Need Recommendations for Easy Website Development for these Specific Cases

[RadiantQuests]

Hi everyone. I’ve hit a crossroads. My current skills are limited to HTML, CSS, and a bit of JavaScript. I want to build a website VISUALLY, and if coding is necessary, I prefer to keep it minimal using the languages I mentioned, or if I must learn more languages must be minimal coding or learning on my part. Could you please recommend me FREE websites or technologies that can help me achieve the following use cases?

About Frontend I prefer to do it with above technologies or preferably using a website builder if there's any. Specific example:

• I want to create a listing page of articles on frontend. When an article is clicked to go to the article page which contains YouTube and Facebook embeds.

About CMS I must easily manage database, to add and retrieve data efficiently. Specific examples that I want to accomplish from CMS:

• I need to organize recipes into lists: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’d like to be able to add a same recipe to these multiple lists and finally display these lists on the frontend.
• I want to be able to generate and update a json file, and then to use json at frontend (at frontend reading json can be done with javascript no problem, but what about CMS: how to generate json, what technologies?).
• I want to upload recipes from backend (admin dashboard), with ability to use 3rd party API to send audio files there.

Of course I know that hosting and domain name are NOT free. But I just need free technologies to accomplish the above.
Please read my cases carefully and thank you very much for your recommendations. Thank you!

 

[EkBass]

In your case, i think nodejs would be perfect backend for you.

1. Its javascript, you are familiar with it already.
2. Light, thousand times lighter than Apache.
3. Extremely well documented. I bet 90% of tasks you need, there is script ready for it somewhere (use google)
4. Even older computer can do localhost for nodejs where as Apache can cause some pain. You can do development in your computer easier than with Apache.

 

[RadiantQuests]

In your case, i think nodejs would be perfect backend for you.

1. Its javascript, you are familiar with it already.
2. Light, thousand times lighter than Apache.
3. Extremely well documented. I bet 90% of tasks you need, there is script ready for it somewhere (use google)
4. Even older computer can do localhost for nodejs where as Apache can cause some pain. You can do development in your computer easier than with Apache.

Thank you kind sir for your reply and excuse my ignorance here.

Looking at Node.js it's about backend as you said, I suggest you mean to manage data in an admin dashboard.
Good what about frontend? What do you suggest to use?
Also which Database to use?

Thank u.

 

[simong1993]

Honestly, Wordpress. everything you are after it can do and saves you a ton of time 😀

 

[EkBass]

Thank you kind sir for your reply and excuse my ignorance here.

Looking at Node.js it's about backend as you said, I suggest you mean to manage data in an admin dashboard.
Good what about frontend? What do you suggest to use?
Also which Database to use?

Thank u.

Uh, i missed the "Visually" part of your post. Nodejs is backend for programmers, ignore my reply.

 

[RadiantQuests]

Honestly, Wordpress. everything you are after it can do and saves you a ton of time 😀

Thank you kind sir when I was gonna ditch WordPress idea you answered.
But what about sending audio files to a third-party API, maybe it needs a bit of code for sure but the question now is:
What plugins can help to do so??? Are there any plugins that can handle file uploads and integrate/send with APIs?

 

[simong1993]

Thank you kind sir when I was gonna ditch WordPress idea you answered.
But what about sending audio files to a third-party API, maybe it needs a bit of code for sure but the question now is:
What plugins can help to do so??? Are there any plugins that can handle file uploads and integrate/send with APIs?

there probably is but honestly its not hard to make your own plugin with them 🙂

 

[RadiantQuests]

there probably is but honestly its not hard to make your own plugin with them 🙂

Oh I might wanna take a look and thanks for your answer but excuse my ignorance with this next question; If someone wants to create a custom code at backend\dashbaord, do they need to create a plugin? Can't one write a code directly on the backend pages to accomplish something without creating a plugin?

Thank u.

 

[sehrguey]

Hi everyone. I’ve hit a crossroads. My current skills are limited to HTML, CSS, and a bit of JavaScript. I want to build a website VISUALLY, and if coding is necessary, I prefer to keep it minimal using the languages I mentioned, or if I must learn more languages must be minimal coding or learning on my part. Could you please recommend me FREE websites or technologies that can help me achieve the following use cases?

About Frontend I prefer to do it with above technologies or preferably using a website builder if there's any. Specific example:

• I want to create a listing page of articles on frontend. When an article is clicked to go to the article page which contains YouTube and Facebook embeds.

About CMS I must easily manage database, to add and retrieve data efficiently. Specific examples that I want to accomplish from CMS:

• I need to organize recipes into lists: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’d like to be able to add a same recipe to these multiple lists and finally display these lists on the frontend.
• I want to be able to generate and update a json file, and then to use json at frontend (at frontend reading json can be done with javascript no problem, but what about CMS: how to generate json, what technologies?).
• I want to upload recipes from backend (admin dashboard), with ability to use 3rd party API to send audio files there.

Of course I know that hosting and domain name are NOT free. But I just need free technologies to accomplish the above.
Please read my cases carefully and thank you very much for your recommendations. Thank you!

hi there, I'm not exactly sure what you needs are. For a starter you might check the thread for free technologies

Turn doc/docx/odt/… to html in seconds, with your PC, laptop or whatever, offline, not leaving home and your can of beer​

 

[simong1993]

Oh I might wanna take a look and thanks for your answer but excuse my ignorance with this next question; If someone wants to create a custom code at backend\dashbaord, do they need to create a plugin? Can't one write a code directly on the backend pages to accomplish something without creating a plugin?

Thank u.

of course, thats where functions come in. pretty much anything you can do with a website you can do with wordpress but you will hit a point where no one knows what you are doing as not alot of people will custom code wordpress 🙂

 

[kemiy]

You can achieve your goals using free technologies that require minimal coding. For the frontend, tools like Webflow or WordPress with Elementor allow you to build visually while still supporting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for custom tweaks. You can embed YouTube and Facebook content directly on your article pages. Many approaches are similar to how a web design agency Portsmouth might structure projects for clients, combining visual design with manageable backend systems. For the backend and CMS, Strapi or Directus are free, open-source headless CMS options that let you organize recipes into categories like breakfast, lunch, and dinner, handle media uploads, and automatically generate JSON that your frontend can fetch using JavaScript. Firebase is another option for storing recipes, media, and generating JSON with minimal setup. This combination lets you manage content, display dynamic lists, and integrate APIs without extensive coding.