Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How do I get started? I've been asked numerous times if I have a website and of course the answer is no but,I want to change that!lol!Any tips will be greatly appreciated! Jeff

hey Jeff i'll check with our website developer at work and let you know Lee

>>How do I get started? I've been asked numerous times if I have a website and of course the answer is no but,I want to change that!lol!Any tips will be greatly appreciated! Jeff
>>

First you register a domain name. Do NOT pay more than about $10-15 per year for your domain name registration. Pick a name that is easy to remember. For example, www.jeffcochransnakes.com and www.cornsbyjeff.com and www.cochrancorns.com all appear to be available.

Your next step depends on how web savvy you are! It is certainly possible to put up a web site yourself -- but if you don't feel comfortable doing that, then hire a web site designer. And have fun with it. It doesn't have to be perfect!
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
1.2 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

Try Vista Print. It is pretty easy to build one. The price per month to run it once built is 5.00 and goes up to 20.00. The more the cost the more you get though. The instructions are pretty clear and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to do it. You do not have to buy a domain either.
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Noah was the first snake collector. ~Eric~

>>How do I get started? I've been asked numerous times if I have a website and of course the answer is no but,I want to change that!lol!Any tips will be greatly appreciated! Jeff
>>

Hay Jeff. Amazondoc points out good stuff. Go daddy dominates the domain registration part. Normally $10.71 a year I think. Do not use network solutions. Once the only kid on the block, they just out right stink. That's to in a sense lease your "domain name". You never really own it.

Then you need a host. That is the space for your site. Space is very very cheap now. I use to have Go Daddy but they do not have a "C Panel" it's a gui and just a very very easy way to control things on your site. No plug, but I use Host Gator. They have done me right. Both go daddy and HG have good and fast tech support.

I still can't write any html. I just started with front page and add script. It comes down to how sophisticated you want your site. Will you be selling items over your site. Then you want a hosting account with SSL. It's a way to secure information put in such as a credit card. CSS (cascading style sheets) is a better way to write a site, but I never bothered to learn it. Again, just depends how involved you want it.

Good luck.

Tom
herpzilla.com
herphelp.com
mett.com
4myparrots.com
cornsnakehelp
grayband
something else
and a few I forget I have. lol

Oh yes. You just need 1 hosting account. Example, my "primary domain" is xxxxxxxxxxx.com all my others are "add ons". My account I have have unlimited add ons, emails, subdomains etc etc
It will get addictive lol

>>Tom
>>herpzilla.com
>>herphelp.com
>>mett.com
>>4myparrots.com
>>cornsnakehelp
>>grayband
>>something else
>>and a few I forget I have. lol

You bring out my competitive side..... LOL!

barnevelderclub.org
barnevelders.org
doberinfo.com
eggheadhill.com
eggheadhill.org
etdr.com
etdr.org
maranschickenclub.net
maranschickenclub.org
maranschickenclubusa.net
maranschickenclubusa.org
maranschickens.com
maranschickens.org
maranschickensusa.com
maranschickensusa.org
maransclub.net
maransclub.org
maransclubusa.com
maransclubusa.org
maransofamericaclub.org
maransusa.com
maransusa.net
maransusa.org
welsummer.org
welsummerclub.com
welsummers.com
welsummers.org
whitedobermans.org
whitedobes.com
whitedobes.org

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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
1.2 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

I use to have far more but not that many. I use to have some funny ones, but they just got expensive renewing each year. Especailly since I am not using any to make money.

Like I said, it gets addictive. lol Nice collection
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Thanks for reading. Peace
Tom

www.HerpZillA.com

>>I use to have far more but not that many. I use to have some funny ones, but they just got expensive renewing each year. Especailly since I am not using any to make money.
>>
>>Like I said, it gets addictive. lol Nice collection
>>-----
>>Thanks for reading. Peace
>>Tom
>>
>>www.HerpZillA.com

In the interests of full disclosure, I will admit that all the "Marans" ones are paid for by the Marans Chicken Club USA, whose site I host. And yes, keeping that many can get expensive!

Incidentally, I have used gandi.net for years for my domain names. This past year I also switched to them for hosting. They are not the cheapest nor the most expensive out there, but it was very nice to have their hosting services when the Marans club was being hit with spurious copyright complaints. Oddly enough, Gandi (a French company) wasn't too impressed that some piddly American was complaining about supposed copyright infringements.
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
1.2 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

Getting a website built isn't too difficult, but it really does depend on how professional you want it to look like and what fancy bells and whistles you will need.

A strictly informative type site just to show your collection and provide care info etc. can be easily done with any of many hosting sites web tutorials. If you want things like Flash animations, flashing buttons etc, its a bit more involved, depending on the complexity you are looking for. A site made entirely out of Flash will require hiring somebody experienced with building websites in Flash, same if you want the use of javascript.

Basic HTML isn't very difficult and can be managed easily enough with a bit of online research. It is also possible to buy website templates...which handle the overall layout of the site, all you have to do is put in content. Hiring a professional web designer will be most likely to get you a professional looking site that loads well even with visitors to your site who don't have high speed internet connections, is clean and neat and easy to navigate. I have seen many websites which don't work for many reasons, either badly chosen colors, font styles, poorly arranged, etc.
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PHLdyPayne

Great point. I hate sites with light green fonts on dark green background (for example) Or every section has a different color.

My personal sites I break a few rules. But for a biz site, well see what others are doing. "The look"

Also if you don't do CSS, and you use a GUI program like front page (NOT MS word as it adds a crap load of code you don't need and it slows the site) I would learn or start to play with tables, tables in tables. They will drive ya nuts at first. But they are a nice way to control layout.

I'm sure you will do fine Jeff. Also for your domain I'd use your name. You have always been up front with who you are in your nick here. People know you and know your stuff. Why try to build an association between a nifty new name to who you are. It worked well for Applegate.

again good luck

Tom

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" a.k.a. farfrumugen "
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.