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Alternatives to
Creating Web Pages "From Scratch"
Do You Really
Need Your Own Custom-Built Website?
Before you spend the time and effort to create a custom
website, first consider whether that's what you really need. There are
several other ways to have a presence on the Internet, some of them
faster and easier to set up than a custom website.
- Do you what to periodically share your opinions, make
announcements, or describe events related to a particular subject? Then
maybe what you need is a blog, or web log, which
you update with new information whenever you want. Google's Blogger service offers free blogging
with a choice of templates to customize the look of your blog page.
- Do you want to share information with a specific group of
people? Then maybe you should start a discussion group or Internet forum. Members join
the group to make announcements and have discussions about the topic of
interest. Google Groups
offers free hosting of discussion groups.
- Do you want to share information with the general public,
and attract as many readers as possible? For example, do you want to
advertise your business, publicize your charitable organization, or
share information about a subject that is of special interest to you?
Then maybe a website on the World Wide Web is what you need.
If you decide on a custom website, can you use a free website builder
such as Weebly or Jimdo? These services let you build,
post, and maintain your own website with a minimum of effort. You
choose a template for the desired "look and feel" of the website, then
supply the pictures and content for the site. You can read a review of
these types of service providers at WebsiteBuilderReview.info.
and Free
Website Builders. Note that some kind of advertising is likely to
appear on your website to support the service.
For the greatest flexibility and control over the appearance and
functioning of your website, you should custom-build your website "from
scratch." If you like an existing website, you can copy it, substitute
your own content, and modify the look and feel of the site for your own
purposes. To do these things, you need to learn how to edit and format
web pages. That's the subject of the next page, Editing Web Pages.
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