Website Design

[NWR]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice and guidance.

I would like to build a website but I've no idea where to start. I know what I want but just need to get an understanding where to start.

I know many people will say that it will be easier to pay someone else to do it but web design really interests me. I know it's going to be a really long road but I've got to start somewhere.

I'm just trying to get an understanding of what I need to learn.

The website I wish to build will be a dynamic website with a login portal for members/clients.

Up to now I've worked out from websites that I've visited that .aspx or PHP is required but I'm not sure which one.

Also HTML and CSS Style sheets.

Am I right in saying that if I used PHP I would use SQL but if I used aspx I would use sharepoint?

I'm a bit lost how it all fits together.

I don't want to be spoon fed I'm just looking for a bit of guidance.



NWR

 

[crazyman143]

I posted this for someone who asked a similar question:

I created my website using Wordpress. Although it is primarily a blog software, it can still be used to make great static websites. Lots of plugins and themes available. There are sites that handle all of the setup and hosting for you, but if you want to setup wordpress yourself, it's not too difficult with their 5 minute guide and some googling about. Joomla and Drupal are also popular options, but i'm less experienced with them.

Weebly is another one that is pretty easy to use and more designed for static websites, rather than blogs/message boards. They handle all of the hosting and setup for you. They offer a free plan and the paid plans are pretty reasonable.

If you're looking for a free domain name, check out Dot TK - Free Domains for All. Although, I'd recommend getting a real .com,.net,.org right off the bat. You don't want to be changing your name after your site takes off!

I'm not sure what skill level you're starting out with. I'm not an expert by far, but I took a class on PHP and was able to create a basic portal page with login using PHP and an SQL database, so it can be done with a bit of study.

If you are comfortable working with CSS and HTML, starting with a base such as wordpress might be an option for you. Wordpress is built on PHP and a lot of the customization/design is done with CSS.

For a fast and easy way to get a test server running to play with, I'd recommend XAMMP. It's windows based and will get you started with PHP, apache, and SQL in minutes.

Can't comment on aspx as I have no experience with it.