Questions on Web Designers/Web Maintenance

Just a few simple noobie questions. Please help

[quicksilver1024]

Hello,

I am new here and happy to join this community of webmasters as I am just starting out to be one.

I will planning on hiring a web site designer for my website. But I do not know where to start. Is there a specific place where you guys get your lancers? Also, can you give me a rough estimate on how much to expect for the designing fee? I know it ranges from the complexity and size of your project, but I can just say it will look and act a bit like digg.com (mind you, I am not making a digg-like website!).

My other question is what exactly is web maintenance? Code just don't break down and perish. So why is there a need for a staff on web maintenance? My boss hires a company to do web maintenance for his website for about 100$+/month, which is quite expensive for something I don't even think there is a need for.

So, please if anybody can answer my questions - I greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in advance,
QuickSilver1024

[Leosghost]

I know it ranges from the complexity and size of your project, but I can just say it will look and act a bit like digg.com

+

My boss hires a company to do web maintenance for his website for about 100$+/month, which is quite expensive for something I don't even think there is a need for.

well that just about confirms it!..what the kids are smokin these days is waaaaaaay stronger than when I was listnin to Jimi 'n' Janis ;-))

BTW ..earth to wherever ..welcome to WebmasterWorld ;-)

[edited by: Leosghost at 11:53 pm (utc) on Nov. 7, 2006]

[Steerpike]

It's a bit of a hard question to answer, especially when you frame it as you have. You want to know costs for a 'digg like website' but then say you're not making that type of website: it's pretty hard to give you costs if your frame of reference is not the expected frame work of production.

Having said that, digg doesn't have a particularly expensive 'design' to it. Its 'functionality' on the other hand could be very expensive indeed.

In regards to your second question about web maintenance: code doesn't break down and perish, but things do change over the years. New bugs may be found, server upgrades or scripting language upgrades may affect already working code. The list of seemingly minute issues that can break a website are pretty much endless.

Maintenance often includes content updates, without a CMS or ftp access, companies often rely on web maintenance companies to post their updates and changes.

If you have issues with the cost of a company you should ask them for a detailed breakdown of their tasks. Go through them and note those you feel you have the expertise in dealing with. If you check off enough things, then you probably don't have a need for that company.

[quicksilver1024]

I love you guys already - fast replies :)

I guess I wasn't too clear on the website, I just didn't want to leak my idea.
I meant to say that the look does not have to be very complex or even professional (however, it can't be too ugly!). Initially, I was only planning on hiring some of my classmates, but thought they might not have enough level of expertise or commitment to complete such a project.
I simply want to make this website for entertainment and for a bit of profit through ads/affiliate programs, so by no means will this website be of any great importance.

The website will do these:

- hold a collection of aggregated links
- a search function that will allow easy access to the links
- the links will be posted on web pages where comments can be posted about that particular link
- allow users to mark the posted link as 'bad'
- allow users to post links directly to the website (wiki style but only the authority of posting new links)
- show which link is most popular

These are the main abilities the website must have.

Any ideas on the cost? Also, I would like to be able to update the website myself. So I guess a nice admin control panel.

PS: I am from Toronto.

Thanks for all the input so far. I really appreciate it.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

There is no way that anyone will give you a price for a website without having full details of your requirements. Your question is a bit like asking how much a house costs. ;)

Why don't you post your project on Elance or somewhere similar?

[Lobo]

Something that simple could be reasonably quickly learned..

There are also off the shelf options..

My advice is that if you want to get in to it then get in to it, it's your first project so take the time to know about websites, it will always give you a better idea on what you want, what is realistically possible for your budget and will make it easier to explain to a webmaster what you want if you know what you are talking about..

[quicksilver1024]

Yes true - but I do not know how to start. Are there programs out there that I can piece together for what I want to do? I was considering using wiki for a while, however I do not know if you can change how the wiki looks like.

Can anyone provide me with a few tutorials or a collection of tools I can use? I think wiki sets up the database and everything automatically. Am I wrong here?

[Lobo]

If you've got money to spend, Dreamweaver and Contribute may suit you? free trial versions are available..

If you don't then try Joomla

[quicksilver1024]

Hey guys, this might just be my lucky day. I found this [talkingpixels.org...] which is suppose to be a digg clone. I can use the code to suit my purposes, that is, to provide comments for links only.

You think I should use this or some variation of wiki?