Making a website..looking for tips
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Hi so I am a computer science student. I am knowledgeable in programming & scripting languages. I was asked by a friend to build a website for his new smoothie store. I have used site like wix and wordpress to build websites in the past, however looking for a better/more advanced way of approaching this. The site will include online ordering & other standard info about the business. I want to tackle this professionally does anyone have any tips on getting started?
It doesn't matter what editor / IDE you use as long as it saves plain text files.
The first decision you should make what to use for the backend - PHP or ASP.NET also what database to use, then you need some library for a shopping cart, maybe one credit card processing or paypal
Have a look at https://code.tutsplus.com/
They have tons of tutorials about websites though it might take a bit of time to find what you need.
Another place to look for stuff is https://market.envato.com/
There you have to pay, but you can charge your friend
The first decision you should make what to use for the backend - PHP or ASP.NET also what database to use, then you need some library for a shopping cart, maybe one credit card processing or paypal
Have a look at https://code.tutsplus.com/
They have tons of tutorials about websites though it might take a bit of time to find what you need.
Another place to look for stuff is https://market.envato.com/
There you have to pay, but you can charge your friend
Thanks for the feedback. Can you explain a little more on the backend stuff? Also, if I build the site from the ground up (i.e not using wordpress or anything), how do I go about making the site live. Do I need to purchase the domain name?
I played around last night with brackets and made a basic, but cool looking simple site in html/css. I had a lot of fun with it, it is very simple compared to c++.
The front-end is basically the HML, CSS and JS which is basically the UI part.
The backend is the stuff does does all the stuff with the data(user and products) and logic - mostly done in PHP or ASP.NET or maybe Python.
The normal procedure is to code it on your machine, later then you upload it to a host.
If you go for PHP XAMPP will help you to set-up everything on your machine.
If you go for ASP.NET you need Visual Studio.
You can either ask your client to get an account and domain and give you the FTP details to upload the site, or you get the hosting account and domain and charge your client.
But be patient. If this is your first commercial site it may take months before everything is ready - depending how may hours a day you can work on it and how often the client want to change sth.
There is really a lot to learn.
The backend is the stuff does does all the stuff with the data(user and products) and logic - mostly done in PHP or ASP.NET or maybe Python.
The normal procedure is to code it on your machine, later then you upload it to a host.
If you go for PHP XAMPP will help you to set-up everything on your machine.
If you go for ASP.NET you need Visual Studio.
You can either ask your client to get an account and domain and give you the FTP details to upload the site, or you get the hosting account and domain and charge your client.
But be patient. If this is your first commercial site it may take months before everything is ready - depending how may hours a day you can work on it and how often the client want to change sth.
There is really a lot to learn.
yea, I am up for the challenge. I understand the html/css pretty well but for the clients needs I will have to learn the backend also. Is this the normal procedure for professional web devs? Or do they just use wordpress/dragdrop website builders?
I am having so much fun with this as well because it is SO easy compared to C++ and everything else I have learned thus far as a undergrad.
I am not a professional so I can't tell for certain. I can't see a professional using dragdrop website builders since they used to create a horrible HTML with absolute positioning and fixed widths with makes it a nighmare to use such websites on mobile devices. Not sure if modern website builder are better.
They seems more to be a tool for hobbyists who want to make a homepage for themselves without learning all this HTML and CSS.
I think it also depends what the client wants. Some people want a kind of site where they can easily update the content themselves so a CMS is necessary and WordPress seems to be the most popular.
C++ is the most difficult language so everything seems much easier.
They seems more to be a tool for hobbyists who want to make a homepage for themselves without learning all this HTML and CSS.
I think it also depends what the client wants. Some people want a kind of site where they can easily update the content themselves so a CMS is necessary and WordPress seems to be the most popular.
C++ is the most difficult language so everything seems much easier.
Yea you are right about that last line. I can understand python pretty well bc it is also way easier than C.
This website for my client will be for his business, a smoothie shop. I know he will not be doing any of the updates on his own because he is not tech savvy enough. The main request that he had was he wants his customers to be able to order online & pick up in store. Other than that it will be just making it look pretty and informative of his business.
This website for my client will be for his business, a smoothie shop. I know he will not be doing any of the updates on his own because he is not tech savvy enough. The main request that he had was he wants his customers to be able to order online & pick up in store. Other than that it will be just making it look pretty and informative of his business.
A prototype sounds like a good idea.
Maybe let him choose a design template first.
Just create the home page, display the products and some prices, some forms for ordering, user registration. This shouldn't take that long.
The difficult part is coding the back end and bringing the front and back end together
Maybe let him choose a design template first.
Just create the home page, display the products and some prices, some forms for ordering, user registration. This shouldn't take that long.
The difficult part is coding the back end and bringing the front and back end together
Okay, do you know where I can find nice templates? And I guess after he picks that out I can go from there with a potential prototype that will basically model what the finish product will look like? Am I going about this the right way?
Have a look at the second link in the third post here.
Before you actually start with the prototype you need to decide what to use for the back end - PHP or ASP.NET
The templates are normally HTML and CSS only so you need to convert them before you can add anything to it. Of course you could just modify the html in the template but then you have more work later.
I think it's maybe a bit too early to start. First you should ask exactly what he wants. For example what kind of payment methods to accept - credit card or Paypal or sth. else
Maybe do some online search about eCommerce websites in general.
Maybe you want some kind of ready-made shopping cart and other libraries.
Check first how much he wants to pay.
Before you actually start with the prototype you need to decide what to use for the back end - PHP or ASP.NET
The templates are normally HTML and CSS only so you need to convert them before you can add anything to it. Of course you could just modify the html in the template but then you have more work later.
I think it's maybe a bit too early to start. First you should ask exactly what he wants. For example what kind of payment methods to accept - credit card or Paypal or sth. else
Maybe do some online search about eCommerce websites in general.
Maybe you want some kind of ready-made shopping cart and other libraries.
Check first how much he wants to pay.
okay good idea thanks for all your advice. Can c++ or python be used for a backend language?
Python and C++ could be used but not all hosts support it.
PHP is the most popular and is supported with almost all hosts.
PHP is the most popular and is supported with almost all hosts.
Hi anon001
You want to tackle web site development profesionnally. Let me give you my point of view :
- you will need the basic of web development, that is the basis of HTML, CSS and javascript
- only the basis, just focus on the overall understanding of CSS without the details, just the same for HTML. And just get used to read and write javascript, that's all you need for the understanding.
- you may want to get a feel of web design. "design" like "graphic design", it is mostly what is important for a website : the look and feel of it.
- for the functionality, you can choose php development because it is fast and easy for server side.
- but you may want to look at node.js (or IO.js) because there are a lot of lighting fast web functionalities you can do. And it is javascript, so you won't have to learn an other language. And if you want, you can even don't do php at all and make a node.js web server.
- for a good professional, I would say, do both php and javascript server side.
- if you are intesred and have time, you can try ruby on rails for web development, sometimes you can do a website very fast in ruby and you can optimize it when needed, because ruby is slow.
- preferably, if you have time, explore making website with python, it's very powerful and you can evolve into big data and AI programming for your website in python.
Knowing wix, wordpress and some other stuffs can be of some value especially when you have specific client demands. And you can also do a lot with those solutions. But they use templates.
So if you want a custom web site, for example with a lot of animations etc., you will preferably do it yourself.
If you have no specific need of php, I'll say that focusing on CSS, HTML and javascript for both client and server side programming, is a very good and effective solution.
For example, with node.js, you can put your website files somewhere, invoque http-server in your root directory (of the website on the server) and your website is available ^_^. The website is then a bunch of html, css, images etc. files.
Install node.js, and 1 second after that, you have a website running ^_^
If you want to be a good professional (money, money), make also your way into the SEO realm to offer then your expertise ;o).
You want to tackle web site development profesionnally. Let me give you my point of view :
- you will need the basic of web development, that is the basis of HTML, CSS and javascript
- only the basis, just focus on the overall understanding of CSS without the details, just the same for HTML. And just get used to read and write javascript, that's all you need for the understanding.
- you may want to get a feel of web design. "design" like "graphic design", it is mostly what is important for a website : the look and feel of it.
- for the functionality, you can choose php development because it is fast and easy for server side.
- but you may want to look at node.js (or IO.js) because there are a lot of lighting fast web functionalities you can do. And it is javascript, so you won't have to learn an other language. And if you want, you can even don't do php at all and make a node.js web server.
- for a good professional, I would say, do both php and javascript server side.
- if you are intesred and have time, you can try ruby on rails for web development, sometimes you can do a website very fast in ruby and you can optimize it when needed, because ruby is slow.
- preferably, if you have time, explore making website with python, it's very powerful and you can evolve into big data and AI programming for your website in python.
Knowing wix, wordpress and some other stuffs can be of some value especially when you have specific client demands. And you can also do a lot with those solutions. But they use templates.
So if you want a custom web site, for example with a lot of animations etc., you will preferably do it yourself.
If you have no specific need of php, I'll say that focusing on CSS, HTML and javascript for both client and server side programming, is a very good and effective solution.
For example, with node.js, you can put your website files somewhere, invoque http-server in your root directory (of the website on the server) and your website is available ^_^. The website is then a bunch of html, css, images etc. files.
Install node.js, and 1 second after that, you have a website running ^_^
If you want to be a good professional (money, money), make also your way into the SEO realm to offer then your expertise ;o).
wow Thank you so much for all that info it was really helpful! The client isnt asking for a lot. He owns a ice cream/smoothie shop and just wants the site up & have an online store so they can order & pick up in store. I have a general understanding of html/js/css I have been playing around with it for about 2 weeks now and I am enjoying it a lot. I mainly use c++ in my classes so this has been cake. I also have experience using wordpress bc I am a student developer on campus and we use that for our school website. The hardest part right now is getting started and the design
Some thoughts:
To get started maybe create some static pages without any functionality (dummy data)
Try to see yourself as a customer. What would you expect?
* Maybe an About page with some infos about the business and its location.
* A Product page with a photo, description, price and an "order button" for each product.
* Probably a "Order page with all chosen products."
* Maybe a page for the customer details and payment methods.
* A page for the legal stuff.
* Probably a contact us page
I would keep the design simple unless the client has specific needs.
The eye-catcher should be the products not the design.
To get started maybe create some static pages without any functionality (dummy data)
Try to see yourself as a customer. What would you expect?
* Maybe an About page with some infos about the business and its location.
* A Product page with a photo, description, price and an "order button" for each product.
* Probably a "Order page with all chosen products."
* Maybe a page for the customer details and payment methods.
* A page for the legal stuff.
* Probably a contact us page
I would keep the design simple unless the client has specific needs.
The eye-catcher should be the products not the design.
Thanks I will work with that! Is it cheaper to do it this way instead of for example using wix?The perk with wix or any site like it for that matter offers the domain so it is one less thing to worry about. But I figure if I code it all myself, i can charge my client more right?
Pages: 12