Entrepreneurship & Small Business

Website for a event business - first time ever

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Member
Sep 29, 2014
286 posts
7 upvotes
Brampton, ON

Website for a event business - first time ever

Hi everyone,

I am excited and scared at the same time about the prospect of making a website for a business. I have done a lot of browsing and educating myself as my current work does not involve much website designing and programming. I did some shopping around and they quoted me at around $3,000 which is excessive I believe. I think I can do it myself

I know that my website would be pretty simple but nice and also needs a shopping cart. My goal is to have a website like this --> http://www.contrastdetailing.ca/

So my question are
Who should I host from and where should I get my domain name from? After reading the below I really want to host with Bluehost. It sounds really easy to set up which is appealing but some reviews say bluehost is unreliable. I like step by step directions. The $3.95 a month is appealing. I might just even go with the $6.95 plan as well.

http://www.moneyjournal.com/how-to-make-a-website/
http://www.moneyjournal.com/how-to-desi ... wordpress/

Is http://www.contrastdetailing.ca/ using wordpress? Do all websites use wordpress?

And lastly, my site would need a shopping cart, so how hard is it to integrate a shopping cart with visa mastercard etc capabilities onto your website?

Thanks everyone
31 replies
Deal Fanatic
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Nov 18, 2002
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I sincerely hope you're not the same guy on the board who set this site up a few months ago. :-0

The site you're referring to is pretty average and nothing special. Wordpress + woocommerce + a theme you can pick up for a few bucks.

What business are you in?
Member
Sep 29, 2014
286 posts
7 upvotes
Brampton, ON
ichpen wrote: I sincerely hope you're not the same guy on the board who set this site up a few months ago. :-0

The site you're referring to is pretty average and nothing special. Wordpress + woocommerce + a theme you can pick up for a few bucks.

What business are you in?
I think it is really nice... could you give me an example of a special website then?

Im in the events business.. so selling tickets to local events... so I would need the shopping cart
Deal Fanatic
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flyeaglesfly wrote: I think it is really nice... could you give me an example of a special website then?

Im in the events business.. so selling tickets to local events... so I would need the shopping cart
http://www.urbanpurveyor.com/whats-on/
http://www.bindfilm.nl/nieuws/
http://www.coupdecoeur.ca/
http://www.atlantatrackclub.org/calendar
http://solarweekend.com/nl/blog

and thousands of others.

Adding ecommerce is not a problem.
Member
Sep 29, 2014
286 posts
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Brampton, ON
wow those are really nice. thanks for adding them
so are they also using wordpress? are they Wordpress + woocommerce + a theme? The only difference is that the person spent countless hours more then contrastdetailing.ca ?

whats ur thoughts on hosting?

thanks
Deal Fanatic
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flyeaglesfly wrote: wow those are really nice. thanks for adding them
so are they also using wordpress? are they Wordpress + woocommerce + a theme? The only difference is that the person spent countless hours more then contrastdetailing.ca ?

whats ur thoughts on hosting?

thanks
Definitely not wordpress. Custom built sites largely.

Hosting is hosting. If you value your web presence and wish to develop it don't cheap out. Plenty of topics on the matter in this forum.
Member
Sep 29, 2014
286 posts
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Brampton, ON
ichpen wrote: Definitely not wordpress. Custom built sites largely.

Hosting is hosting. If you value your web presence and wish to develop it don't cheap out. Plenty of topics on the matter in this forum.
so the only way to get a website like that is to get someone who is like a developer to make the website for u?
so i dont want to cheap out. I want good value though. Can you tell me what is a reliable hosting company or at least provide a links where the discussion is as I tried to look but I couldnt find?

thx
Deal Fanatic
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flyeaglesfly wrote: so the only way to get a website like that is to get someone who is like a developer to make the website for u?
so i dont want to cheap out. I want good value though. Can you tell me what is a reliable hosting company or at least provide a links where the discussion is as I tried to look but I couldnt find?

thx
There are 3 threads including one I just started discussing hosting on the first page of this sub-forum.

Yes, the sites listed would require a developer/designer and be custom built and yes that would cost money, the amount really depends on what you're after.
Deal Guru
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Feb 10, 2007
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you can look for some useful plugins at wpmudev

It has a lot plugins for booking, appointment... etc
The sweetest gyal
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Sep 29, 2014
286 posts
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Brampton, ON
ichpen wrote: There are 3 threads including one I just started discussing hosting on the first page of this sub-forum.

Yes, the sites listed would require a developer/designer and be custom built and yes that would cost money, the amount really depends on what you're after.
can u provide the links so I know exactly which ones u talking about? I browsed and I couldnt really see anything much.
Member
Sep 29, 2014
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Brampton, ON
sexyj wrote: you can look for some useful plugins at wpmudev

It has a lot plugins for booking, appointment... etc
Im unfamaliar with the term plugins? Are u talking about like addons for wordpress to make ur site capable of bookings and appointments??
thx
Deal Fanatic
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flyeaglesfly wrote: can u provide the links so I know exactly which ones u talking about? I browsed and I couldnt really see anything much.
Two and 3 posts down from this one.

hosting-thread-please-pretty-please-post-here-1699677/
web-hosting-any-recommendations-1696199/

Hosting should be the last thing on your mind, should be looking into your site first.
Newbie
Jul 27, 2013
12 posts
Windsor
Some advice: Wordpress + Woocomerce is my suggestion. I would recommend outsourcing the development and having it done right and designed well. A good development team will put the proper focus on your business goals and ensure the website is properly structured to satisfy your visitors expectations and maximize conversions, and also look pretty and function well. Consumers are smart and want a good experience. It takes expertise and experience to develop this. You will spend months and months or longer learning and still not get it right. Maybe good enough, but shouldn't your business be the best it can be?

If you are serious about your business you will want someone on your team looking out for your best interests and available to make updates and further developments as your business grows or changes.

I personally work on many events such as large consumer trade shows, professional sports tournaments, and small events as well. I've produced events, and served clients handling marketing and online marketing. The most successful event producers/promoters focus on creating plans and making sales and they put together a solid team to help execute. If you do outsource, ensure than you have full access and ownership of the complete website incase you want to move to a new developer.

Building the website yourself is fine, if it's done well, otherwise it may be a step backwards.


Bluehost is completely fine. Not the best but any hosting priced at $3-$15 per month is relatively equal. I've experienced some downtime with Bluehost, Hostgator, Site5, wp-engine and others but never more than an hour and very rarely. You will be looking at $75+ per month (if not much more) for extremely reliable hosting, which is not necessary. Sign up for Blue Host and you will be happy enough.

Flywheel is my personal hosting choice and has been great.

Hope this helps!
Member
Sep 29, 2014
286 posts
7 upvotes
Brampton, ON
AndrewA914 wrote: Some advice: Wordpress + Woocomerce is my suggestion. I would recommend outsourcing the development and having it done right and designed well. A good development team will put the proper focus on your business goals and ensure the website is properly structured to satisfy your visitors expectations and maximize conversions, and also look pretty and function well. Consumers are smart and want a good experience. It takes expertise and experience to develop this. You will spend months and months or longer learning and still not get it right. Maybe good enough, but shouldn't your business be the best it can be?

If you are serious about your business you will want someone on your team looking out for your best interests and available to make updates and further developments as your business grows or changes.

I personally work on many events such as large consumer trade shows, professional sports tournaments, and small events as well. I've produced events, and served clients handling marketing and online marketing. The most successful event producers/promoters focus on creating plans and making sales and they put together a solid team to help execute. If you do outsource, ensure than you have full access and ownership of the complete website incase you want to move to a new developer.

Building the website yourself is fine, if it's done well, otherwise it may be a step backwards.


Bluehost is completely fine. Not the best but any hosting priced at $3-$15 per month is relatively equal. I've experienced some downtime with Bluehost, Hostgator, Site5, wp-engine and others but never more than an hour and very rarely. You will be looking at $75+ per month (if not much more) for extremely reliable hosting, which is not necessary. Sign up for Blue Host and you will be happy enough.

Flywheel is my personal hosting choice and has been great.

Hope this helps!
hey thanks for your tips... I intially wanted to get a development team but it looks like designing a website can b done by anyone... sure there will be errors but what do u think about designing the website and woocommerce myself and then if I have any problems I can go to a developer and make specific modifications? Im thinking I will be able to reduce my bill from $3,000 to $500 because they wont be designing it from scratch.. they will have to just make slight adjustments to a working type

Ill check out flywheel... I think I will go ahead with Bluehost... tired of waiting around and planning now might as well go ahead...
Deal Fanatic
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Nov 18, 2002
7041 posts
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sexyj wrote: you can look for some useful plugins at wpmudev

It has a lot plugins for booking, appointment... etc
flyeaglesfly wrote: hey thanks for your tips... I intially wanted to get a development team but it looks like designing a website can b done by anyone... sure there will be errors but what do u think about designing the website and woocommerce myself and then if I have any problems I can go to a developer and make specific modifications? Im thinking I will be able to reduce my bill from $3,000 to $500 because they wont be designing it from scratch.. they will have to just make slight adjustments to a working type

Ill check out flywheel... I think I will go ahead with Bluehost... tired of waiting around and planning now might as well go ahead...
That's a poor way of approaching a problem. If you want to spend your time experimenting with things you don't really understand then go for it. Just don't sacrifice time you should spend developing your business (ideas, product, branding, marketing) on things that can be outsourced. A lot of people get hooked on the prospect of doing their own thing to save some cash, that's perfectly fine but unless you're a web design agency your time spent on your site should be negligible. At the end of the day sometimes it's best to treat it as an expense and give it to an expert just like your shipping and electricity bill.
Sr. Member
Dec 22, 2011
737 posts
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ichpen wrote: That's a poor way of approaching a problem. If you want to spend your time experimenting with things you don't really understand then go for it. Just don't sacrifice time you should spend developing your business (ideas, product, branding, marketing) on things that can be outsourced. A lot of people get hooked on the prospect of doing their own thing to save some cash, that's perfectly fine but unless you're a web design agency your time spent on your site should be negligible. At the end of the day sometimes it's best to treat it as an expense and give it to an expert just like your shipping and electricity bill.
I agree...

not sure how serious you are about your business but If consider it this way, you need a home, builder ask 200k to build it and you decided to save money and build it all by yourself for 10K...

dont get me wrong nothing is impossible... but making a website first time and starting by implementing woocommerce... wow.. you either going to save alot of money doing all by yourself or this whole thing is totally going to get screwed... dont forget if you site dosnt work in all devices, looks broken you wont be getting any business from it...
:D
Member
Sep 29, 2014
286 posts
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Brampton, ON
redalot wrote: I agree...

not sure how serious you are about your business but If consider it this way, you need a home, builder ask 200k to build it and you decided to save money and build it all by yourself for 10K...

dont get me wrong nothing is impossible... but making a website first time and starting by implementing woocommerce... wow.. you either going to save alot of money doing all by yourself or this whole thing is totally going to get screwed... dont forget if you site dosnt work in all devices, looks broken you wont be getting any business from it...
yea great analogy... but the thing is with a house once you put the wood in you cant take it out... im thinking of doing some of the easy stuff b4 my website goes live and then if I have specific questions I can ask a website developer.. if contrastdetailing.ca was able to do it I am sure I can do it as well...

Is host gator and blue host the same thing? Host gator has a promo right now and bluehost doesnt so I am thinking of signing up with them instead. My main concern is that hostgator wont have the same easy website development buttons posted in this link ---> http://www.moneyjournal.com/how-to-d...ite-wordpress/
Sr. Member
Dec 22, 2011
737 posts
1098 upvotes
flyeaglesfly wrote: yea great analogy... but the thing is with a house once you put the wood in you cant take it out... im thinking of doing some of the easy stuff b4 my website goes live and then if I have specific questions I can ask a website developer.. if contrastdetailing.ca was able to do it I am sure I can do it as well...

Is host gator and blue host the same thing? Host gator has a promo right now and bluehost doesnt so I am thinking of signing up with them instead. My main concern is that hostgator wont have the same easy website development buttons posted in this link ---> http://www.moneyjournal.com/how-to-d...ite-wordpress/
I like hostgator over bluehost, I am with hostgator for like 8 - 9 years now.. Hostgator has cPanel and it does have 1 click wordpress install using QuickInstall
:D
Deal Fanatic
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Nov 18, 2002
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flyeaglesfly wrote: yea great analogy... but the thing is with a house once you put the wood in you cant take it out... im thinking of doing some of the easy stuff b4 my website goes live and then if I have specific questions I can ask a website developer.. if contrastdetailing.ca was able to do it I am sure I can do it as well...

Is host gator and blue host the same thing? Host gator has a promo right now and bluehost doesnt so I am thinking of signing up with them instead. My main concern is that hostgator wont have the same easy website development buttons posted in this link ---> http://www.moneyjournal.com/how-to-d...ite-wordpress/
If you're ok with downtime and an inconsistent experience for your visitors hostgator or bluehost will do just fine.

Regarding doing it yourself, go for it but again keep in mind a website is not a business, a business is a business with a website. Prioritize those accordingly.
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Dec 10, 2004
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Website by one of the best hosting providers: Siteground: $9/m
themeforest template: $50
Installation by using a Fever installation service: $5
Wordpress customization @ Fiver $5-50

That's it. Gone are days when general folks pay 5K for a site. only dumb people do it these days.

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