I have recently been nominated as president of our local snowmobile club and it is one of the bigger and more popular ones in Washington. The problem we have is that our web site has gone away due to the fact our web hoster is no longer. I am looking for advice and guidance on how to get our website up and running. I need to keep costs at a minimum because we are a no-profit organization. we only have money that we earn from various fund raisers, club dues and donations. Keep in mind I know pretty much nothing about the web site processes involved here. Let's hear what you got. Chris- Polar Bear Snowmobile Club

 

This really depends. If your previous web site was simple, (ie just a collection of HTML pages) then you have ultimate flexibility on finding someone to host it. If your previous web site had dynamica pages (ie asp, php, jsp, etc) then your options will be slightly reduced depending on what kind of code was in the web site. There are plenty of hosting providers out there that will host your web site for very small money (ie $5 - $10 a month). Depending what is in your web site might require higher level of servies (ie database support).

We'll need more information about the web site, how big it is, what it was written in, etc to really recommend something more.

 

You can create dynamic content using HTML and Javascript...but that's getting sorta hard and confusing.

Check with your local university for a computer club, they usually offer cheeaaaap hosting and a mailing list. They'll even help you with the site and setting everything up. U of Dub has a great CS Dept., I'm sure they have a club.

 

Here is our website:

http://www.atvexplorer.net/

I used Microsoft FrontPage to create it. FrontPage is a very easy program to learn and you can make anything from simple websites to pretty flashy ones. It is “what you see is what you get” (wysiwyg) software that produces the html code on a separate page of the program. Which is just a simple way of saying you don’t have to know html to use this program.

I use Ipowerweb to host my site. I have 5 gigs of storage space and 40 gigs of traffic a month. I pay $95 a year for the hosting fee and domain name. Their customer service is also very good. You actually get to talk to a real person when you call and not a machine.

If I can answer any questions please don’t hesitate to P.M. me.

Britt

 

T-7, just out of curiosity, what is the reason for "watermarking" your photos...and why is it that these "watermarks" don't show up when you view the photos??

 

A while back there was some trouble with people taking pictures from a websites and using them to sell items on ebay. Such as ATVs, Jet Ski’s, Etc… They would steal a picture, create an auction, and try to sell an ATV that they didn’t have. Usually these people were from overseas and were selling it at an unbelievably low price. You would of course have to wire a deposit to them and they would send you the ATV. Then upon receipt of the ATV you would wire the rest of the money to them. Of course you would never see the ATV and you would be out your deposit. It was a quick easy scam that many people, believe it or not, fell for. Copyrighted pictures might be a little bit of a stretch but watermarked they are. I use a special program to see it. So far I have been lucky and haven’t noticed my ATVs for sale but I will know immediately if they are. There will be a spike in my website report for that time period. All I then have to do is look and see where the spike is coming from and it will point me to a certain page and picture if that is the cause of the spike. I can then restrict the use of that picture or change the name of that picture and their auction or whatever will be screwed up from there on out. These website reports are VERY specific with where the use is coming from. It logs the IP. of each visitor to the site so if I really need to know what is going on I can find out that information by doing a whois? search on that IP address. Or if I really have any trouble with someone I can call my provider and find out more specific information.

Britt

 

Cool. I was just curious. By the way, nice site. Looks like y'all have been on some pretty cool vacations.

 

Thanks. I need to update the site sometime but with the new baby and all it is kind of hard to find time.


Here is a screen shot of some of the statistics of the site.




It will track usage from years, months, days, hours, even minutes. If you notice at the bottom of the picture, the “visitors domains/countries (top 10)”, this is where I can find out all of the different IP’s that have visited the website. If I click on the “full list” it will show everyone that has visited the website since it has been around. On down from there I can find out the usage for each individual page and portion (or picture) of that page.

This is another reason I like the hosting company that I use. All of them may do that though.

Britt

 

Microsoft Frontpage produces proprietary code that doesn't display properly on all browsers.

My wife's company ( www.webyodel.com ) does one free site for a non-profit every year. She's already done one this year but if you want to apply for next year let me know.

 

Right.... but when you consider that 90% of the worlds population uses I.E. then the chances are pretty good that your site will display fine. I've never had any complaints on mine and I have used a bunch of different browsers. Besides... FrontPage is one of the easiest to learn to use. If I can do it anyone can.

Britt

 

To get your website back up and running, you�ll need to follow a few steps. Since you're working with a limited budget, here�s a simple guide:

1. Choose a Website Host: Look for low-cost hosting providers like Webxloo, which offers affordable options for small organizations. Many hosting services also include website builders, so you don�t need technical experience to get started.

2. Pick a Website Builder: You can use easy-to-use website builders like WordPress or Wix. They offer free or inexpensive plans that allow you to create a basic site with no coding needed.

3. Get a Domain: A domain name is your website's address (like ""polarbeersnowmobileclub.org""). Some website builders offer free domains with their plans, or you can buy one through sites like Namecheap or GoDaddy.

4. Create Content: Include basic information about your club, like the mission, upcoming events, club news, and contact details. You can also add a section for donations or membership sign-ups.

5. Use Social Media: Since you're on a budget, leverage social media to share events and updates. You can link your social media pages to the website for easy access.

6. Ask for Help: If possible, ask club members with experience in tech or design to help, or search for volunteers who may be willing to support the project.

With these steps, you should be able to get a simple website up quickly, even with minimal experience.