Buying a Web Domain

Comix Obsession · 07-12-2006, 08:34 AM

Hey all,

I'm trying (more in the planning stages

) to get a portfolio of my art together. Not easy, since I tend to draw in my art pad, and the pages get filled with all sorts of other scribbles that I can't easily remove. So now I'm trying to do a few pages of one or two characters so I can show prospective employers what I'm capable of.

Anyway, I'm into cartoon style art (think Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, etc) because that's what I've naturally tended to lean toward in my own style (and I'm hopeless at drawing realistically - tend to get distracted).

Anyway, it has been recommended that buying a Web Domain and putting my strips up on there would be beneficial in obtaining an audience, so I want to do it.

Anyone got any tips on creating a web page? I want something professional, in fact, I do have a friend who does this sort of thing thinking about it - but anyone who has gone down this path, do you have any tips before I spend money on a name?

Thanks all,

David

Shishio · 07-12-2006, 10:30 AM

Buy a domain name that is short and easy to remember.

I recommend Dreamhost for hosting. (And if you look around, you can find promo codes that will save you money on hosting there. I can give you one that will save you $50.)

As for webdesign, I cannot help you there, but if you do a search for HTML sites, you will find tutorial sites that you may find useful.

joshm · 07-12-2006, 11:30 AM

Well, I own a web hosting company, but I won't spam here (I'll give you the site if you pm me). Here is what I recommend, go to aplus.net and see what names are available. It will cost you 15.00 for the first two years and then 15.00 for each year after. Then you need a web hosting company to provide the domain to you. You'll then put the domain name's IP in the aplus.net setting for your site name. This will then point everyone that wants to get to your site to your site. Of course you need a site for them to view. If this is just your portfolio then you don't need anything too fancy or expensive. Just have one page that shows your work as small thumbnails that are clickable to enlarge the image. Other than that, you can go to www.htmlgoodies.com for help on setting up a simple site. If you pay someone to do this type of site you shouldn't pay more than 100.00, in my opinion. If you pay more you're just wasting your money. Simple is better, trust me.

Josh

filthysize · 07-12-2006, 12:28 PM

Consider buying two domain names. One with just your full name, and one a spiffy name that's easy to remember.

Keeping things simple is probably the best way to do it. Keep your link menu clear and easy to click. I tried to be fancy and clever with a previous design of my website and half the people who visit couldn't find my Films page because of bad menu design.

As for hosting, I use pair.com, it's only 6 dollars a month for the starter package. It's great. Once you start getting more traffic you can just upgrade.

the other mike · 07-12-2006, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comix Obsession

Anyone got any tips on creating a web page? I want something professional, in fact, I do have a friend who does this sort of thing thinking about it - but anyone who has gone down this path, do you have any tips before I spend money on a name?

David

i made this:
http://home.comcast.net/~theothermike/album/index.html
and a similar page a few weeks ago using JALBUM. i wanted something that would make a simple but interesting page and most of all, be EASY to use. a nice thing about JALBUM is that its FREE from DOWNLOAD.COM. some other free web photoalbum generators are PORTA and XIBITMAKER. (i was happiest with jalbum). jusy upload the site to your host when you're done.

Jason Powell · 07-12-2006, 04:23 PM

I recommend MOZILLA. It is an easy program to use. Also, you could start with a free site like FREEWEBS. They are easy to use and free.

-SIN-
GATOR

**L Jamal** · 07-12-2006, 04:33 PM

Don't use a free site.
Nothing looks worse for a business than having a free site (except a free site with lots of pop-ups).

You register a domain for as low as 8.50 at www.jodohost.com
However, some webhosts include fee domains registration with their hosting plans.
I use www.hostexcellence.com because they provide good service and a fair price.
Remember to includes setup fees when pricing hosts.

As far as design, if you have the money get someone else to do it and set-up a template driven website using a content management system (like Joombla or wordpress). If you don't have the money get Joombla or WordPress and figure it out yourself.

Jason Powell · 07-12-2006, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljamal

Don't use a free site.
Nothing looks worse for a business than having a free site (except a free site with lots of pop-ups).

You register a domain for as low as 8.50 at www.jodohost.com
However, some webhosts include fee domains registration with their hosting plans.
I use www.hostexcellence.com because they provide good service and a fair price.
Remember to includes setup fees when pricing hosts.

As far as design, if you have the money get someone else to do it and set-up a template driven website using a content management system (like Joombla or wordpress). If you don't have the money get Joombla or WordPress and figure it out yourself.

I thought this was for a portfolio not a business?

Either way, I disagree. When starting out you need to save money any way you can. If a free site allows you to sale work (a lot do not - per membership agreement) then do it. If someone is interested in your work then they will not care if you have a professional site or not. The only way, I think, a person would care is if they where trying to pick between two (or more) people with the same skill. Then it might be an issue. However there are problems with using a free site sometimes. For instance some programs, like netnanny, will not show some free sites because they are unrated and they can not determine if they are adult or not. And people, sometimes, will take you more serious with your own site.

But don't let anyone turn you off to free sites. I (and a lot of other people on this bored) started with one or still use them and have learned a great deal from them. I used to have someone else run THE GATOR's DEN (which started on geocities, then went to a offshoot of Golden Goat Studios, and then I bought it's own domain) when I owned ALBINO ALLIGATOR PRODUCTIONS and in the end it caused me more headaches than I wanted or needed. I closed it and opened FYI COMICS and I run it myself using MOZILLA (easy site to do web pages with) and use iPowerWeb (free domain name, cheap, easy to use) as my host.

-SIN-
GATOR

Mr.Musgrave · 07-12-2006, 05:23 PM

Ignore everything Jason just said. That is the worst advice you could get. If you don't look professional you won't be treated professionally. And your portfolio IS your business. If you look like a half-ass chump that's how you'll be treated.

Jason Powell · 07-12-2006, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Musgrave

Ignore everything Jason just said. That is the worst advice you could get. If you don't look professional you won't be treated professionally. And your portfolio IS your business. If you look like a half-ass chump that's how you'll be treated.

That is BS! I have personally hired, paid people, who do not have a professional site (some not even owning a site) and a lot of people on this very site do not have a professional site (a lot of them use devinentart ((sp?)) ) and are working just as much as Musgrave is. If your work is good people will buy it whether it is on a pay site or free site the main thing is getting it out there, advertise yourself (the web is really a small tool) for people to see. Now Jamal has a full business and I agree, a free site wouldn't work for him, but if you are only using it as a portfolio, other than the problems I described, it is a good start. True, I agree that a pay site is more professional looking and may help you in the long run but, and this is just a fact, there isn't a lot of money in comics (and a lot of artists make is at cons and meetings, doing private commissions) so save as much as you can. True, I bought one but only cause I am publishing books and doing a movie right now.

-SIN-
GATOR

Mr.Musgrave · 07-12-2006, 05:41 PM

This will probably the meanest thing I've ever said on this board but, Jason, there's a reason no one takes you seriously.

**Ron Phillips** · 07-12-2006, 05:45 PM

There is no reason not to have a branded website. Domains and hosting are cheap. I can provide a reasonable space for $49.95 for the year, with a domain free the first year and $10.95 for renewals.

But I'm not taking any new business till the end of the month.

Jason Powell · 07-12-2006, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Musgrave

This will probably the meanest thing I've ever said on this board but, Jason, there's a reason no one takes you seriously.

Whatever Musgrave, I digress on this issue, believe what you want.

-SIN-
GATOR

jrod · 07-12-2006, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Phillips

There is no reason not to have a branded website. Domains and hosting are cheap. I can provide a reasonable space for $49.95 for the year, with a domain free the first year and $10.95 for renewals.

But I'm not taking any new business till the end of the month.

Or, at the very least, use a free service without pop-ups (I think some ISPs have them) and spend 8 bucks on a domain from GoDaddy that has free domain parking and forwarding. I have one yahoo account where I point two different domains:
http://www.jasonrodriguez.com
and
http://www.allyouleave.com (which points to http://postcards.jasonrodriguez.com)

At one point http://www.dcconspiracy.com was pointed there, too, but the group recently pitched in to get its own hosting. That's three sites, one low monthly hosting fee.

But telling someone your website is freewebs.com/~cheapbastard gets a couple of eyerolls. And pop-ups get the browser window closed.

**Ron Phillips** · 07-12-2006, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrod

But telling someone your website is freewebs.com/~cheapbastard gets a couple of eyerolls. And pop-ups get the browser window closed.

Classic!

07-12-2006, 08:34 AM	#1
Comix Obsession Missing In In-Action Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Southend, UK Posts: 1,890	Buying a Web Domain Hey all, I'm trying (more in the planning stages ) to get a portfolio of my art together. Not easy, since I tend to draw in my art pad, and the pages get filled with all sorts of other scribbles that I can't easily remove. So now I'm trying to do a few pages of one or two characters so I can show prospective employers what I'm capable of. Anyway, I'm into cartoon style art (think Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, etc) because that's what I've naturally tended to lean toward in my own style (and I'm hopeless at drawing realistically - tend to get distracted). Anyway, it has been recommended that buying a Web Domain and putting my strips up on there would be beneficial in obtaining an audience, so I want to do it. Anyone got any tips on creating a web page? I want something professional, in fact, I do have a friend who does this sort of thing thinking about it - but anyone who has gone down this path, do you have any tips before I spend money on a name? Thanks all, David

07-12-2006, 04:33 PM	#7
L Jamal member of G.R.O.S.S. Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: right here Posts: 10,572	Don't use a free site. Nothing looks worse for a business than having a free site (except a free site with lots of pop-ups). You register a domain for as low as 8.50 at www.jodohost.com However, some webhosts include fee domains registration with their hosting plans. I use www.hostexcellence.com because they provide good service and a fair price. Remember to includes setup fees when pricing hosts. As far as design, if you have the money get someone else to do it and set-up a template driven website using a content management system (like Joombla or wordpress). If you don't have the money get Joombla or WordPress and figure it out yourself. __________________ L Jámal Walton UNGOODWISE \| MY BLOG \| SELF-PUBLISHING COMICS

07-12-2006, 05:23 PM	#9
Mr.Musgrave Demi-God Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: If you ain't where you are, you're no place. Posts: 7,635	Ignore everything Jason just said. That is the worst advice you could get. If you don't look professional you won't be treated professionally. And your portfolio IS your business. If you look like a half-ass chump that's how you'll be treated. __________________ http://hathairillustration.blogspot.com/

07-12-2006, 05:41 PM	#11
Mr.Musgrave Demi-God Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: If you ain't where you are, you're no place. Posts: 7,635	This will probably the meanest thing I've ever said on this board but, Jason, there's a reason no one takes you seriously. __________________ http://hathairillustration.blogspot.com/

07-12-2006, 05:45 PM	#12
Ron Phillips Are you terminal? Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Some where under a deep blue sky. Posts: 4,109	There is no reason not to have a branded website. Domains and hosting are cheap. I can provide a reasonable space for $49.95 for the year, with a domain free the first year and $10.95 for renewals. But I'm not taking any new business till the end of the month. __________________ Ron Earl Phillips Buy Ron's Books - on Amazon Kindle Flash Fiction Friday - A community writing project Shotgun Honey - a blast of fiction to blow your mind Home \| Twitter \| Facebook \|MySpace

07-12-2006, 10:30 AM	#2
Shishio Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 298	Buy a domain name that is short and easy to remember. I recommend Dreamhost for hosting. (And if you look around, you can find promo codes that will save you money on hosting there. I can give you one that will save you $50.) As for webdesign, I cannot help you there, but if you do a search for HTML sites, you will find tutorial sites that you may find useful.

07-12-2006, 11:30 AM	#3
joshm Comic Book creator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 548	Well, I own a web hosting company, but I won't spam here (I'll give you the site if you pm me). Here is what I recommend, go to aplus.net and see what names are available. It will cost you 15.00 for the first two years and then 15.00 for each year after. Then you need a web hosting company to provide the domain to you. You'll then put the domain name's IP in the aplus.net setting for your site name. This will then point everyone that wants to get to your site to your site. Of course you need a site for them to view. If this is just your portfolio then you don't need anything too fancy or expensive. Just have one page that shows your work as small thumbnails that are clickable to enlarge the image. Other than that, you can go to www.htmlgoodies.com for help on setting up a simple site. If you pay someone to do this type of site you shouldn't pay more than 100.00, in my opinion. If you pay more you're just wasting your money. Simple is better, trust me. Josh

07-12-2006, 12:28 PM	#4
filthysize n00b Saibot Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: San Francisco Posts: 27	Consider buying two domain names. One with just your full name, and one a spiffy name that's easy to remember. Keeping things simple is probably the best way to do it. Keep your link menu clear and easy to click. I tried to be fancy and clever with a previous design of my website and half the people who visit couldn't find my Films page because of bad menu design. As for hosting, I use pair.com, it's only 6 dollars a month for the starter package. It's great. Once you start getting more traffic you can just upgrade.

07-12-2006, 04:23 PM	#6
Jason Powell "B.R.U.F." Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Alexander City, AL Posts: 1,810	I recommend MOZILLA. It is an easy program to use. Also, you could start with a free site like FREEWEBS. They are easy to use and free. -SIN- GATOR

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