Q. We are interested in the possibility of getting online i.e how to design the web page, and also getting our own web address.
how do we start, since our resources are limited?

A. These are the essential things you need to create a working website:
--
Content
--
Design & coding
--
Address/hosting

Content
ADVICE: Be clear what purpose(s) the website needs to fulfill. Decide what content the website should contain now, and think about how it might develop in the future. Write and organise your content into sections, and gather or create any supporting pictures needed.
On the web you can find information on all the things to consider, e.g. www.makingthenetwork.org/toolbox/tools/webguide.htm

Design & coding
ADVICE: Work out an initial design sketch yourself on paper (for example, see http://www.communitymx.com/content/source/3D2DA/sketch.jpg)
Whoever then designs and codes the website should at minimum be familiar with the two essential building blocks of website creation: html and CSS.

-- If you just want a basic website and you have the time, computer and basic computing skills, then you could acquire the knowledge and skills yourself. Two good reference pages are: http://www.itrainonline.org/itrainonline/english/design.shtml
and http://webdesign.about.com/od/webdesignbasics/u/webdesignbasics.htm

-- You could use a company or individual designer that specializes in websites.
A local resource (at local rates) is best but may be hard to find. One way is to contact other NGOs in your country who have a website that you like -- one that is well-designed, works properly and loads quickly -- and ask them how they did it. Maybe they can recommend someone or give other useful information.
Often there is a link to the designer of the website at the bottom of the site's home page.
However the designer could be anywhere in the world: for example there are companies in India who can make a professional design of 5 pages for about €100 -- which is very cheap (there are companies elsewhere who might charge up to €2,000 for the same quality)

-- You could use an online CMS (Content Management System).
There are many which are free; some of the most popular and easy-to-use ones are known as 'blogs' and are ideal if you are thinking of starting small and adding new content -- news stories, photos -- on a regular basis. With this method, you choose from templates that are already designed and upload content yourself. No special skills are needed, the process is similar to using a word processor. But you need to have a good internet connection for this since it is all done 'online'.
Recommended CMS 'blogs': http://wordpress.org / www.weebly.com

-- If you have big plans for a website with a lot of content and forums etc., then I would recommend a full-blown CMS. This takes time and requires a special setup which is quite technical and could therefore be expensive if you need to outsource. But you then have the most modern kind of site which you are also able to maintain yourself, without special programming skills needed.
A review of 3 of the best open source (free) CMS are discussed here (see if you find it understandable or too technical): http://www.idealware.org/articles/joomla_drupal_plone.php

-- At the other extreme, if you just want a single webpage presence, or if you think that would be useful for now, then I could make a page for you and host it on the networklearning site; it would be in the style of this one: ICDA

Address/hosting
Your own domain name is ideal, however any unique address is sufficient.
-- If you use an online CMS, you don't need to have a domain; your content is hosted for free and your address will be, for example, http://yourname.wordpress.com
-- If you have a page on networklearning we could make it www.networklearning.org/yourngo
-- If you are going to make a custom website and want your own domain this costs certain amount per year (the rates are nationally fixed but if you buy through a hosting company they may charge a commission on top)

For hosting, this typically costs from $5 and up a month if hosted in the North (for the cheapest reliable service with good support). There are thousands; just one example which looks good for NGOs is http://electricembers.net

Summary
The content is the most important and you can best do yourself as much as possible, naturally.
For the design/coding you can either hire a website designer (or become one yourself), or use a CMS
For an address/ hosting, you can either buy your own or use a free service (i.e. online CMS)

References:
It's a good idea to increase your 'web knowledge' as much as possible. A couple of good startpages are (these may not be easy to understand until you are already a bit further along in the process): www.itrainonline.org (general computer knowledge) www.webstyleguide.com (A complete in-depth reference to website creation, especially for larger websites)

Everything is in principle doable with limited resources. Building knowledge is the key to success.

Jon Anderson
networklearning.org webmaster
www.adstream.tk