use or economically priced professional themes to choose from. Using that will allow you to focus on the most important aspect of a website, namely the content while at the same time have it presented in a professional manner. I use it quite a lot to create sites for clients.

Failing that, if I'm building a site from scratch, I don't really find any of the site builders/editors to be of much use and I have quite a few including the rather pricey Dreamweaver. Notepad and a browser extension such as Firebug fulfil almost all of my needs.

psp83 · Nov 11, 2012, 14:55:12

I agree with Zap. Wordpress is the best way to keep costs down.

Stay away from site builders web hosts offer.

If you want to try build one yourself, I use Aptana 3 or Eclipse, both are free but will take time to get used to.

Or you can download notepad++ and add plugins etc. This is free aswell.

Den · Nov 11, 2012, 16:44:07

Try this free version from Serif

http://www.serif.com/web-design-software/ it's worth a punt.

peterbeaumont · Nov 11, 2012, 19:58:57

Thank you for your suggestions, I will play with Wordpress, but no doubt will be back here with a few more questions when I realise I'm too gormless to figure it out...

Niall · Nov 11, 2012, 23:16:50

Wordpress is good. I've used it a few times. I still haven't gotten around to creating my own site yet, but may use wordpress again. You can use some hosts like 34sp who have a scripted version so you click a button and it installs it after you fill out a form with your server, etc details. You can do a lot with it when you learn to edit the code. Takes a while at first if you're new to it, but you can just do a simple install then look at the features you want to add on and look in to how to do it. The wordpress community is quite large so you'll almost certainly find any answers you want there, or around the web.

peterbeaumont · Nov 12, 2012, 09:50:14

I told you I'd be back...I didn't mention that I already have a domain name and cpanel hosting account.
If I download Wordpress onto my cpanel, do I still need to separately download it onto my laptop?
Or do I just pull the database down from my host account via FTP?
Sorry, even after reading all the notes, I guess I need an ultra-idiot's guide...

zappaDPJ · Nov 12, 2012, 10:17:12

None of the above

Log in to your cPanel and locate the WordPress installer. Hopefully you will find it under 'Softulous' or 'Fantastico' heading. If not we'll need to install it another way.

When it installs you'll need to supply some very basic information including login information, database name and location. All of this you can make up with the exception of the the installation location. I'd keep that as the default unless you already have a website installed on your hosting space. That's it! You should now have Wordpress installed and when you load up your domain in a browser you should see WordPress. That assumes you've installed it to the default location.

You don't install anything to your PC and the database is automatically created on your web space when you install. Somewhere on the front page you will see a login that will allow you to access the admin panel. It's from there that you install themes and add-ons, and set things up as you want them. You will only need to use an FTP client if you need to upload for example a theme that you've previously downloaded from another source.

psp83 · Nov 12, 2012, 10:37:11

Quote from: zappaDPJ on Nov 12, 2012, 10:17:12
You don't install anything to your PC and the database is automatically created on your web space when you install. Somewhere on the front page you will see a login that will allow you to access the admin panel. It's from there that you install themes and add-ons, and set things up as you want them. You will only need to use an FTP client if you need to upload for example a theme that you've previously downloaded from another source.

You don't even need FTP to upload a theme.

Appearance > Themes > Install Themes > Upload

peterbeaumont · Nov 12, 2012, 10:46:26

Thicko back again...I downloaded Wordpress into my cpanel, using Fantastico and it created a database.
But now, when I put my domain name into my browser, it still just displays my (existing) web pages, not Wordpress...should I have deleted the original web page files first?
Sorry about my ineptitude!

psp83 · Nov 12, 2012, 10:54:34

What happens when you go to http://www.your-domain-name-here.com/wp-admin ?

peterbeaumont · Nov 12, 2012, 10:59:21

I get the Wordpress Dashboard...I assume that's good news?

psp83 · Nov 12, 2012, 11:03:22

Yep. Log into your FTP and check to see if you have a index.html or index.htm

If you have, rename it to index.old.html or index.old.htm

Then try loading your site again.

peterbeaumont · Nov 12, 2012, 11:15:30

I renamed my index.htm file, but I'm still seeing my all my original pages when i enter my domain name in my browser...
Would it help if I deleted all my current pages?

psp83 · Nov 12, 2012, 11:18:15

Only if you have them backed up, just in case you need to restore them.

Or you could try accessing index.php from your browser. eg. http://yourdomain.com/index.php

zappaDPJ · Nov 12, 2012, 11:22:33

Quote from: psp83 on Nov 12, 2012, 10:37:11
You don't even need FTP to upload a theme.

Appearance > Themes > Install Themes > Upload

I'm so used to uploading background images for custom styles via FTP I'd completely forgotten you could do that

peterbeaumont · Nov 12, 2012, 11:33:46

I deleted all my pages (I have them backed up on my laptop) and when I connect to my account, it now says "/" is empty...but when I enter my domain name into my browser, I'm still seeing all the original pages...

I'm happy to share my cpanel login details if you have the inclination to look?

psp83 · Nov 12, 2012, 11:44:23

PM me your FTP details and the domain I can access your site and I will take a look.

Simon · Nov 12, 2012, 12:18:24

Could you be seeing browser cached pages, Peter?

psp83 · Nov 12, 2012, 12:26:38

Quote from: Simon on Nov 12, 2012, 12:18:24
Could you be seeing browser cached pages, Peter?

Nope, there's something weird going on with Peter's FTP as I explained in the PM to him.

He can see his word press installation now when going to his domain

peterbeaumont · Nov 13, 2012, 08:35:27

Thank you guys for your input and help, my installation is sorted now and I'm looking forward to playing around with Wordpress.

zappaDPJ · Nov 13, 2012, 10:25:27

Have fun

peterbeaumont · Nov 22, 2012, 16:51:29

I have been experimenting with Wordpress and seem to have blundered along pretty well, except for one problem.

I have now ended up with 2 "Home" pages, each a duplicate of the other, but only one of them appears in the Wordpress page editor. I don't know how to delete the "invisible/phantom" one - I'm not sure if I should be looking in Wordpress, or in my cpanel for the source of the duplication.

I'm not sure if I explained this very well, but perhaps one of you gurus could offer some help, please?

zappaDPJ · Nov 22, 2012, 18:14:37

It's hard to say without seeing it but the most likely explanation is that you have two navigation links to a single page rather than two actual pages. That's a huge guess though. If Paul (psp83) still has access I'm sure he can tell you what the problem is in a minute but from what you've described it does sound like a navigation issue.

peterbeaumont · Nov 22, 2012, 21:01:16

Later that same day...I fixed it, thank you - there was a line in the header.php file I'd forgotten to amend.
More questions later, I'm sure.

zappaDPJ · Nov 23, 2012, 00:27:24

peterbeaumont · Nov 24, 2012, 21:00:15

It's me again...I've ended up with one niggling problem that I can't cure...

There is an empty box at the bottom of my pages (indicated on the attached picture) that I was trying to fill with the same colour as the menu header, but I can't find it to edit it.

I thought at first it was the Footer (but it isn't, I hid the Footer) and I've looked, better looked and gone cross-eyed, but I just can't find what it's called, or where it's located in the code.
Could anyone help, please?
Thank you.

zappaDPJ · Nov 24, 2012, 23:20:58

The HTML code suggests it's actually the sidebar.

Code Select

<div class="box">
<ul class="sidebar"> </ul>
</div>

What it's doing down there I really don't know. I'd first check your layout to see if there's a sidebar enabled

peterbeaumont · Nov 25, 2012, 08:42:22

Zap

Thank you, yes, it was a Sidebar and no, I don't know how it got there either

Anyway, I've achieved what I wanted, albeit in an amateurish way and I have learned a bit about Wordpress too.

Hopefully my next efforts will be a little more accomplished.

zappaDPJ · Nov 25, 2012, 08:57:37

psp83 · Nov 25, 2012, 18:34:49

its most likely caused by a float issue since the image makes the main content wider, pushing the sidebar below.