BootsnAll Travel Community

We have a website, and I know that a lot of other travellers have websites - but I can't figure out why. For people who are trying to set up some kind of small business - whether it's writing or selling something - I can totally understand how a website makes you appear more professional. But for travellers - we don't need to appear more professional. So why do we do it?

I'm asking because my husband is thinking about doing a bit of website design and he's thinking he would get some travellers who want websites, but don't know how to set it up. I keep thinking the travellers who have websites are the ones who know how to set it up already - they aren't the ones who would pay for someone else to set one up for htem. But then again, I may be wrong.

So - given the fact that one can get a free blog and a cheap photo hosting place, why would a traveller want a website? Any ideas?

I think you answer your own question - most travellers use free blogging sites, so why pay when there are blog-sites available for free?

I guess the ones who build their own site do it because they want to have something that they designed themselves. it's the difference between baking your own cake at home and getting one from the supermarket.

I think travellers want websites for a variety of reasons: To store photos, to keep a record of their travels, to receive comments from home, to let people know where they are etc...

I don't think most travellers would pay for a site when there are so many free ones.

I think those who do (like us), pay because it's their own site and they have complete freedom over what goes on there. More than that though, I really like web design, and having my own site lets me indulge that hobby.

I do it because its fun. I've met as many people from my website as I have while traveling. Probably more.

Moreover, when you are traveling for long periods of time, you can't play tourist every day. Working on my website and my photography gives me something to do other than read another trashy novel from a hostel book exchange.

I would want one where I can showcase some of my photos. Flickr does not do it for me and the blog I have with Boots does not either.

I want something simple looking with the least amount of ads :-( that takes the ascetics away but with free stuff u cannot demand that.

Now the next ques would be how much would people be willing to pay for this.

If you do it yourself Madhu it's not that expensive.

Joomla is content management software and is free - in it there are lots of different, and very cool ways to show off photos.

A domain and hosting is around $80 a year (it can be much cheaper but you get what you pay for) and that's about it really.

Other than that you need something like Dreamweaver to build the site in and away you go

Additional to all the above reasons I'd add a small dose of narcissism.

quote:

Originally posted by elAdi:
Additional to all the above reasons I'd add a small dose of narcissism.

I hear you on that one!!

Just a small dose?

I do it for the complete flexibility it gives me...it also helps that my mate runs a hosting company so gives me unlimited space for free :-)

Madhu,

I'm currently in the middle of moving all my stuff off Flickr. I'll be hosting everything myself. I'm using Gallery2, which is an open source photo hosting platform.

It requires some customization, but i think it will be worth it in the long run.

I'll keep stuff on Flickr so I can submit to groups, but everything else will be on my server.