LostInTechnology

4 Ways to Throw a Web Site Up Cheaply, Easily and Quickly

Posted on 11. Feb, 2010 by Squealing.Rat in How To, Internet Tools

Ever wanted to throw a site up quickly, easily and cheaply? Perhaps for a school project, a business meeting or a knowledge base? There are 4 ways, varying from highly customizable, to unbelievably easy.

All of the following are very easy to set up and do not require use of coding. Let me take you through them.

1. iWeb/Komponzer/Dreamweaver

This option, without a doubt, is the most easily customizable. You can start from scratch, and work your way into a finished web page that looks exactly how you want it to look. No compromises.

I use iWeb, in part because it is aesthetically pleasing and because it came with my computer. I normally start out with a blank page, so I can build up my site exactly the way I want it, creating a “template” page, then duplicating it for the rest of the site. Dreamweaver and Kompozer are other options for PC and Linux. The great thing about these three options is that no coding is required, otherwise known as a what-you-see-is-what-you-get web editor (WYSIWYG).

The costs for this option, are unfortunately, the highest. iWeb comes with your Mac, but you must pay $79 for the upgrade to the latest version. If you use a PC, you can use Dreamweaver, which costs a whopping $400 or Kompozer which is free. In addition, you must have hosting, ranging from $60-$100 a year (I use Dreamhost). You must also purchase a domain name which costs about $8 a year.

Total: $70-$510

2. Tumblr/Posterous/WordPress.com

I use Tumblr, in part because it looks so good, with so many templates for customization. Tumblr is excellent for a site that you will update a lot, perhaps collaborating with others infrequently. It also hosts audio clips, which is a nice touch.

The costs for this option are minimal. Tumblr, which is free to use, offers free custom domain hosting, something which Posterous does too, but WordPress.com doesn’t do for free. While they offer a free sub-domain (i.e. lostintechnology.tumblr.com), for the professional edge, (even though a Tumblr logo is displayed on the bottom) a $8 a year domain name is great.

Total: Free-$8

3. WordPress.org/MovableType

If you think you will be collaborating with others on the site and have hosting, this is a great option. I use WordPress, which is excellent for collaboration and stability. It does have some compromises: the look of your site is dictated by the free themes available, and the defaults display a thanks to WordPress and the theme.Wordpress, however, does offer may free plugins, which can increase what your site does.

WordPress and MoveableType are free to use, but do require hosting ($60- $100 a year). A domain is also needed.

Total: $70-$110

4. Google Sites/Webs

Google Sites is a cheap, easy option for collaboration. Bearing in mind that it is one of the least customizable, this is a good option for a class project. In addition, this option will plug itself on your site.

Google Sites and Webs are both free to use, and you do get a free sub-domain, a domain name is an added plus.

Total: Free- $8

More

Make Use Of has an article on updating a Tumblr page easily

Build a beautiful page with the help of Mashable

What do you use? Let us know in the comments!

The writer of this post compiles the latest tech news and more at Squealing Rat, and writes about tricks and tips of deception, trickery and survival at Lone Iguana. Find him on Twitter.

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Tags: creation, domains, free, hosting, webpage, website