Building A Website

[Nimrod EX]

How much do you think it would cost me to get a decent coder to design and build (and help maintain) a site?

I have some pretty basic coding skills, and could probably take care of the site...but you never know what might happen :P

I'm not talking about anythign fancy...just a normal site, 2 column build, a navigation bar, and some spots for ads.

[bazz]

would the site need

a web form instead of an email link?
content management system, for editing your pages?
image gallery
shopping cart

etc.

post the full spec so you can receive a realistic response/estimate.

bazz

[Nimrod EX]

would the site need

a web form instead of an email link?
content management system, for editing your pages?
image gallery
shopping cart

etc.

post the full spec so you can receive a realistic response/estimate.

bazz

Ok before I continue this post, bear in mind that I am asking someone to build a site for me for a reason: I have no idea what I'm doing...so please be forgive my ignorance on the subject.

Well, I don't know what you mean by "Web Form" instead of an Email link...

And a content management system would be nice...but isn't that what FTP programs are for?

The site won't be needing a shopping cart.

And 50% of the site content will be images...but can't I just keep the images on my computer and like...upload them with the site? (I'm using dreamweaver...and it isn't complicated...even I could do that by myself).
I mean, i've seen people do something like this before.
They use a PHP code that keeps the site build the same, and only leaves room for a picture to change.
So when you click on "Next Picture", you just move to a page that looks exactly the same as the last one, only with a different picture.

I could make those pages by myself...I don't really need a GALLERY.

I hope that helped make things a little clearer XD

[CaptainB]

Well, I don't know what you mean by "Web Form" instead of an Email link...

An email-link is something like this: [email protected]
A contact form is a form with various fields for text, name, etc etc where your mail won't be visible to spambots and other malicious things.

And a content management system would be nice...but isn't that what FTP programs are for?

FTP programs are a File Transfer Protocol - a program to upload files and pages to your server. Without a CMS (Content Management System), you would have to edit the pages on your computer and THEN upload em to your server in order to make changes to your site. With a CMS you would be able to edit/add more content online.

[ShaneC]

To add on top of what CaptainB is saying the difference in coding a simple two column design with no PHP/ASP behind it is significant compared to a website with a CMS, contact forms, and image uploads.

The benefits of a CMS/Image upload would be very large, in my opinion, for a website that has 50%+ of its content images. A web application can automatically resize a picture to your website's specifications and then a CMS can tie that image in and automatically display it wherever you select it. No need for messing around in dreamweaver, HTML, or an FTP program.

Now to upkeep any site will be variable based on the developer. The skill level of the developer will mean you'll be paying more per hour to keep your site updated. On call ITs tend to be very expensive.

Having said that, I'll try and give you some very rough pricing. Without knowing your exact needs it's hard to give an accurate quote.

For a simple two column design, no PHP or ASP, and you'll be uploading and adding content yourself, you can get away from that with a nice design for only a few hundred bucks. If you want a VERY basic design you can get it for around a hundred - or perhaps less if you go with someone just learning.

For a CMS it really depends on what components are in it, how dynamic you need it to be, what needs to be changed, what needs to be logged, etc. Just to give you an idea of what I normally charge whilst freelancing CMSes: A simple CMS with pages, standard security, and dynamic functions will run anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 (Design included, of course). Something more up range, like a corporate level build, with advanced security, tons of features, and a large amount of dynamic content on multiple servers I've charged $5,000 and up - depending on complexity.

I hope this gives you at least a feel for the situation. The more details you can provide, the more we can help you!