Lost -- Need website, probably like a catalog

[Gale Force]

Ladies,

I need to develop a website. The closest common website type is a catalog/e-commerce site.

The site would be template-based with a page per item. Each item page would have unique images which I assume I would name in the database. Each page would then link to subpages with more images.

It's image-intensive but doesn't require ecommerce functionality.

I am seeing ASP.NET and SQL. My problem is that I know nothing about programming for the web and don't have the foggiest idea where to start investigating feasibility (feasibility = budget).

Any wisdom on where to start?

Amanda

[Kristine233]

I know you don't need ecommerce functionality, but a lot of carts are set up to handle this sort of setup. I recommend the Watersweb SKP one and just don't turn on the cart function (so no prices and order button). It would function as a catalog of your images and all with the ability to be sorted, categorized and information put into it with each one. It works more like a database/content management system.

[CawMama]

I second Watersweb and SKP....I am currently using them.

[Gale Force]

I just put more detail into a PM, so I'll post it here too:

I need a programmer and designer. I will have a database with 200+/- entities and each of those will have between 10 and 50 subpages linked from the entity page via links, drop-down menu, etc.

I am picturing the 200 entity pages being based on a template and then they will have 6000 subpages altogether (10-50 each). The number of subpages is determined by the data file. All of the subpages will be based on one template and that template will have four images and some text. The images would be organized via a database so that the correct images are associated.

The data is fixed and I can create the data file according to the needs of the project. Data is my area but just not as it interacts with the web.

[Gale Force]

Thank you ladies for the software suggestion. I am going to check it out, I'm just having a loading problem now.

I looked a bit at software yesterday and it seems that a lot of it builds the data for you and then publishes it to the web. My hunch is that with the data size I am working with (see post above) that I probably need a programmer.

The data is fixed and I can make the file to specifications. The image files are going to require a good bit of space but there are only four on any page, so that may just be a storage issue (hopefully).

[WuWei]

Gale, how did you address this issue? I've heard Joomla is a flexible, fairly user-friendly, and inexpensive content management system. http://www.joomla.org/about-joomla.html


Pat