Our website needs a complete overhaul! Help!!!
 

Hi there!
I am in charge of our chapter's website, and of of right now it's total crap. It's outdated by at least 2 years and I don't like the layout whatsoever. I have so many ideas floating around in my head in terms of the new information I want to provide on it and the general layout, etc..

The problem is - I have no clue how to do any of it. My HTML knowledge is extremely limited (I basically only know how to make something bold or italic, haha). I have no clue how to work FTP stuff or even begin to create a website. Could anyone help me figure this out? I have been provided with the FTP login info and stuff, and was able to log in to our host, but am absolutely clueless to what I do next or how to get into the part where I actually change stuff around.

Can anyone recommend an easy method to make a website? I'm sure not everyone is an HTML genius and has created a nice site somehow.

I've considered contacting website designers to help me out with this but I'm sure that's expensive and I would love to do it myself if I could just figure out how. There's got to be some kind of program on my MacBook to help me with this - lol.

If anyone could help me out and point me in the right direction with this issue, I would be endlessly grateful :) thanks!

What do you consider "expensive?"

My APhiA chapter, and now my APO alumni association (will) both use www.chaptercommunications.com.

Check em out!

You might find some ideas in this thread: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=84623

Or this one: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...ad.php?t=39984

If you can storyboard your ideas - even if just on a sheet of easel paper - you'll solidify what you want to present and how the elements work together.

If you have a member who's a CS major, ask for recommendations from that member. S/he might want to help, or may know someone who can. I find it hard to believe you can't find someone on a college campus who can help.

Or maybe I'm being presumptuous - perhaps you're talking alum chapter. If so, I apologize.

Does your national have a webmaster? That might be a resource to hook you up with coders.

Once a site is developed, you should be able to learn to maintain it. Then you can create a continuity book so anyone coming after you can also maintain it.

http://www.esasson.com/flash.html

A lot of the sororites at UF use this service.
Not sure of the cost.

Esasson does some good work, but they are not Greek Licensed. Please use a Greek Licensed vendor if you are going to go outside your chapter to build a website, www.greeklicensing.com

we use moonfruit.com

they offer free accounts as well as accounts you have to pay for. i'm not sure if that's what you're looking for but if you'd like to view our site, visit:

www.zetaxidelta.moonfruit.com

<3

Another one to try - if you are brave enough to go at it alone - is what is affectionately coined a WYSIWYG program - "What You See is What You Get." I recently handed over the webmastering reigns to another one of my chapter's members, and I picked SiteSpinner (www.virtualmechanics.com) as our program. It's 50 dollars, but I thought it was the most user friendly program available for people who AREN'T into web-design and have much HTML knowledge (I've done several sites by myself through Dreamweaver, but that is a bear of a program unless you know what you are doing). The user guide that comes with it is very comprehensive - if you want to take a look at our site (www.phillyivyconnection.com) it was made completely by me with the program. Be forewarned that it takes time to do lay out the information, and I HIGHLY recommend you storyboard like someone else on here said....it will make your life much, much easier when you actually do everything.

Good luck!!

I made our National Website with Joomla! http://www.joomla.com. I do know HTML though...but I didn't need to use too much of it. What I love about Joomla is that it's completely free (just download it from online) and it's pretty flexible (check out Sigma Kappa UL chapter site too),

http://www.deltagammapi.org

My advice to seek someone out who knows what they're doing. I don't care much for the commercial developers (that's just me--I think they spend a lot of time and money doing very little and I find that they don't ever update things), but I would find someone in your chapter who has some knowledge or has a friend with knowledge or--better yet--find someone in another organization with the knowledge. I'm sure your chapter could invite them to a party or get them a nice gift or something. Or just make a MySpace page for your chapter in the meantime.

Slightly unrelated rant:
I know a lot of chapters that do things like, "oh you're secretary--well now you're in charge of the Web site." An easier solution is to create a Webmaster position or let the secretary know he/she can delegate the responsibility. At GMU, IT 103 (final project: make a Web site) was a gen ed and yet everyone acted like making a site required a triple PhD in nerdology. It's not difficult stuff--just don't make it more complicated than it is. I see people with MySpace pages that have custom backgrounds and themes and music and animations (all made with HTML) and mp3's they got from BitTorrent and then they're like, "oh Web sites, whoa, I'm certainly no computer geek here." It's 2008. You're on a computer right now. You can handle it.

So I don't know if you still need help with the website building but here are my recommendations.

1.) If you are talking about a collegiate chapter I suggest either a) finding someone who knows about websites on campus could be a professor, sister, or friend or b) enroll in a website design class I am taking one this semester and have found that for many jobs it is extremely beneficial to learn this knowledge because you never know when you may need it or could even help out someone sometime.

2.) If you are talking about an alumna chapter you can ask if any of the alums know how to work with HTML or contact your closest collegiate chapter I'm sure one of the girls their will know a thing or two plus it will help you bond with younger active sisters.



Going to a website and learning it on your own can sometimes be difficult and hard to understand. If your working with someone that is sitting right next to you its easier to learn and pick up on things.

Try bluevoda (www.bluevoda.com). It's a free website builder. Although they say you can only use it with their host, there's an easy way to use it with your own host. Everything you need will come up when you preview your page. I don't feel like typing the steps here, but I can assure you that they are simple. Anyone who wants the details, PM me. I built this site with it:

http://www.thetamu1908.com/

Webwsites
 

I totally agree we started using them this year and they are fantastic. Not only do they do what you want them to do, but the work with your needs, offer a 60 day free trial, your own domain, and its really cheep. They are responsive and do things for the site quickly. Also tell them that one of us referred you, you get credit for them.

I just finished making my first website from scratch for the chapter I advise. It took me quite a bit of time to figure it out and make the layout as perfect as I could. (I am a bit of a perfectionist.) I used webSerif 6.0 which is a free program easily downloaded from the internet. It has a few glitches and locks up frequently, but worked well for being free! I made a 39 page website that I redid about 5 times as I figured out how to do things. Note: make the masterpage first so that you don't have to do the background/banner, etc. over and over and over again. I wanted to have my own domain for the page so I paid HostMoster about $150 for a two year contract, but there are plenty of free sites to choose from. Without any prior knowledge, I was able to get the site up after a little trial and error. I think it looks pretty good...my web savvy bio sister said she was impressed!

I don't know what version of OS you have on your Mac Book, but in the new version of iLife comes with iWeb, where you're guided by step-by-step instructions on creating your own page... http://www.apple.com/ilife/iweb/

Good luck.