New technology has been created that allows you build your own website, without the hassles of hiring a web designer and without needing to learn web programming and design. New online web building tools such as www.citymax.com allow you to launch the website you want, when you want, with no programming or layout experience required.
- Typing and formatting text is as easy as typing in a word processor.
- You can have all the features that you'll find on the websites that cost $10,000s or even $100,000s for just a few dollars a month. Features including:
* Email
* Online maps
* Catalogs
* Integrated shopping carts
* Custom feedback forms
- Customize the provided templates with your own photographs and company logo to produce a professional-looking website that can be viewed properly with any popular browser and computer.
- Update when you want and how you want without the cost and delay of consulting a web designer.
What to look for in an online website building tool
Security, reliability, ease of use, and support are key features of any online website building tool.
Ease of use - is it necessary to download software before you begin? Some online website building tools are so easy that you can start right away without downloading anything. How easy is typing feature? Good online website building tools have incorporated built-in editors that are as easy to use as any word processor software, allowing you to:
- Type onscreen
- Cut and paste
- Change the size or color of text
- Make text bold or italic
- Bullets
- Align left, center, or right
- Insert images (like photos)
Features - all the features you want to use on your website should be available, easy-to-use, and part of the standard package on any online website building tool you choose. Avoid web builders with only a short list of features. Some new web building tools provide more than 30 features, standard, including:
- Email
- Photo albums
- Shopping carts
- Custom feedback forms
- Contacts
- Guest book
- Recommend site
- Message board
- Newsletter features
- Autoresponders
- Calendars
- Links
- Maps
- And many more.
Reliable hosting - New online web building tools usually provide their own hosting. As with any other web hosting service, you want to ensure the reliability of their "uptime," the time when their computers are working and your site will be visible to any visitors.
- At least 95% uptime reliability guaranteed. 99% is better. (There will be the occasional technical glitch, of course, so if anyone promises you 100% reliability, don't trust them.)
- Are there multiple back up systems? The server should have emergency and uninterruptible power supplies that kick in when the power grid goes down.
- Look for multiple redundant application servers - back up computers that kick in when the main hosting computer breaks down preventing your website from going offline.
Shopping cart integration - make sure that a shopping cart feature (the ability to sell things from your website) comes standard with the web builder you choose. Some sites charge extra for the feature, and even if you don't plan to sell directly from the Internet when you first launch your website, you might in the future. It will cause fewer problems down the road. In a shopping cart you should look for:
- Product limits - you should be able to post at least 300 items for sale
- Product options - your customers should be able to select size, color, etc.
- Security features - security features and certificates like Verisign make it safe for your customers to do business online with you, protecting both you and your customer down the road. They should come standard.
- Payment method - look for integration with services such as PayPal or Authorize.net for ease of secure online payment with cash or credit cards.
- eBay - some online website builders allow for easy posting of your website onto eBay, allowing all eBay visitors to search your site as well.
**Note: Do not pay extra for this feature. Many hosts charge $20 to $150 to enable your site for ecommerce. A business-friendly web host will provide this feature as part of the standard web hosting package.
Frequency of backups - It is important that the sites hosted be backed up several times a day to protect your important information from being lost. Copies of the information should also be stored in a fireproof safe, or ideally off-site, for even better protection.
Platform compatibility - Ensure that the online website builder you choose will work whether your computer is a PC or an Apple. Good website builders will also have checked to make sure that your website will be viewed properly by a variety of browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and Opera.
Site size - Ensure that there will be enough space on your website for to use it the way you want. You should be able to post several hundred pages of text and photos without problems, and several hundred products in the catalog. Even if you don't think you need the space now, you might down the road.
Visitor limits - Make sure that your site won't get shut down if it becomes popular. A limit of 10,000 hits per month should be enough when you are first starting out. When your site becomes more popular, you can get more bandwidth.
Domain name - Can you use your own registered domain name (e.g. www.mybusinessabc.com), or are you required to use a lengthy subdomain name (e.g. www.mywebhostservice.com/clients/sites/~mybusinessabc.home.html). Registering your own domain name looks more professional, and is easier for customers to remember. Some new online web building tools will give you the option of using your own domain name. It's worth checking.
Support - You should have access to full documentation, tutorials, and FAQs (frequently asked questions) online to help you build your site. There should also be "a real person" available to answer any questions you might have when building your website. Support should be available with a guarantee that someone will respond to you within one business day.
Programming options - If you do decide to learn programming languages, will you be able to use what you learn on your site? Or are you required to use only the templates they provide? Some online web building tools will "grow with you" and allow you to customize your website with your own HTML or javascript if you choose.
Price - as with web hosting, you get what you pay for. Examine closely any online web building tool that offers to give you a website and host it for you for free. There will probably be strings attached in the form of unwanted banners or irritating pop-up ads. You should be able to find a reliable, professional-looking online website building tool for about $20 to $35 a month, more if you ask for special features or design services.
For a summary comparing the various ways by which you can get a website, see Table 2.
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