Tell me more ×
Answers OnStartups is a question and answer site for entrepreneurs looking to start or run a new business. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote -2 down vote favorite

What is the fastest method to create the current, trendy websites (static 'n' dynamic)?

I have seen website being built from scratch, and from a pre-defined template.

I am little curious to know - Is there anything out, which create websites, which nearly or almost matches the work of a web- designer and website developer?

share|improve this question
Hire a web developer. That will be fastest. ;) ;) You can try weebly.com, its good. – Sourabh Sep 23 '12 at 23:46
With some effort you could do it yourself. It'd nearly match work of a web designer and developer. Check out Ruby on Rails with Twitter Bootstrap. Note: Your looking at investing a solid few months of work. Good starter tutorial here: ruby.railstutorial.org – Robert Sep 24 '12 at 18:38

closed as off topic by Zuly Gonzalez♦ Mar 17 at 18:25

Questions on Answers OnStartups are expected to relate to startups within the scope defined in the FAQ. Consider editing the question or leaving comments for improvement if you believe the question can be reworded to fit within the scope. Read more about closed questions here.

1 Answer

up vote 2 down vote

It really depends on what exactly you want your website to do, how complex you want it to be, and how much time you want to devote to putting it together.

If you want a website that is generally static, I would suggest a service such as Wix. Wix, and others, are services that allow you to quickly put together a decent-looking website using a drag-and-drop interface. As far as these services go, Wix is the best one that I've found -- not that I actually use it for anything -- as it has a large selection of templates, a simple-to-learn interface, and it integrates flash technology well. These sorts of quick, drag-and-drop website creation services are the most basic option for quickly setting up a website.

If this doesn't suit your needs, you may be looking for what is called a content management system (CMS; link is to Wikipedia.) A CMS is essentially a program running on a web server that allows you to create, publish, and edit content. Blogging services are a simple form of CMS with a single type of content (a blog entry). There are three major content management systems in the industry:

  • WordPress - The most popular CMS. Originally it was just a blogging system, but its capabilities have since been expanded to allow for all types of content.
  • Joomla! - More complex than Wordpress to set up, but also popular. Has been a full-fledged CMS longer than Wordpress, so you may be able to find more plugins that suit your needs.
  • Drupal - Of these three, the most complex and hard to learn. But it also offers the best security of these three solutions. (The White House website is powered by Drupal. Take that as you will.)

There are many web developers out there who will build you a Wordpress/Joomla!/Drupal site from scratch or from templates, and who will charge a decent amount of money -- but not as much as someone who you ask to roll a complete custom solution. Like I said, though, you weren't too clear on your specific needs, so it's hard to give a more concise solution. If you have stringent security needs, existing databases (with complex schemas), or are trying to implement a very complex solution (like a game or app), you may need to go with a professional web developer instead of one of these options I've mentioned.

Disclaimer: I am a web developer. Keep in mind, I am essentially giving you advice on how to put myself out of business.

share|improve this answer
I could buy a few cans of oil and a wrench, but I still pay someone else to do it. – JeffO Sep 24 '12 at 3:26
Or you could do it yourself and save a buck. – Roddy of the Frozen Peas Sep 24 '12 at 5:36
@Roddy of the Frozen Peas Thank you, however, my specific needs are creating business website with latest technology like html5 with good control over design and content. I am also a web designer. I know about CMS and all. I know these are alternatives to a web designer and a web developer. So instead of competing with them, I would like to use them. Can you check breezi.com and evaluate the site builder? – jeet7seven Sep 24 '12 at 5:57
@jeet7seven - If you're a web designer yourself, I'd suggest using Ruby on Rails instead of a drag and drop. It'll be hard to evaluate Breezi since they have no pricing information yet, but I'll take a look. Frankly, right off the bat I can tell you they have no themes and clunky inline-only editing of content. – Roddy of the Frozen Peas Sep 24 '12 at 6:27
@RoddyoftheFrozenPeas - Thank you for replying. Roddy, I would like to ask you, how will ruby on rails help me. I am more inclined towards the web design and user experience part. – jeet7seven Sep 24 '12 at 6:44

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.