Hi everyone. I did a search without luck on this topic, so can anyone advise me how I would go about creating an option on my website for people to join a mailing list so I can then send out updates or newsletters about events etc to them? I'm using VSD, but tell me what else I might need please. The site I need this all on is at http://www.whiparound.com.au and I thank you in advance about this.

Regards, Dan Valentine

Hi Dan,

I'd go about it in one of two ways:

You could use Coffee Cup Web Form Builder, which is a great piece of kit if you haven't already got it, and set up a simple form to collect email addresses but then you'll have to manually look after things.

A better alternative might be to use something like CcMail, which you can download from here:

http://www.cicoandcico.com/ccmail-10/

It's pretty easy to install into an HTML block inside VSD and all you need to do is alter the config file and upload the script into a directory on your ISP's webserver. It needs php installed on the server but virtually every ISP provides it as part of the package but it doesn't need a database, so that makes life a lot easier if you're new to installing scripts. Check out the "Demo"


The page below is a VSD page with both a CC Web Form and Cico's Mail List:

http://www.bostoninternet.co.uk/vsdmail/index.html

It could be an idea, if you go for the Form Builder, to set it up to send results to a database, and then collect the mail addresses from there.

Thanks Woody and Inger. So Woody, that page with the CC Web Form and Cico's Mail List, that is made simply with the CcMail program or more? Sorry, I'm a little slow with these things. Thanks.

Hi Dan,

Try http://www.coffeecup.com/form-builder/ its free to try and works darn good. I tried 7 or 8 form creators before I found coffeecup. The thing I hate is the spam and coffeecup flash form builder has the catchpa feature. It's also easy to use.

Hope this helps

Thanks all. I have the mailing list option working. Cheers. Dan.

To answer your questions:

1) No. it Shouldn't ask to save or open file from the web unless you have something set up different on your computer.


2) It depends on your use for the form, but usually you want to have the results emailed to you vs. storing the info in a database. To use the database thing, you have to retrieve it with another program.


3) To go into form builder, there is a lot on the forums and someone will help if you get stuck.

Out of interest, what solution did you go for at the end of the day?

I used the Web Form Builder. I think it's working. Feel free to join the mailing list at http://www.whiparound.com.au/contactus.html

Dan