Having a website is necessary if you want to sell a product or service, run an online business, non-profit organization, or online newspaper. But, maybe you just need a website for a one-time event, to keep your club or organization updated about upcoming meetings, to post information about a wedding, baby shower or family reunion and you really don't want to buy a domain name or pay for monthly hosting.

Setting up and maintaining a website can be a pain because you often need to have basic knowledge of HTML, PHP, Javascript, Flash, CSS, or Photoshop. It can also be costly to run a website if you buy a domain name and have monthly hosting bills. This is okay if you are planning on maintaining a website for business or for a long-term project but why pay when you can get it for free?

It used to be that the only option for creating a free website was using a service that placed annoying ads at the top of every page and gave you limited design options. And to get a really good website you had to pay a designer and spend a lot for hosting. Today we have more free web design options and here are a couple you should check out.

[NO LONGER WORKS] Synthasite

synthasite review

[NO LONGER WORKS] Synthasite allows you to create a website for free and there will be no annoying ads popping up on your site either. The website templates are so cool and professional with Synthasite that you could easily create a business website using their service. They have live examples from current users who have created business websites for free. You must be at

least 18 years of age to use the Synthasite Toolset.

Synthasite offers a quick and easy Website Builder that requires NO technical skills or knowledge of HTML. Synthasite lets you create a website or a blog and it super simple to use. It offers drag and drop features which makes it even easier to use. I was able to easily change templates, color schemes, delete and add features within seconds.

The Synthasite setup allows you to drag items from a scrolled list that appears on the right of the screen. Drag to the left to position an item on the page. Click once on the item to edit it and a menu appears on the right of the screen again.

Weebly

website builder

Weebly allows you to create a free website or a free blog layout. With Weebly you add content elements such as videos, pictures, maps, and text to your website by simply dragging them from the Weebly bar to a webpage you created. Click on an item and a sub-toolbar area at the top with options for that item.

Just like Synasite you are given quite a lot of professional looking templates to choose from and they make it easy to change your design by using the icon toolbar at the top of the page. You can also add a photo gallery, files, videos, audio and forms to your website with the simple click and drag features.

A standard free Weebly account is allowed 2 websites per account. There is a file size of 5 MB on the free account and there is a "create a free website with Weebly" link placed on the bottom of each free account.

If you have your own graphics you can upload those as well to create an even more customized look for your blog or website.

Features of both services:

  • 100% FREE with no hidden fees
  • There are no ads and no banners popping up
  • You can customize your website layout and make your site unique
  • You get a free subdomain or free hosting for your own custom domain
  • There is nothing to download
  • It works right from your browser
  • Free tutorials, FAQs, and help

I tested both Synthasite and Weebly and setting up an account was quick and easy and only took a few minutes. The interface was easy to understand and there was a lot of help available when I got stuck.

Using a blank page template in Synthasite or Weebly is like opening a new document in a word processing program. Once you create a page you can add content by simply dragging and dropping a text box into the area of the screen you want it to show up on.

Have you found other good free website applications that make creating a website easy?