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Due to the not so recent downturn in the economy my husband has become unemployed. As most of you know, we have lost a multi million dollar business.
On the bright side, he has the opportunity to work at home as there are very few gunsmiths who can do what he does. What we are looking for right now is a way to find a free website and design it to build his business, but I haven't a clue as to how to go about it.
Can anyone help us?
J I'll bet CalDad would know.
There are a bunch of websites that allow you to build and design your own content. Weebly.com and wix.com are really easy and cool. I created 2 weebly sites for free here: http://invictusenterprises.weebly.com, and www.naidra.com.
You can link them to a domain later (like I did the naidra.com site), or just keep the weebly/wix extension.
Both sites are really easy to set up. They're pretty much drag and drop. They give templates and have features like flash, RSS, comment boxes, etc.
I hope that helped!
Hi, J_9!
I'm sorry that this has happened to you and your husband!
What would you like for you and/or people to be able to do on the website, please? Most of my business for the things that I do for a living come from the websites and advertising that I've placed on the Internet. I literally get calls from around the United States for the services that I'm able to provide for people.
I can get on the first page of a Google search within minutes concerning what I do, where I do it, (or, want to be able to provide the type of service that I'm promoting, if it's not just around where I live.) I've been doing that for a number of years now. None of that has ever cost me any money. By the way, not all free advertising sites or free websites get the best exposure when people do searches for things, no matter how well they're worded or the promotional tools used that are available to promote the websites or what is on a free advertising site.
Thanks!
Thanks Clough. Luckily we are positive enough to see that when one door closes another opens up!Quote:
Originally Posted by Clough
Now, we are basically just trying to advertise his services as a master gunsmith. So it would be very much like what you do with your websites.
Also don't forget that if you have a major carrier for your isp they normally provide you with space also. You might want to check that. What exactly is it that he can do that is special? I belong to several private gun boards. That way I can let them know.
You may want to offer other things too and catalouge order items so you don't have to carry inventory. Like through davidsons (provided he didn't give up his FFL) He may want to start a board of his own drawing people in. Like specialty collectables etc. Im sure he can find a niche in all that is out there.
If you need any help don't hesitate to ask.
How do you do that? We have Comcast.Quote:
Originally Posted by califdadof3
Unfortunately we are not selling guns from the home. He does have his own FFL though and I'm sure he could order and drop ship guns.Quote:
Originally Posted by califdadof3
His specialty is in trigger jobs... dang ANYTHING that has to do with gun repair. He is a Master Gunsmith after all. ;)
If you have a brokeded gun and want it fixed he can do it. If you want to gussy up your gun, he's the man.
In the end... he can do it all. He's even built one from scratch.
For a website engine, you can't go wrong with WordPress.
This started as a blogging engine but has exploded into a full-fledged website with user security, a robust content-management system and there's even a plugin to integrate shopping carts with USPS and UPS integration. It's also themeable and extendable and super-easy to user. And all of it's open source.
Installing WordPress is very easy. All you need is a web server with PHP running and access to a MySQL database server.
There are free webhosts out there as well. Just Google for them and you will find one. ByteHost is one that I know off the top of my head. But, if you plan on doing business through this website, bear in mind that all these free hosts have very screwy TOS and usually reserve the right to terminate service without warning. I'd strongly suggest buying webspace so you can avoid this, which can be as cheap as $5.00 a month. You should still read the TOS, but chances are slim they'd arbitrarily blow away your site if you're paying for it.
That's greek to me. :oQuote:
Originally Posted by slapshot_oi
That's no problem. They're just webhost requirements for WordPress.Quote:
Originally Posted by J_9
Okay, I think I'm going to go with Wordpress or what Comcast gives me.
I might need some help though.
Anyone willing to help with my questions along the way?
Okay, if I'm using Wordpress it looks like I have to find a host. Are there any free ones?
Gladly.Quote:
Originally Posted by J_9
ByteHost. This is free, and has PHP and MySQL.
I understand what your saying. Its just some smiths out there have a speciality like AR's or 1911's. That's why I asked.Quote:
Originally Posted by J_9
I don't see website hosting as part of your package. Just online storage and such.
This is what I have CDad.
PWP - splash
One of his specialties is Colt custom trigger jobs. He was a warranty service for Browning and Winchester when we had the shop.
I'll have to ask him about his other specialties though.
Great. I guess they wouldn't let me see it since I have a different provider ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by J_9
I'll be around for awhile yet tonight, J_9, just in case you might be available and interested in some help with getting the best exposure and starting a website.
It's very possible for what your husband wants to make money at doing could be found on searches easily within minutes.
Thanks!
You can build a website with this builder from Comcast, but it's all canned. If you want to do anything that it doesn't offer you're SOL.Quote:
Originally Posted by J_9
If this is all you need, go with this 'cause it's going to be the easiest solution.
That's EXACTLY what I'm looking for Clough. Slapshot has given me the beginnings of designing it... I think (haven't really had the time to go over it), but I need to know how to get it to pop and get it to the tops of the search engines.Quote:
Originally Posted by Clough
I think that we need to plan a time to be on here at the same time if you and I are going to be able to succeed in doing any brain-storming, J_9!
There are numerous places where a person can have a website for free. Some of them will also allow people to use their own templates. Although, most of the ready-made templates that I've seen available have been good and using them can save a lot of time with not having to create your own.
When I have a website, I like it to be really good looking and very functional for what I and/or others might do with it. Planning that out can take time... I'm very picky, and so are some of the best places for having free websites.
I've started many websites. Some for me as well as other people. Some of them concerning my businesses are incomplete. But, at least the most pertinent information is on all of them until I have the time to really develop them
My goal is to get my businesses exposed "out there" as quickly as possible. Putting together a website is something that I consider to be a necessity, but doesn't necessarily mean that I'll get the exposure that I want right away.
I would like to also think that the goal of you and your husband would be, like me, to get the information "out there", exposed the best and available for people to use as quickly as possible. Putting together a website right away doesn't mean that the website will be immediately available in searches, unlike other methods that can be used for getting the information exposed.
I hope that I'm making sense, because it's really late for me right now!
Please let me know when you'll be on here again. I think that we're about an hour apart in time zones and I'm sure that at the moment, my schedule is much more flexible than yours since the only place that I'm really employed is at a church on Sunday mornings to be the musician.
I also plan on starting even another new business soon. I can show you with that how I get it exposed very quickly and beat all or at least a good portion of the competition where I intend to do the particular kind of work that I'm planning to do.
Yes, we do need to be on here at the same time.
I will be on, hopefully, tomorrow night, but not sure of the time. I will be at work and it will depend on how busy we are here.
If you were to get a messenger program like Yahoo or msn or aim. Then you can talk directly and send the files in html format for review to each other or to those helping you. It may be easier for you. Any browser should be able to review them in that format.
Quote:
Originally Posted by califdadof3
I have both, however most of the time I'm here at work and cannot DL any of those programs. :(
Are you around here now, J_9?
Yup, Clough, I'm here.
For how long?
Don't know. Never know when patient might come up in labor.
How rude. Interrupting you with something trivial like labor. :D
Okay. I'll cut to the chase then.
Are you ready to "rock" at least for a little while with some interruptions. We can get at least a little bit done in a short time to get you really started.
Thanks!
I can try Clough, but when a patient comes up, since I am the ONLY nurse up here, interruptions are not permitted.
So. Let's go!
Your going to get the most exposure the fastest by placing ads on the Internet. A website can come later.
Please join Hoobly Free Classifieds and let me know when you've done that. Please also select a location that is nearest to where you'll be wanting to do business.
Agreed! LOL! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by morgaine300
Okay, I've joined and registered
Yeah, that's pretty rude of them. Like they think having a baby can't wait! :pQuote:
Originally Posted by morgaine300
So, I found Hunting Classifieds in my area, now what?
Hey, GREAT that you joined the site!
Now, let's work on an ad. You can always change your ads on that website if you need to. Some sites won't let a person change their ads, and they might not let a person know that. Regardless though, it's important that what anyone puts on the Internet in ads or on a website be as correct as possible the first time because the residual, not as good, or incorrect information can linger for quite some time in searches on the various search engines.
We need to check out the competition around where your husband would like do the work since advertising on the local level is going to be the easiest way to learn how to word anything so that it beats or really competes with the competition.
Please know that anything I write about this is going to be assuming that you don't know some things even though you might know more than I think that you do. That's just in case I might be sounding like we're really on the beginning level of doing this. Additionally, if I have to ask you a lot of questions as to what you do know, then it will take up a lot of time that we really don't need to be spending. You'll find out what I don't know about what you really know, in short order.
If you feel comfortable in doing so, would you please post a tiny url to a search for the competition or the website of a competitor around where your husband would be doing the work, please? If I can see how much competition there is, then I'll know better in how to proceed.
For instance, one of the things that I do is to give piano lessons. I needed to check out all of the competition that I could find locally in order to beat the competition and music stores that offered that service by advertising on the Internet.
Here's a link to a search for that service around where I live, but not in the city where I live. I'm first after the paid advertising and in at least a few other places on the first page.
LINK
Thanks!
Hey, hun. I have a patient coming up. Don't know if I'll admit them or if they'll be an outpatient so I have to go for now.
Hope to get on again very soon.:(
Thanks for your help so far Clough. If I can't get on again tonight, I'll be here same time same place tomorrow night.
I'll try to be on earlier tomorrow instead of this late. Don't know though, because a friend might be coming over to where I'm house and dog sitting tomorrow night. I should be on here a little while longer though from now...
I'll keep the ideas coming. We really do need to know somehow what the competition is like and what they are using as words and phrases in what they have on the Internet. It's okay to use words and phrases of the competition, as long as the ones used aren't a part of the name of their business or a direct slogan that they use that's directly associated with only their business. The issue of using the name of their business is one thing... However, using the slogans is arguable. But, best to not be infringing so much on others as to cause them to possibly take any kind of action.
Later...
That's just it Clough. There is NO competition. He is the only Master Gunsmith for 100s and 100s of miles!Quote:
Originally Posted by Clough
Aren't there any places that at least repair guns locally that might not be Master Gunsmiths?
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