Hi folks. I'm running a project to try to help Garden Clubs around the country to modernise, one part of which is to setup their own websites. Hopefully they will be encouraged to use e-voice, but I would also like them to have the option of using a personal domain name. Having spoken with a few of you and Joe on the monthly zoom sessions about this, I'm now putting a call out to see if we could get a list of people together who are comfortable with setting up domains with the likes of 123Reg and setting up the various DNS bits & bobs. It's beyond my skillset (as you can probably tell from the bits& bobs reference) and trying to explain how to do this to clubs is even more difficult, but I'm happy to facilitate the process. So it would be better if we had a group of people who clubs could contact to get a domain setup for them. I'm thinking we have a standard fee which clubs could pay you for this service. I could then put a list of contacts up on the Tender Shoots website so garden clubs could contact you directly to arranged setting up their domain name. I would welcome your thoughts as to whether this would be a good idea, and if anyone would be interested in being on the list. I know we could use web development companies to do it, but the charges would be much higher, so I think it would be useful for some people who would like to do this as a side hobby / hustle for some pocket money. If you're already used to setting up domains, then it'll take you perhaps 5 minutes to setup, whereas for clubs starting out it might take 5 days figuring out how to do it in the first place.
Please let me know if anyone would be interested in doing this. Or you can contact me directly if you wish, my details are on the www.tendershoots.uk website.
Whilst my main focus is on garden clubs, I'm sure it would be useful to other types of clubs and community groups too.
Many thanks in advance. Indy from Tender Shoots Garden Club
Indy,
I'm familiar with setting up domains but as you imply the DNS settings can be quite difficult. If you (or other garden centres) just need to set A Records to point a domain's web traffic to the hosting (or to a Voice site) then that's easy enough.
If they need to set up MX Records to use a mail service like Office 365 online then that does require exact instructions for maybe 6 different DNS parameter settings.
Either way I would be glad to (try to) help!
I do run a website design business www.minimwebsitedesign.co.uk but at my age am not taking on much new business and my fees would be modest, along the lines you suggested in the Zoom chat.
Best regards,
Roger.
Hi Indy
I've got experience with different hosts and domain registrars and would be happy to help out if.
Regards
Martin
Indy, have a look at Cloudnext.uk they registered our domain and helped get it setup with e-voice.
They also look after parish Councils and Village Halls, who are also non-experts.
If you get stuck happy to assist as I have experiance in a range of hosts.
I don't work for them but used them a lot when get my fellow clerks and their councils setup.
James
It's just occured to me that once a domain has been correctly set up to point to e-voice, all we need to do to set more people up is rinse and repeat. We could produce a cheat sheet to help with this.
Hi Roger, Martin & James
That's brilliant, thank you so much for your replies.
I've started to set things up, I'll explain more about it during one of the next voice zoom sessions if we are there.
In the meantime, I've created a page on our garden club website to explain things (as best I can).
www.tendershoots.uk/get-a-website/
I've created a table, primarily focusing on domain initially, but i've also added setting up a very simple single page website as an option too if that applies to any of you.
So what I would just need from you is to email me your telephone contact details please so I can put them on the table. I've put in a couple of dummy names as examples for how it shows. I'd also need to give clubs a standard fee for the setting up of their domain, which would be the £11.99 for 123Reg, plus your fee. So could you email me to me know what you think you would charge for setting that up please club@tendershoots.uk
The table shows:
Contact details
Domain 123Reg
E-Voice website
Other websites
So basically the table gives you the option to offer to do just domain registration, or setting up the website as well.
The next stage would be to give clubs the option to have a very basic single page website setup, if any of you would be happy to offer that later on. So I've created a word document (with the bare minimum information a garden group needs) that clubs could download and fill in with their details to be sent to you (the document is on www.tendershoots.uk/get-a-website/ ) . Then it's just a matter of copy and paste into either E-Voice or whichever other provider the club wants. So again as it's just a standard copy and paste, I think a standard fee could be agreed. Then if clubs want more bells and whistles (extra pages, photos uploaded, details of other events, etc etc), they can discuss upgrading and further charges with any of you directly.
Hope that all makes sense. There may well be other things I've not thought about yet, eg do you need password access to their website in order to setup the DNS stuff?
If this works ok, I guess it could be used by other types of groups, church groups, photography groups, sports clubs etc, but I'm just focused on garden clubs myself. Other groups can copy the same steps.
I'll chat more about it during the next voice forum.
Many thanks Indy
Indy,
I may have misunderstood during the Zoom meeting what you were looking for!
The website owner needs to set up their own 123-Reg or other account and register the desired domain. (£11.99 + VAT). Their new authentication process sends a text or email to the account holder so no-one else can easily log in to the 123-Reg account. For this same reason it would be difficult for anyone else to set the DNS as required.
What I can do would be to talk the owner through the process on the phone.
Your table also suggests I might create the e-Voice website for them - that's not something I would want to get involved with....
Regards,
Roger
Indy,
While happy to suggest some information and resources, I am with Roger on this.
Not something I would want to be involved with as the value of the return is nill.
Hi Indy
Noticed my name was on your website table to set up a basic template. However, although I am happy to help with some general information, I don't have the time to commit to doing anything more.
Laura