Any free website builders?

[BeeGhost]

I would like to set up a website and would like to know if there are any free ones, or cheap ones? I have never set up a website before so will probably need something kind of basic or easy to run.

Any info would be appreciated!!.................Jason

[Benthic]

Have you considered something like Wordpress or Blogspot?

Brian

[dmpower]

www.webs.com
"The Most Popular Solution to Create a Free Website"
I have no idea about this site, have never used it, don't know if part or all is free.
I did notice that Russell Apiaries is hosted by webs.com
Good luck

[quevernick]

Google Apps is free for 10 users. I use it for Email and host the website through a box in the basement but I know they do have a webpage service to go with it.

[AmericasBeekeeper]

If you are talking about a real domain name, good web hosts provide free site builders and support to get you started. I started with JustHost but might change to a more competitive (cheaper) host.

[Rader Sidetrack]

Webhosts that offer CPanel often offer a free suite of compatible software that includes RVSiteBuilder, which "allows you to build a website within minutes using many of it's pre-made templates."

I can recommend Hawkhost as a host offering CPanel offering very competitive pricing and a great mix of features and support.
http://www.hawkhost.com/Hosting/features#rvsitebuilder
Their "most affordable" hosting plan is $40 a year. All shared hosting plans offer the same free software, but if you pay more you get more disk space and bandwidth.

If you are just starting, even if you don't go with Hawkhost, consider looking for a host offering CPanel. In many cases, if you later choose to move to a new host, with CPanel much of your basic account setup can be backed up at your old host and seamlessly restored at your new CPanel host. You can do the backup thru CPanel without having to ask your old host support's desk, so you don't have to get their cooperation to abandon them. Note that the CPanel backup may not include your website itself, but that may be available on a different backup.

And don't be fooled by hosts offering "unlimited" disk space and bandwidth. Nothing is "unlimited" at a fixed price. If you are tempted by one of these scams, take the time to read their "Terms of Service". You will generally find that the real definition of unlimited is very vague, and not in your favor.

[Seymore]

So glad u asked this question, Bee! I've had a free site for our bee club with Microsoft Office and they are abandoning it this month. I need one too!

Radar, why the emphasis on CPanel? Don't know what that is. Is it just a backup system?

I've looked at wix, webs, and weebly but have yet to find a front runner. Been a while so I can't even offer what I did or didn't like about them. Will definitely check out hawkhost.

[Rader Sidetrack]

CPanel is a management system for your hosting account. A lot of hosting companies that use Unix/Linux will offer you a CPanel interface. If you know how to do things in CPanel, that knowledge is portable if you move to another CPanel host. The alternative is quite possibly an interface that is specific to your current host, and you may have to learn a new system if you move. More info here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPanel

Also, since many people are familiar with CPanel, its easier to find solutions to situations that may come up.

[Seymore]

Glanced at the wiki link (thanks for the effort there, Radar!) and seems like that's more for hosting??? I think BG wants something that offers TEMPLATES for a WEBSITE...for ease?? I might have missed something there tho... Wouldn't be the first time.

[Mbeck]

I started with squarespace.
As soon as I regained my senses I hired some one to build mine, best decision I made.
I'm not a web designer, so why fool with it.

[quevernick]

If your looking to do a complicated website with a shopping cart and other bells and whistles, hiring a web designer if your not familiar with it would be what I would recommend also. However if you basically just want a Online business card then a lot of the simple template based web sites would work just fine. Really it depends on what your expectations are, I used to do web site design for a living and I know that really is the best place to start and can be the most frustrating to nail down too

[BeeGhost]

A big thank you to everyone!!

Basically what I would like is to have a site that customers, beekeepers and family can check out to see what honey I have available, nucs/hives I have for sale at the time and also where I may be selling my honey at. I dont plan on selling my products through the website, but will provide information on how to e-mail or phone me if they need a replenishment of honey or are looking for bees. I will also be posting pictures of bees and swarms and such and provide information on bees, as well as soliciting for swarm catching which will include other local beekeepers numbers as well as mine.

I basically want to inform the public of my product and educate them on bees as well as provide contacts for bee related products and venues to help the public out incase they encounter a swarm or have bees living within a building they have.

I dont mind paying, say, $40-$50 a year for the site if needed.

Thanks again for everyones input and help!..............Jason

[Allen]

I use this company for my my portrait and blacksmithing websites: http://photobiz.com

I've tried using Homestead and HostGator and this company beats them hands down for my needs.
They have numerous templates ready to go and its very user friendly.
Their tech support is great!
Its a Flash-based site so you would need to also request an HTML-mirror site option.
Once you pay the set-up fee, and keep the total number of images at 200 or less its only $15 per month.

But, if you only want to purchase a domain name and have zero costs for a web presence, you could use www.Blogger.com.
You can have several pages on the blog that showcase what you want.

Wherever you purchase the domain name from, you would need to point that domain name to the blog so folks go right there.

Let me know if you need any help.
Allen

[Benthic]

My understanding is that Wordpress and/or Blogspot are free (unless you want a specific URL). Building a web site in those systems is like making a set of PowerPoint slides...very simple.

Also (if you a Mac user), iWeb is a very easy software to use. It too is like building a set of PowerPoint slides. It's what I used to create and maintain this web site (not bee related). http://www.darksidediving.com

Brian