Hi from Thatcham Mike - share my experiences

Hi I am a non techincal IT literate person. I got asked to help our local church to build a website that would be informative, cheap to build and host, simple and low cost to maintain. I looked at a lot of template based HTML solutions and finally in the end built the site with something called wisenav. I noticed that people ask not to push products on this forum so I won't. What I will say is have a look at the site clerewoodlands.org.uk and make up your own mind. But it took me a couple of hours to build once I got the content. and it takes a me a few minutes a week to keep the info updated. My wife then nagged me to build the charity she works for a site now I was cooking on gas that took a lot less time, mind you there is less content in it. homestart-nwhampshire.org.uk. Now my accountant, financial advisor and wine merchant all want my help - do you think I should start charging them or tell them that it's so easy they could really do it themselves. Anyway any feedback on my poor design efforts would be appreciated.
Mike

Not bad. Site's are both basic but for fill their needs well. Would consider changing the style you use if you do you other sites.
On that matter if you have the time, why not build their sites, get their cash and go down the pub!!
All in all not bad for a quick job. Not perfect but usable and easy on the eye

Welcome to the forumz!

Post your sites up in the Website Critique section for reviews

Hi ya, Mike...looks like you backed into web design just like a lot of us....I just love friends and families who ask for help.

Charging? That's really between you and your client.

Wow, umm first off these are flash websites. So you are using some type of flash WYSIWYG. All WYSIWYG's are well...bad! They tend to put in extra code that is uneeded and can really slow down the site.

Next off, your site has horrible SEO, when designing a website completely in flash you need to think about Search Engines and page titles which, Main is not a very good one.

So personally I think charging would be wrong, as the 'client' is not getting a professional quality website. Now you could learn flash, but I would suggest you start with (X)HTML and CSS. If you want a more in depth critique please post in the free website critique area, Karinne gave you the link above!

If you have an experience where you are trapped in a hotel room with two semi clad eastern European super models and you suddenly run out for some crudite, I would like to share that one. Otherwise you might look into a vertical market solution to your needs rather than some generic site building system. If I were building a site for a church I would be looking at Joomla.

Hello! Welcome to the forumz and enjoy your stay!

welcome