KickstarterForum.org

Themeforest has very nice themes for good prices.

I like Wordpress because it is as powerful as it is flexible. You have a variety of hosting options but a simple shared hosting plan is good enough for most. I am bias however, I am a professional Wordpress developer by trade so of course I would talk up my own are of expertise.

While many website builders are good enough for most, I would definitely seek out a developer and at least get an estimate from a developer on what something custom might cost. While some developers have fixed pricing schedules many are flexible and if they are good, they should be able to work within near any budget (though you will definitely get whatever you pay for)

In the long run a cheap shared hosting plan with some custom development, maybe just something as simple as basic theme modifications can save you money in the long run. A lot of these [code free] website builders have significant monthly costs attached to them.

Again I am bias, but don't rule us developers out just yet!

Good points. You can also always start off on one of these drag and drop type builders and then move on to a professional website with shared hosting as your business brings in more money.

I started off on Geocities way back when it existed.

I've used Wix on multiple occasions. Really great tool and also moderately priced if you find a promo code

I use wix - I like it but the only downside is that they don't let you manipulate the site code.

I don't know how much value my post brings to this thread since I'm new here and have yet to launch, but I'm using WebhostingHub with $5/month hosting + 100/year for SSL cert, but just recently got an account at BlueVM at $5/year that I plan to slowly migrate to. (BlueVM has other hosting plans at $10 or $15/year, depending on space and bandwidth.)

As far as website builders, I've stayed away from sites like Shopify because it seems so expensive, especially with open source software around. I've played around with Drupal and Joomla for a bit, but I felt that I needed to add on to the base system to get to an eCommerce platform. So, now I'm using Prestashop at the moment.

For those of you who sells products, I'm curious how you set up your software to include accounting functions. Do you have a connector that communicates with accounting software that automatically transfers data between the eCommerce platform, or do you manually enter the data? I'm thinking about ditching Prestashop for OfBiz.

I used Shopify and loved it. You need to know a little HTML though. I also used a template from http://outofthesandbox.com for $140 and I think it was worth it. Hope that helps. Ryan

I use and recommend HawkHost.

HawkHost, as well as many other web hosting companies, offer the use of script installation software such as Softaculous. It makes installing and updating various kinds of software easy. Basically, the installer will handle the job of doing the actual install for you. This is true, whether it is a blog, a forum, a wiki, or various other things. It's largely all in what you want your website to be.

FileZilla is a free FTP program, which you use to upload files to your web hosting account.

godaddy and wordpress are my go-to for anything website related these days. Used to be dreamweaver, but wordpress has eliminated that from my life.

I think a separate website is key. Allows for a home for the project and also helps build SEO.