I have an idea for a website and I was wondering if some of the more tech. savvy members on this site might be able to help me with a few decisions. I am asking here because; a) I respect the opinion of the members here and b) I don’t use any other forum. Bear with me as my web development knowledge is incredibly limited! SBs for helpful answers!
I wrote out my website design below… I would like to use a CMS and was wondering if there is a CMS out there that can address my most basic requirements? If not, is there a CMS that could get close and I could learn code (or hire someone) for the remainder? I currently have my site set-up in Drupal, though don’t mind changing (as I haven’t started). I am willing to invest time/money if required. However, I would prefer to learn the required code myself if possible (I just don’t want to invest time in learning where it wouldn’t be efficient). I currently have a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS, though do not know the first thing about PHP.
Website Design:
My basic website idea requires a front page that features pictures posted by registered members. Each post would require the member to post 2 pictures, a title, and an optional explanation. The front page would scroll vertically, displaying 2 picture posts until it reaches a “next” page. The header/title would be a custom image and I will only need several other pages (one explanation, one for posting content, and one for contact info).
Ideally, there would be two strings of comments on each picture post; 1) any anonymous/registered user could post any comment and 2) a “restricted” comments section, where an anonymous/registered user could only post if they matched certain criteria provided by the member that originated the post (e.g., zip code, date).
Eventually, I would like the option to sort posts (e.g., zip code, # comments), create a small e-commerce page, and a basic forum.
Thanks for your help!!
Drupal is very flexible, but it's also one of the geekier CMS's out there. Unfortunately, that's really all I know since I've only used Drupal since the beginning. I know WordPress out of the box is easier, but it may not be as flexible down the road when you are adding forums, if you have many layers of user access and permissions, etc...
Curious to hear what this is about :-)
Either way, best of luck...if you want to PM me for more specific advice, feel free.
Currently learning Rails, experimenting with front-end frameworks like Bootstrap. I know how to put together a basic app but I'm thinking about using a CMS instead (would save me a lot of trouble). How much PHP would I need to know to effectively be able to use Drupal? Or Wordpress/Joomla for that matter? I know next to nothing about these frameworks.
So your going to make a hot or not with comments? This could the thing of internet legend. Not to mention a haven for bullies. This I gotta see.
Wordpress can handle it, and it's definitely simpler than Drupal. You're going to have fun learning how to code it, though.
I'd take some time and search for a Wordpress plugin that can do this, it's possible there might be one.
need more info to judge the idea, but what is the ecommerce page you want to create
For this type of project he's going to find out very quickly that he either needs to invest a couple thousand hours into learning languages or find a partner that can build a complex site.
Thanks for the advice so far, I will be sure to post the site on here once it is up and running!
One of my key concerns here is time; I am surprised this idea is not already out there and I want to get the “product” to market quickly (1-2 months). I was debating just hiring someone, but the idea is so simple I would rather just learn the code myself (also want to learn for future use). Also, I really want to control the look and feel of the site and I don’t trust someone else to do it for me. Ideally, I would like to use a CMS where the CSS file is easy to alter (for a beginner such as myself).
For these reasons, would it make sense to try and find a WordPress template that fits most of my criteria and make the coding changes myself? Maybe switch to Drupal later for a more robust site? Also, do I need to learn PHP to make two different classes of user comments (i.e., restricted and general)? I learn quickly (but do work full-time) – realistically, would it be worth trying to build this site in Drupal to save trouble down the road?
Andy - the ecommerce would be simple – maybe 5-10 products, don’t really care about the layout as it isn’t the key driver of the site, just a potential way to monetize.
If at all possible, would share your idea openly with as many people as you know...people starting out think they need to keep thinsg a secret, when in reality, 99.999% of the times that is the wrong move.
it's usually too small an idea for anyone to care or "steal", and if someone could execute better and it is a great idea, you're likely screwed anyways...if it's super simple, I wouldnt waste a ton of time. I'd draw a mock up and get a talented developer on odesk.com or elance to get a functional site set up in Drupal or Wordpress with the primary functions that are needed...
If you have something that gains traction from that early iteration, then I think you invest more heavily...but you should try to prove that the concept actually has traction for under $1k and 1 month if you can...fail fast and fail often. You'd be surprised how hard it is to drive consistent traffic to a site...even if it's a great idea. If this is your first rodeo, dont spend a lot and see if you can test early...
As someone who has spent a decent amount of time working within Wordpress frameworks, I'd build the framework for the whole thing and then have someone come in and write the code for the featured pictures part
Good call, I'm not thinking that anyone would really steal the idea (have been pitching it to anyone that will listen) and I definitely have no clue if I can actaully drive the traffic to my site. However, I do believe the idea is feasible, could gain traction quickly (if it works), and should be relatively easy to implement. I don't want to post the idea to a public forum for obvious reasons, but if anyone on this thread feels they could help more if they have a better understanding of what exactly I am doing, or would like to tear apart my idea (always love pessimists), please let me know and I will PM you a quick overview!
I think in addition to Wordpress and Drupal, the third muskeeteer here is Joomla, which I believe is easy to learn but has the ability to be relatively more advanced and customizable with a very large developer community.
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