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I'm am about to design my first website. What's the best free website design tool to create a professional site for a complete beginner?

Rebrad9
2011-10-20 02:40:00
Weebly is great. Only problem is, after you've got your site up and running they take half of all the money you might make on adsense ads. Or did I misunderstand this?
Phantom
2011-06-02 21:54:00
I ended up using iWeb in the end! Very easy to use and i even added some basic HTML code. Only issue I have with it is the ability to update the site as you have to publish to a folder before uploading it via FTP. I haven't yet worked out how to update a single page but other than that it made a pretty website ( which is all I wanted!). Thanks for all your posts
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Davdun75
2011-03-05 17:17:00
Weebly is easy to navigate with plenty of options and, provided you purchase your own domain name (ie. "so-and-so.com"), you avoid using the domain name of the free website builder (ie. "so-and-so.weebly.com")
Osama
2011-03-05 14:34:00
try one of these :www.webs.comwww.yola.comwww.weebly.comwww.wix.comwww.webnode.com
Nnjathlete
2011-03-04 21:51:00
Webs.com is one if the best. Plus, they recently overhauled their sitebuilder and their website has been redesigned. Worth checking out.
G4321m
2011-03-04 20:43:00
Weebly worked great for me.
Scott
2011-03-04 17:27:00
Be great if there was one of those famous MakeUseOf tutorials on this topic -- or rather, on the two topics that have emerged here as a consensus favourites: Wordpress and Kompozer. I'm not a tehcnophobe, but I know my limitations, and the thought of embarking on a website project and then hitting problems midway through has so far put me off any attempt!
Aibek
2011-03-05 06:55:00
We might run a poll about this in coming weeks. We'll provide readers with available options and let them choose what they feel is the best option for beginner. this should be helpful.Aibek
wicked owl
2011-03-04 16:55:00
I have used Wordpress, and I like Weebly better. The sites are cleaner and more beautiful. I teach technology at an Elementary school and with a minimum of instruction my 4th grade students chose design themes, created pages and subpages, added text, and uploaded pictures - all in less than an hour.
BradPitt_LookieLikie
2011-03-04 16:53:00
Avoid RapidWeaver, it isn't a proper editor!
Phantom
2011-03-04 06:58:00
Thanks for all your replies, lots of stuff to check out. I'm going to have a play about this weekend, hopefully won't get too confused!!
Josh Fox
2011-03-04 00:04:00
You could try Kompozer. It works a lot like a word processor and is probably about the best free web design program that offers any amount of features. Basically, if you can use a word processor or email program, Kompozer should be easy to start with.http://kompozer.net
FIDELIS
2011-03-03 23:53:00
For info about what you need and how to create your first site:http://www.hypergurl.com/Recommeded HTML editors for beginners:http://www.hypergurl.com/blog/downloads/free-html-editors.htmlFree editors for windows:http://webdesign.about.com/od/windowshtmleditors/tp/free-windows-editors.htmWebdesign and resources:http://www.webweaver.nu/In case you want to try designing your site online using flash:http://www.creatingonline.com/webmaster/flash.htmFor a more professional site:http://www.webappers.com/2010/03/09/15-best-free-online-tools-for-web-design-development/
Roy
2011-03-03 23:49:00
A lot of people go with "WYSIWYG" (What You See Is What You Get) editors like DreamWeaver. With this type of software, you design visually, and the application generates all the HTML code. As a web designer, I really don't like that approach - or the code that it puts out as a final product. It can result in a site that looks good in some browsers, but not in others. And more importantly it will probably leave you with a site that has messy, non standards-compliant code. I know that might be an unfamiliar term, but trust me, it's worth considering.A better alternative, in my opinion, is to use a system such as Wordpress to build the site. Some domain and hosting providers include Wordpress pre-installed, and if they don't it's free and fairly easy to install it yourself. Once it's installed, creating your website will be much like having a blog. You can choose from a huge number of themes, and an impressive number of plugins are available to add just about any functionality you might need.If you intend to keep making websites, you should also plan on learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, etc. Start with them in that order and tackle one at a time! A Google search will provide a wealth of free tutorials to get you started.
Protege5
2011-06-02 19:50:00
I disagree. Wordpress is lame and basic. It looks like a generic WiKi site unless you know how to code and since you don't! Wordpress is not where you should go.  Try Rapidweaver for a beginner site. I am a beginner, I don't know how to code, but I have to make a website for work. I am using Rapidweaver. I have to use some code and learn somethings, but it's a lot easier then Wordpress which I also tried.  You will have to spend some  money on Rapidweaver though.  The app needs a ton of plugins or themes to get it to do what you want.  Just pick a good theme and stick with it you'll be fine.  Use stacks for your pages it will make them look better.
Josh Fox
2011-06-02 20:13:00
Not everybody has a Mac, or the money for one, though.