Do I need to hire a web designer?

[Natasha]

I'm new here, just signed in. I am actually looking for help on an idea of a website I want to build, by myself. I don't know where to start or which software to use for the website/company.
At first I wanted to create a website which promotes new design products, the next big thing on the market, from companies putting your own pictures with laser in glass, to jewelry never done before etc. I travel, gather products, and by the internet promote and sell them. I would like my website to be a site about people all over the world creating new things, inventing things, help them promote their product, if they have ideas for something that works. People uploading their videos/sound, pictures, and have their personal page about them, blogs, a forum. People all around the world, I guess not everyone has the opportunity to go to a company who will invest in their idea, so why not let themselves promote their 'idea'.
Is there a software I can use by myself to create this, or do I have to hire someone?
Thanks
Natasha

PS If my idea is silly, let me know, I'll try to find a new one!

[lisa]

Hi Natasha,

Welcome! I think you have some great ideas for your site and it's funny that you should ask this because I just did a video on this very topic.

If you do not want to learn about programming then you may want to hire someone to do the interactive part of your site. For example, the part of your site that provides uploading photos and all the user interactive features may require a bit of programming so you could go to a site like www.rentacoder.com to have them do that part for you.

But you could get a software program like Dreamweaver.com to do the basic content updates.

In spite of what you do, I think it's important you take the time to learn the basics of web page development so you are not completely dependent upon a designer or someone to do your updates.

Me personally, I do not like programming so what I would do is go to rentacoder.com and have them do all the interactive parts of your site and then I'd do my own maintenance going forward with my own software. It's just important that whoever does your site you understand how to do the updates going forward.

[ppcFanatic]

I agree with Lisa. Unless you want to really learn about web programming I would hire a designer. What you need done is a bit complex and you need more than just your basic web software to accomplish this.

Also when you create a website you have to think about how people will find you. I love your idea but just keep in mind as you create your pages, Google, MSN and Yahoo should be the first source of traffic you go after because it's free and targeted. Imagine people searching for keywords and finding you in the top results.

So my question to you is what exactly do you want to be found for? What kinds of keywords? Because you'll need to build your site around those keyword phrases. Don't do what a lot of people do and throw up a site and then say "Hey, how come I can't get found in Google?" You need to specifically define the keywords you want to be found for then do a search in Google to see what kinds of sites come up. This will be your competition.

And if you can't come up with 3-5 specific keywords to describe your site then you may want to refine your topic a bit.

You really should do some preliminary research on that before you start building your site. Lisa always recommends www.selfpromotion.com. It provides great preliminary info on how to optimize your site for Google. Obviously you can't use the info until your site is up but at least it will educate you on what the big engines look for.

Good luck and I think you have a great idea there.

[webdev]

Natasha, you definitely to narrow down your site topic. Think in smaller scale to what site is. What you said is too broad and having to broad site will i'm might be hard not considering all the designing and development that is needed to make the site.

Like ppcFanatic, describe you site in 2 to 3 words. It must have a meaning and it must have purpose and that purpose should be focused.

Hey ppcFanatic thanks for that link.

[Natasha]

Hi, and thanks for your replies.
I am thinking of having a web designer, yes.
I want to learn things myself and know how it works, but, I might be too busy to update everytime, so I need someone to do this and I have a webdesigner in mind, based on a monthly pay.
I am going to check out Dreamweaver, thanks for that!

Still looking for keywords, and trying to find a name and logo for the site. I have a business partner and we actually try to find products of certain origin in countries, mainly in Asia right now, which are build with a certain cultural influence. Some of the stuff we found are actually things that people who collect artefacts would be interested in, etc. And this is why we want the video part, so that people all over the world can upload their video and show us something that might work on the market, if it's interesting then I can always check it out, but I won't know unless they have a way of letting me know where they are, and internet is great for this; thus the idea of a 'big' website.
And my partner documents parts of countries, so he wants to put his videos on the website as well, so that others can check them out.

The thing is, what I like might not interest people, and what they are interested in might not appeal to me, that's what business is about, so by having a website I can actually try out stuff, and people can post their comments on their page. And I think it's fun, and nothing is better than doing something and having fun with it.

Natasha