Website advice

[DDraper]

I need a website for a small business project I'm working on with a friend.
Any recommendations for web design software? I've seen the ads for these on tv http://website.1and1.com/web-design-software if anyone has any feedback?

[RealBlackStuff]

Most larger hosting companies (like 1and1 or Godaddy) come with free setup software if you host your site there.
Using their software gives you (and umpteen others) the same-looking website as anybody else.
If you only need some working stuff for a short-term project, go ahead and use it.
I've never used any of them, because I don't like them, but that's purely personal.

Alternatively you can buy ready-made website templates from the likes of http://allwebcodesign.com
Or find tons of free website templates as well (just Google them).
And then you can of course also design your own!
For any website editing I have personally been using EditPadPro (since 2001), as all the websites I do, or have done, are written in HTML, Javascript and CSS, with an occasional perlscript thrown in.
This program can also do another 40 or so different file types. Check it out here: http://www.just-great-software.com/

[Saucey]

I bought a domain from cheap-registrar.com, I searched a nickname of mine but I saw it was taken, so I go from variations of my nickname and found a domain for about $20 a year.
I think webhosting is an extra $7 a month, but It gave me an option to make my own email address on my domain!
I haven't built up a landpage for my website, I mainly post on tumblr anyways when I daddle on ThinkPads

Anyways, I know that some people have used Wordpress to make a working website that people order product from.
Kinda like etsy but on their own site.
I wanted to become a website designer for a lil bit, but the class I took was a joke and it pretty much turned me off after hearing what people will pay for someone else to make a site....

[DDraper]

Thanks, I'll have a look at some of those sites.

[RealBlackStuff]

Just in case: a lot of templates (free or bought) come with Flash in their page headers.
My 'toy'-website http://www.theboardroom.info used to have Flash as well, but given the fact that more and more people absolutely HATE Flash, or use a browser add-on to switch it off, I just replaced the Flash-part with something else, that was non-Flash.
When I have some spare time, I'll replace it with something more elegant.

In other words: try to NOT use Flash.