Websites - how to look professional cheaply

**lesley** · 31-08-2009, 07:27 PM

Originally Posted by JasonJohn

Screen tearing is a bit hard to explain, imagine scrolling down a page and as you are doing so the text and images kind of split up horizontally, like someone is scissoring them in half.

Thanks - sounds painful.

**lesley** · 31-08-2009, 07:32 PM

Actually, thinking about it, I've seen that on Etsy.

**agent_44** · 31-08-2009, 07:58 PM

Hello

Seems this thread is deviating from the original question and turning into an argument about Mr Site.

Shoving my oar in as a professional web developer, I would say that Mr Site is a great option if you don't know what you are doing, it's easier to make a site that looks good than if you tried to build one from scratch. I would say be careful about how you display your products and make sure the small images are clearly visible and enticing - a teeny weeny image you can't see well won't draw the customer in. Pretty much all the Mr Site sites I have seen are like this - it's not good design and it is pretty much shooting yourself in the foot, as is IMO the slow loading large graphic dispay widget that it uses.

As for getting someone else to do your site for you - whihc hasn;t been discussed much, it's most certainly NOT the case that you would have to pay for every further update you would want to make. It's quite possible to have a site built for you with the provision for you to update it's content without needing to know how to write any HTML.

If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to help you if I can. If it's Mr Site related, I have never touched it but it seems there are one or two experts on the subject here I am sure will be happy to help!

**geti-titanium** · 31-08-2009, 08:29 PM

I don't use MrSite either - never heard of it 'til I came on this forum. My GETi site is built from free open source CMS software called Joomla - lovely programme!

My ecommerce sites are built using Cactushop (www.fatcowdesigns.com is an example of one of my public sites).

Both are really easy to use but need a little bit of html and css knowledge to set up.

**ben b** · 31-08-2009, 09:52 PM

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**caroleallen** · 31-08-2009, 10:11 PM

Those look good Ben, though I couldn't open your site as I didn't have the right plug in, apparently!

I had my site done professionally as at the time I wasn't aware of the packages that are available now. I wanted my images done professionally and my website designer is also a photographer. At first I had to get my designer to updated it for me every time and I also didn't have e-commerce. I then decided to pay the extra for e-commerce and can now update most of it myself though there are certain areas that he still does. I managed to get a grant towards it which really helped but it was still expensive. I'm sure it's much better though than if I'd tried to do it myself.

**geti-titanium** · 31-08-2009, 10:20 PM

It may be possible to get a grant towards a website from the Business Link people in your area depending on what funding is available and if you qualify.

It's definitely worth asking. In the old days my first website came from a grant for 80% and the second I got 50% towards it - certainly better than a kick in the nuts!

**ben b** · 31-08-2009, 10:37 PM

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**agent_44** · 01-09-2009, 01:11 AM

The thing about video is, there are so many formats, that it's 99.9% likely that a fair chunk of your audience are going to have to download something to make it play, no matter what format you use. I'd suggest that some good clear images of your pieces would be a lot more informative for the customers, and they'd be able to see them straight away.

**Di Sandland** · 01-09-2009, 01:35 PM

Ben, thanks for that. I found it really interesting. And, just to make you feel better, I found the Fasthosts package a pain to use as well - until I got used to it.