Technology
Features
Web design made easy
Forget internet jargon and complicated computer codes; building your own website has never been easier, writes Sian McLachlan
There's no need to put yourself on a web design course and a knowledge of HTML isn't necessary to create your own space on the web. Whether you want a business website or simply a place to put up your favourite pictures to share with your family, you can now buy software that can create it for you in a few easy steps.
The Mr Site Takeaway Website, www.mrsite.co.uk, supplies you with everything you need to set up your own website for £34.99.
Firstly, you can choose your own web address, which could be your name or the name of your business or anything else you can think of. Then you get to choose whether you want a .co.uk, .com, .net, .biz or .org address and Mr Site will register the name for you.
It gives you a selection of designs by some of the UK's leading Web Designers, and you get to choose the one you want and then customize it to make it your own. Then you can start uploading and organising your content and when it's finished, Mr Site will host the site for you in cyberspace.
In addition to the basic features, you can add music, photo galleries, forums and blogs to your website. You can offer people the choice of contacting you via an online contact form and, if you really want to keep up-to-date with current web innovations, you can include widgets.
These are fancy add-on features that add more interest to your site, such as an animated clock or a hit counter. You can even allow people to search within your site or include a user poll.
Plus, if you want to make some money, you can set up a secure online payment account through PayPal and sell things online, although always tread carefully if you do.
Do Your Own Site, www.doyourownsite.co.uk, offer a similar service starting at £5.88 a month with a 30-day free trial to start you off, as do Moonfruit, www.moonfruit.com, whose packages start at just £2.99 a month.
However, you will have to keep these monthly payments up in order to keep your site going, so this is something to bear in mind when choosing the best package for you.
Although these services may not be free, the prices have come down considerably in recent years. Before, you would have probably had to hire a professional web designer to create a site for you. Now, from the comfort of your own home, you could be a few clicks away from earning your millions.
