Forum

Our web site, lindadaltonpottery.com, was first built in 2000, using Front Page. It worked OK, but in 2010, we upgraded to Expression Web 4, as Front Page was no longer supported. Try as I might, I cannont get the kind of results I want with EW4. It is just too complex, complicated, and arcane.

We use our web site for the following purposes:

1. to drive local and tourist traffic to our studio showroom to purchase at retail.
2. to promote our twice yearly open house studio sales.
3. to let patrons know what shows we will be doing, and when.
4. to promote the galleries which represent us.

All of our work is relatively high end, one of kind, so we have no plans to sell directly from the website. It seems to me we have four possible scenarios:

• learn to use Expression Web, buy some books, take some classes, suck it up. The downside to this is not making any art while doing so.
• Use a service like website tonight. We have our hosting through Go Daddy, so this does not increase our costs, but I have taken a look at it, and it seems very confining.
• Go to Word Press. We have heard a lot of good things about it, including that it is easier to use and more flexible, but have not experience. Again, since Go Daddy could host it, not cost increase.
• Hire someone to update the site, clean up the cobwebs, and then use EW$ to keep it up to date. Unknown cost, but get to make art instead of learning HTML.

Would love some advice from some of the more experienced.