Beginning a Website
I have been given the leadership of creating a website for my company . I need a little insight on the matter .
Domain Registration :
Theres many registrars . Are any better than others ?
Web Hosting :
Witch is better external web hosting or internal web hosting ?
Creating a website :
I need alot of abbilitys on the site . So im not sure if the preconstructed site templates most hosts offer will be sufficient .
I also dont know the best software to use for the job . Ive heard of using Front Page to do the job . But im sure theres better out there .
Heres a short description of the functionality of the site :
1-A bid system for producing contract estimates (Witch is very in depth and has alot of variables , to many to list right now (almost requires another topic))
This can tell you how much a job would cost based on what you need done . I still have to look into the existance of this type of software . Im not sure if it can be done by database interaction or not .
2-A 3d walkthrough of a job created by the information a customer would imput into the parameters field .
Like for instance you need a new electrical outlet installed for your computer . You imput a basic description of the room and closest electrical applications . The program would walk you through the options you have for the procedure .
3-A contacts page : email , phone , fax , address , etc.
4-An About us page
5-A refference page of work already done along with customer comments and refferences to hire our company . For example .
Something like these :
http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest?loc=2&premium=
http://www.visionwebservices.com/solutions/electrical/webservices.php
But ofcourse more indepth and interactive for the customer .
Any feedback on how to go about this project would be most helpfull !
Tog go bog e , Neqtan
Thanks for the feedback falling midget and AldarHawk .
I appreciate the offer of assistance AldarHawk ! I will deffinately be contacting you . There are deffinately some difficult tasks in fron of me . Two of witch exceed some of my wildest thoughts of coding so far .
The work that is going to be involved to have a 3d cad program that interacts with user imput sent to a database for directions !? Ive already begun to fathom all of the variables involved . Its realy scary to think about . Im hoping theres an easier way . I want the final video the customer sees to be emailed along with the estimate and customers personal info upon acceptance of the bill .
Then also to have an estimate bidder online for the bennefit of the customer . This isnt going to be an easy task either . After the user recieves the estimate after calculation he or she can chose to accept . Upon this i want the users personal info and the estimate after processing from the database to be sent to an email witch will be forwarded to a cell phone in the field for immediate response from a team leader . I also want a button that the customer can hit to get a printable version of the estimate along with some contact information as well as maby some images from there 3d walk through . Im not certain about the images . It ads a whole other function to the walkthrough for taking snapshots .
I know this may sound like alot . But no contractor ive seen online offers this calibur of interactivity or pricing availability . I want to be the first to do so and give the customers what theyve been wanting . Thats the abbility to have a foresight into what there project is going to look like when its done and the abbility to get a price quote upfront before the contractor even knows about the job and the customer is given the option to say yes or no with no obligations . This is ahead of the curve . This also saves my company time from recieving phone calls via secretary having to figure out the estimate and call the customer back ontop of sometimes having to drive to the customers home to get a better look at the scenario involved . The customer has to do a bit of foot work to create the results through these applications . But i think its worth it .
I need alot of time and help on this one i can tell .
If anyone has any clue as to what type of programing or software is reuired for this go ahead and drop some knowledge . But im already looking into all the details . If i can find some software thats website capable im more than willing to work with that . Nothings impossible .
AldarHawk ill be in touch .
Tog go bog e , Neqtan
Heres an updated version of my idea for this site im wanting to build :
Ok heres the job :
A website for an Electrical Contractor Company
(Me and my Fathers)
Layout :
Home Page = Includes =
Navigation bar , & Some Electrical based images .
Not much on the home page . Maby links to affiliates .
Maby a company slogan or something like this .
Buttons in navigation bar =
Home
About us
Services
Estimate Bidder
3d Walkthroughs
Contact us
About us
About us page will be standard . Just a brief description of our
company history , work ethic , dedication to quality and
safety , all the typical rederic .
Services
Services will have three sub pages within itself . Residential
, Commercial , and Industrial . Each page will have a list of
applications we do in each of those fields .
Estimate Bidder
This ones more complicated . I need something designed for
this . It is going to be a function where customers can
punch in info into fields . The fields will be :
Project type (Residential , Commercial , Industrial)
Job type (Outlet , Paddle Fan , Motor control , etc.)*
An expanded list will occur if Commercial or Industrial is chosen .
Room type (Kitchen , Bedroom , Bathroom , etc.)*
This will only show up if Residential is chosen .
Facility location (Office , warehouse , plant floor , etc.)*
This will only show up if Commercial or Industrial are chosen .
Distance to panel (Distance in aproximate feet)*
This will only pop up if an item in the job type
list labeled dedicated circuit is chosen .
Trouble Shooting (Breaker tripping , hot devices , etc.) *
Trouble shooting will only come up if a job type labeled as
trouble shooting is chosen . This list will also vary depending
on what Project type was chosen .
Im still thinking of all the variations that can occur and may
require more field parameters . But as you can see there
is going to be hundreds if not a thousand or more variations
of final results . Due to all the possible combinations all
these different fields can create .
Once a customer has filled all applying fields and submits the info
to the database . The database will cross refference the information
supplied against the preconfigured cost of material and hours of work
determined for that combination then calculate the preconfigured hours
multiplyed by the hourly wage logged in the database and send the total
cost estimate back to the users screen . Upon this completion the
customer will be given the choice to decline or accept the estimate .
If the customer choses to decline then nothing further is required
besides the window to be closed and standard processing of a function
termination as would anything . If they chose accept then an email will
be sent to the according field agents via cell phone with email capability .
3d Walk Throughs
I would like a Three Dimensional Walkthrough software that is capable of rendering full
videos of a job application based upon the customers imputs into fields .
The Fields will be :
Project Type (Residential , Comercial , Industrial)
Room Type (Residential)
Facility Location (Commercial or Industrial)
Entrance Locations (NM , NW , NE , EM , EN , ES , SM , SW , SE , WM , WN , WS)
Job Type (List varys depending on Project Type and has an extensive list on locations)
Lighting Type (List varys and has an extensive list on locations)
Same as Estimate Bidder im still working on all possibe scenarios to finalize all field parameters .
This will have as many if not more combinations as the Bidder for video results .
Once a customer submits there final entry . The database will cross refference the preconfigured
image results with the information from the fields . The software will then display the 3d walkthrough .
There will be a video number logged for this users session that will get sent with the bid estimate if
accept is chosen . Used by the field technician as refference to the job itself for productivity .
A code will be needed to insure that customer completing the accept function of an estimate before doing the 3d Walk through is asked if they would like to do the 3d Walk through before completion
of transaction .
Contact us
Typical contacts page . Phone number , fax number , email , address , etc.
So this is the website in a nutshell . With a decent description of what the tools are doing , and a
decent description of the sites layout as well . Some of the design is still up in the air .
Tog go bog e , Neqtan
Thanks everyone for your offerings of help . Its greatly appreciated . Im stoked to have such good people offering to help . I know this is going to be complicated .
Aldar Hawk ill clear my box , sorry for the delay .
Only_Samurai ill PM you right now , thanks again .
Moshbat ill see you on MSN soon . Weve talked already , thanks again .
Im working hard at this project . The hardest thing of all is i dont have the right language knowledge to write the code for the two major features on my own . I wish i would have put more effort into that a long time ago . C# , asp.net / vb.net , php , sql , etc. knowing atleast two or three of those would be most benneficial right now . Im to stoked about this project to give up on it now . Ive been dreaming of making these types of features for a website since i became an Electrician (years ago) .
Neqtan to Arcube , are you out there !? Calling Arcube …………………..
Tog go bog e , Neqtan