Tools Used: Weebly.com, WordPress.org, SquareSpace.com, etc.
Overview
This week’s lesson focused on the options to be considered by new businesses when looking to get their business online. Most of our class time was spent researching and using site builders first-hand. The reason for this was to help the fabricated group come to a decision as to which site builder they should use, as well as which web hosting service would fit their business.
My Thoughts
The first portion of our weekly assignments was to weigh the differences / pros and cons of three different site builders / editors. I decided to look at Weebly.com, WordPress.org, and Dreamweaver. Having had experience just all of three of these (although in same cases, very limited), I was able to get a good look at each. My suggestion to the group was to use WordPress.org. My reasoning for this was because 1) the ease of using WordPress.org (there are many free yet professional templates available), 2) the wide array and availability of plugins, 3) the seamless integration that WordPress.org has with may web hosting services, and 4) the power of open-source that other site builders do not offer.
Taken from my assignment:
“WordPress is a powerful, full-featured, fully customizable tool used in creating websites for Fortune 500 companies as well as the average Joe. Open source is appealing and useful in creating a website exactly as you envision it. There are no hoops to jump through, and very few “strings attached” (the business upgrade isn’t nearly as essential as it is for Weebly). With that being said, it does require a little knowledge if you really want to make full use of what WordPress has to offer.”
The second portion of our weekly assignments had to do with selecting web hosting for our site. I went with GoDaddy when taking into consideration price, having a free domain or not, and Google Adwords credit. Weighed against its competitors, GoDaddy only stands out with its price and ease of use. I can do it all through GoDaddy – purchase a domain, web hosting, site builder, etc. Other services offer web hosting and maybe a domain, but having all three in one place, especially with a big name like GoDaddy is something I couldn’t pass up.
What Next?
The group needs to get itself online! Even if it’s something simple. Additionally, they need to select a domain name that works with their intended product / service / name. Establishing themselves on the World Wide Web will be a bit of a task, but the free Google Adwords credit will help a little bit.
jcbrd 