Web design for Real beginners - Ms Expression Web 4 or Wordpress

Hi there

I'm a REAL BEGINNER at this stuff - not even 101 - probably 001 !!!!- and doing it just for fun currently - although I do Vinyl Record cutting for people so eventually I'll want a business and shopping basket site. - Much later though after I've learned a bit more.

Should I start locally (i.e not upload until tested) with Ms web expression 4 or free bit of Wordpress.
Note I'm a real BEGINNER at this but do know what php is and have no problem with things like servers etc.

I've got a slew of VM's running so no problem if I hose it all up and start again.

I know there's a zillion and one Google links but it's often better to get info from people who've started out with the same knowledge as me for creating this stuff --i.e ZERO !!!!

Thanks to anybody who replies

Cheers
jimbo

OT,

Jimbo, YOU cut vinyl? As in master, pressing etc...

bra10n said:

OT,

Jimbo, YOU cut vinyl? As in master, pressing etc...

Hi there @bra10n
I've been doing that for a LONG time -- I've got old Vinyl cutting hardware (still needs XP to run -- so on a VM) - I often do things like copying tracks for people from CD's to Vinyl / bespoke stuff etc.

Until recently the most difficult bit was in sourcing the Blanks !!!! now these seem to be much more readily available.

People also like 45's / LP's with custom labels / photos on them and sleeve design (just started doing that).

I'm semi retired from Engineering these days so between gigs I do this and mess around a bit with Stock day trading -- keeps me busy.

Cheers
jimbo

z3r010 said:

If you are having a cart then you are better using an off the shelf solution as securing scripts against hacking attempts is a minefield and best handled by experts.

Hi there
@z3r010

that's good advice -- however long before I get to that stage I need some practice in just having a go with web design -- then at least I can see where loopholes are and other weaknesses of running / attempting to run an online business.

Cheers

jimbo

Well I personally think the best way to learn Web Design / Development is to start at the foundation, HTML. Start there then incorporate CSS, then Javascript. Should start by building a strong foundation, using HTML not as visual language but rather using it yo define the structure of the page and the content, then using CSS to create the visuals. Well that is at least what we try to do. You are going to need to have a understanding of HTML even before you attempt server-side programming.

In fact head on over to Sitepoint.com, that community is dedicated to all aspects of Web Design / Development. Plus resources and books for new comers like yourself.

This could help you get started: (Old but still relevant as the basics haven't changed.)
Learn HTML and CSS: An Absolute Beginner's Guide

We live in a modern world now were you need a site to run on all sorts of devices you can have a site like that in 2 hours the modern way is to use flexbox A Complete Guide to Flexbox | CSS-Tricks using old methods it would take days there are lots of tutors over on youtube get it going in 30 mins Flexbox Tutorial (CSS): Real Layout Examples - YouTube
another good way is to use bootstrap used on loads of sites Bootstrap Tutorial - YouTube

I agree with @logicearth. Another page you should visit is W3Schools.

That is if you are really serious about learning anything regarding web design. You won't get far without understanding the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Once you understand the basics, you can go for other languages, which are essentially just a more structured and intelligent way of managing content on the server side and converting your code to something that a Web Browser can parse for display.

I'd say the answer depends on how you value your time. Expression Web 4 provides a lot more flexibility with designing web pages that does WordPress, but the price you pay for this is a lot more time required to learn a lot more about HTML, CSS, different browser capabilities, HTML publishing, etc. WordPress provides less overall flexibility, but you can get a working website up a lot faster, and maintain it easier, with WordPress.

I recently decided to add a blog to my site and opted for WordPress to do that. My site (Home) is old, originally developed with FrontPage, and then every version of Expression Web, and I just didn't want to take the time to do the blog in Expression Web. I'm convinced I made the right decision.

Also, as was stated above, if you are going to do monetary transactions on your site you really should use a 3rd party site development tool to ensure privacy and hacking resistance.