Best free website???

[optrix100]

I've tried a lot of free website in the past for my own personal use. I either found them NOT to be free and had hidden charges, or where just too hard to use. Is there any free genuine website products which are user friendly?

[custardfish]

I've tried a lot of free website in the past for my own personal use. I either found them NOT to be free and had hidden charges, or where just too hard to use. Is there any free genuine website products which are user friendly?

Have you ever thought maybe there's more to website design and build than just clicking a button?

What I'm trying to say is no software is going to make it 'easy' to build a fantastic website.

Just like no word processing software is going to make it 'easy' to write a great novel.

[accountantpete]

Depends what you want at the end of the day. The KompoZer WYSIWYG software is free and there are support sites but you still end up with a pretty basic format.

It is a good intro into the subject though.

[streetslocal]

Im not sure FREE is what your looking for...
Yes maybe putting a website up on the net is one thing but what about being found on the search engines and things like this?

Yes a free website is one way of doing it but maybe tasking somebody who knows what there doing will benefit you long term.

Yes this involves some outlay but i would rather outlay some money and make more back rather than outlay nothing and earn nothing.

[custardfish]

Im not sure FREE is what your looking for...
Yes maybe putting a website up on the net is one thing but what about being found on the search engines and things like this?

Yes a free website is one way of doing it but maybe tasking somebody who knows what there doing will benefit you long term.

Yes this involves some outlay but i would rather outlay some money and make more back rather than outlay nothing and earn nothing.

Absolutely - the real cost of a website is not the initial invoice total, but how much of a long term investment it is to your business.

Unless you have no decent competition cheap/poor sites just don't convert and you may as well burn your money.

[timmustoedesign]

agree completely with Jason.

The web is the first place anyone will go when they want to know more about anything. If that anything is your business and the resource you have supplied is below the high standard that most people expect, you're not going to generate any leads or contacts from that.

Good web design doesn't need to cost the earth, but it will cost something!


Tim.

[Print Republic]

I think in this day and age you can't afford not to invest in your site if you want to successfully compete.

[LOS Design UK]

I think it all depends on your long term objectives.

If you are 'dipping the toe' to see if this idea will run then you can get some quality FREE website designs whilst retaining control over your domain name.

Also, if you are going down the CMS route (joomla or wp) then you can also find many quality free themes (checkout RedEvo's site...jam packed full of ace themes and no I am not an affiliate...YET )

If you are intent on going for free options I would STRONGLY ADVISE the following

1...Register your own domain name yourself
2...Grab som lightweight hosting package to put your domain name onto (see my guide here for buying tips)
3...NEVER, EVER sign up to a company that does not allow you full control over your domain name and FTP access
4...Beware the word FREE...there is usually a catch when it is associated with hosting

Domain name and a lightweight hosting pack won't set you back a bundle, you can even go down the Pay as you go hosting route if you wished and if it don't work...cancel.

HTH

Regards
Daren

[LOS Design UK]

Absolutely - the real cost of a website is not the initial invoice total, but how much of a long term investment it is to your business.

Unless you have no decent competition cheap/poor sites just don't convert and you may as well burn your money.

Bang on the money there Jason

[fbm247]

Hi,

I agree with a lot of the comments posted here so far.

FREE is not always FREE and can have hidden costs

Examples

• buying back your domain
• hidden hosting costs

You get what you pay for

Examples

• A free website although being easy to use for the visitor but not looking so pleasing on the eye is in my eyes a negative impact on your business
• Look at your competitors that’s what your potential clients will do, would you choose your site over your competitors

FREE website VS paid for

Examples

• A site which is advertised as being FREE in someway will usually bite you in the bum, not saying all will but lets be honest would you give your services away for FREE?
• Corporate identity is very important. Having a bad identity which is not up to the high standards your clients require could have a negative impact on your sales
• A paid for website will take corporate image into account, well at least i do when i design websites, i create something which is intuitive for the visitor at the same time as providing useful information and of course making sure it looks pleasing.
• If i go to a website and it is poorly designed I leave and go to the next one on the search results, I don't care if the prices are cheaper on the poorly designed site, in my opinion if money has not been spent on your own business to get a good corporate image why would i trust you with my money when you don't want to spend your own
• That said some businesses benefit from a FREE/CHEAP website as the service they offer is not really relevant to web traffic and is just needed for a web presence.
• Finally someone has already picked up on this but SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) do you get this for FREE as well? A website is fairly inaffective for marketing unless it is advertised and if your just using it to direct potential customers to for information then i have to repeat that a bad corporate image will have a negative affect on potential business driving leads away rather than pulling them in.

And my very last point which so many people overlook when getting a website regardless of it being FREE or not is to make sure what you get is valid. Your FREE website has 33 errors on it which for such a simple site is a lot and in any case should not have any errors at all. You can check this by searching Google for web validator and checking your URL. I would put the link but still a new member here and not able to post links yet maybe someone else can point you at the w3schools web validator for you to see.

Best Wishes

Rick