Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Can anyone give advice about setting up a website?

I've decided to sell BioPods via the internet but I'm not sure what the best way to proceed might be. Is a blog with a PayPal link good enough? Does anyone recommend a particular blog site or is it better to set up my own? I've registered a domain name in case a unique website is better.

I'm willing to pay if that's what's necessary to get something going. If I go with a unique domain I would like the website management to be simple enough that I could update it with new reports and images.

I've set up one blogspot address using BlackSoldierFlyProject.blogspot, but I'm not sure I like that name. I chose it because that's the name of my BSF thread here at Pond Boss. That thread appears to be attracting the attention of people looking into BSF. I was thinking that MyBlackSoldierFlyProject seemed less pretentious, but maybe it's too long.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Whats a biopod?

Definitely use Paypal, its worth the fees for the security. There are lots of sites that help you build a simple site step by step. Most are pretty cheap, $20 a month or so for halfway decent bandwidth. I used to use Tripod but its been a couple years, I am sure there are better sites available now. You just need to look around a bit and find the best deal.

Thanks rexcramer. BioPods are a product for raising Black Soldier Flies in a process similar to composting or raising worms. I have a thread about it on this forum and there is a link to it in my signature.

I'll take a look at tripod.

Geocities will let you set up something for free. I keep my on-line photos at Geocities, but I have never used it for a website. Our (Jaeger Wald's) old Graphic Artist had her business website there.

If you have your on domain and microsoft front page you can build and maintain your on site using FTP to up load to your host provider. Front page is cut and paste like all of MS office products.

Thanks Theo. A quick read about Geocities made me think it's passed it's prime, but I'll look into it more.

RT, I'll check out front page, but I don't know anything about FTP. I think I'm getting frustrated because the BioPods will be ready soon and I'm not making much progress.

GW, If you just want to sell a product, why not use eBay or something similar? You need access to a large audience and you need a lot of traffic checking out your item.

There are millions of websites sitting out there that were built to sell something that never sold a single item or perhaps sold one or two items.

There is nothing quick and easy about Internet marketing, no matter what you have heard.

Dwight I'm not motivated to try and support myself selling BioPods. What I really want is a place to post my BSF tests and images, at the same time allowing someone to purchase a unit through me if they care to. I think blogging is close to what I have in mind, but I think it might be a little limiting.

Hi GW. I use Network Solutions for my web page hosting and creation. You might want to check them out. They have an easy and very extensive web page creation software. I have used it to set up 3 different web pages.

GW, Check out Ning.com. It is about as easy as it gets and it is a free online service.

GW - you might get in touch with Forum member teehjaeh57. He does this commercially, and has donated a web page design for the silent auction.

Dave

Thanks all. I'll at least get a blog started using one of the easy/free blogging sites and see where it goes from there.

Hey GW

Received your PM and rest assured I would do anything for forum guys that I can. Also, I appreciate you keeping us in mind. I need to understand better exactly what you want to accomplish and see if it's cost effective/prohibitive to go with us or if instead a free/super low cost service could suffice in order achieve your goals - free and cheap usually being the preferred course of action.

I am traveling and headed out West with Condello tomorrow for another clandestine operation - but this will receive my full attention Thursday and Friday. In the meantime feel free to check out http://www.airvaecommerce.com and http://www.airvae.com - we need to update our webfolio but it gives you a general idea of our capabilities.

BTW - I am eager to learn more about these Black Soldier Flies...sounds very cool.

Will be in touch!

TJ

Thanks TJ, I'll put some more thought into what I want in a website.

GW

I think NVU is a good program to make a website with.
After it is sat up you create or update pages on your computer and then it can send them to your webhost.
Hostmonster.com @ $5 month is who I chose as a webhost.
Haven't even started to use up my allotted disk space.
NVU
Hostmonster
I tried a couple of the site builder programs, but I liked being able to just create a page and upload it much better.
If time is limited getting someone to set everything up would probably be worth it.

Thanks Kent, NVU looks promising.

So far I've played around with blogspot. I don't want to put too much effort into it yet until I decide which way to go.

Here it is: http://blacksoldierflyproject.blogspot.com/

I second NVU. Great program, and portable. Just drag it to a USB flash drive and run it anywhere.

I appreciate the advice. Since I want a blog I ended up downloading WordPress and installing at my new domain. I changed the link in my sig to direct to the new site.

Thanks all.