So far I have over a dozen web addresses that I’m setting up on an AWS server that will be feeder sites into the main site where we’re hoping the visitor will download our App.
These feeder sites will be pretty simple and they all will be rather similar.
Way back, I would use Frontpage (that’s a frightful memory), more recently I’ve used WIX. WIX is easy and fast, but for over a dozen feeder sites, it’s expensive compared to AWS hosting. I was considering using AppStudio. Couple reasons: 1) gives me more experience with AppStudio. 2) I can do anything, not limited by WIX, etc. (However that really hasn’t been a issue).
But on the other side, 1) noone else can update the site program. 2) and it may take much longer to implement. I may try one to set one site up with AS to see if these assumptions are valid.
I was hoping someone would suggest a third option for creating and maintaining simple web sites without significant costs and with a minimal learning curve for the less experienced user on my staff.
First question about these “feeder sites” - are they just landing pages or do they have manageable content?
If landing pages, just use raw html.
If they have manageable content and more than a few pages, then I would use Joomla and put a different free theme on each of them.
Joomla is a content management system much like wordpress. The difference that I found is that Joomla has a much richer set of extensions and plugins for business use.
If you ever wanted to write your own extension it uses the MVC paradigm which isn’t completely terrible but there are also lots of great developers out there that are reasonable. Managing the sites isn’t hard once you grasp a few concepts (everything and I mean EVERYTHING starts with a document.) Seriously, that hosting company I told you about… you can set all the feeder sites up there and via the control panel do an auto install on Joomla and pretty much have a core site up in minutes and most of the menus and stuff in days.
Next, probably the Zend framework.
After that and probably because you’re on AWS, I would look for a good java framework similar to Zend.
If they’re mainly static, I’d just find some free landing page templates. You can always back port the photo gallery controls by copying some of the AppStudio stuff.
Update: I recently got to the point where I needed several websites to funnel traffic to the app. For me, I wanted a responsive web page. I don’t need to have an app, and could live with inserting some javascript into some HTML using an editor.
I have no experience with web page development, nor with web app development, other than these last year and a half of building an app in AppStudio. I choose AppStudio because of the Basic language but transitioned to javascript very quickly when I figured out how to debug a webpage/app.
Working with web page builders was just another “language” to learn and always an issue of “how do I make their stuff do this?”. And writing in native HTML with a little javascript for clicks, etc. seemed like a real pain, especially after building one site that way.
I transferred that site I built into AppStudio in about 10 minutes. OK, I had worked out all the responsive stuff in HTML already, so it was basically a copy and paste job.
But, it was easier to add and change in AppStudio, and I can use start in desktop browser to test, so it was much easier, at least for me, and there was no learning curve, other than using some media controls.
I may find later I have to change directions on how to create/maintain web pages, but for now, this appears to be providing quick results.
True - I’ve done this myself. We don’t pretend that AppStudio main purpose is to create websites - but for a simple site, it can be a quick and effective tool.