Where Can I Build My Own Web Page for Free?

Building your own web page is a great idea if you're looking for a creative outlet or a way to explore the things you're passionate about. It can also be an effective means of promoting your business or product. If you've ever thought about building your own web page, but you don't have much cash, here are a few places you can go to build your web page for free. (You'll find links at the bottom of this page in References and Resources).

Yola
1. At Yola.com, you can create your first web page in minutes -- even if you have little or no technical knowledge. You can choose from over 30 templates and customize the colors. Adding text, video, images and other elements is fast and easy. Yola is designed so that the novice can have a nice site created and on the Web in only a few minutes.

Yola also provides free hosting for your web page, and you have unlimited space available for your content. Unlike most free web providers, there are no pop-up ads and they do allow you to create a commercial site.

Weebly

2. Weebly.com is another free web page builder that is easy to use. Like Yola, you start with a template. The setup is quick and easy for a beginner. Weebly also has a template option that Yola doesn't -- a sales page.

One drawback of Weebly is that you aren't able to edit the HTML of your page directly. You also don't have as much variety in the styles of templates as you do with Yola. Weebly is your best bet if you're a beginner who isn't planning on spending a lot of time on your site.

Squidoo

3. Squidoo.com is a free web page builder with a different twist. Squidoo is used to create a "lens," or page, that displays content about only one topic. Each lens is a single page that usually contains multiple short articles that provide helpful or interesting tidbits about the lens topic. The format is closer to a blog than a traditional website, although your Squidoo lens will have elements usually found in both platforms. Squidoo may be the choice for you if you're attempting to make money from a product on the Web, because it often ranks higher in the search engines than other sites.

Tumblr

4. Tumblr.com calls itself "the easiest way to blog." Tumblr provides a way for you to easily share your favorite snapshots from the Web or from your own library. While you can post blog entries like you can on a traditional blog, you can also easily add entries with much shorter detail. Tumblr is perfect for the casual user who wants a simple place to post videos, quotes, quips, or very short posts. You can be set up with your own "tumblog" and be posting in seconds. While you can't customize the format much, it is the easiest to use of the options we've discussed.

So what are you waiting for? Pick one of these four choices and get started. You'll have your own web page published -- for free -- in minutes.