How to Make Your Own Website Online for Free
Not long ago, building a website required a fair amount of money, along with knowledge of coding and programming. But today, building a website can be done in a matter of minutes for free, without having to know anything about HTML or other coding languages.
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Instructions
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Plan how your site will look and function. For example, do you want a personal blog to share family pictures and stories? Or perhaps you're starting a small home-based business and need a website as part of your marketing plan. Think about how people will be able to use and access the information on your site, then organize it accordingly.
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Research the free website options to see which will suit your needs. Blogging platforms such as Blogger.com and Wordpress.com are easy to use and can be set up in a matter of minutes. Blogger, in particular, offers a great deal of customization that makes it great for personal or business use. If you'd like a static website, which is ideal for a business, consider using Microsoft's Office Live or Weebly. Office Live offers more storage space, but Weebly is ad-free even on free sites.
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Sign up for a free account and build your site. Whichever free option you choose, registering is quick. Next, log in and start building your site. Free options offer a variety of templates or themes, so you can pick a design that fits your needs, and then you supply the text, photos and other details. Most of the resources will allow you to work on the site without it being live online. When you're done, click on "Publish" and your site will be available on the Internet.
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Market your site. No one will find your website if you don't tell them about it. If you have a personal site, you can email your friends and family, or let them know through your social networking page. If you have a business site, you should develop a marketing plan to regularly promote the website. Free marketing options include article writing, commenting on blogs and forums, sending press releases and submitting your site to search engines.
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Tips & Warnings
Free web hosting options don't come with a domain name. Your URL will look something like yourusername.hostingname.com. A way to get around this without spending money on hosting is to buy a domain and forward it to your free hosting page. This costs only about $10 per year.
If you're designing your website as a business, you should consider buying a domain name and paying for hosting services. Business sites hosted on free accounts are usually perceived as being less professional.
References
- Photo Credit http, www, icon, web, website image by creative from Fotolia.com
