I have seen many "Build Your Own Website" providers, and they vary in quality of service and technology.
When I was directed to Create Your Own Website, I was naturally skeptical. I was convinced that either the design of the templates would be inferior or the content management system would be too difficult for an amateur to figure out.
Thankfully, they had a free trial that I signed up for and played around with for a few hours. Here is what I discovered:
The Content Management System is actually quite easy to figure out. However, I still suggest that you learn the basics of HTML for the full benefit of this system. It will be much harder for you to figure out this system if you don't have basic knowledge of HTML Programming.
The design and templates aren't bad, but not very good. However, the beauty of this is that, when you sign up, they give you FREE Professional Design! When you request this, you get a more professional and unique look for your website.
Here's an example of a few designs that I was impressed with:
While I advocate the use of web development and design software, or content management systems, I still strongly urge you to learn HTML before attempting this, or at least resolve to learn as you're designing your site to ensure the most professional web presence and most creative freedom you can get!
The best deal I think comes with this is that you get the website for less than $10.00 per month, and you get a free designer on top of that. That's HUGE! Professional design can cost you hundreds of dollars! With this system, you get a professional web designer and you still control your website content and files.
You also get a FREE domain name, which is also a huge bonus. But you're free to host your domain name on a different server if that is your choice. In fact, I recommend that in almost every situation. However, to start with, I say go with this deal as a whole, to limit startup costs, and upgrade slowly over time as your site improves and generates the income you're looking for.
Try it out. There's a 10 day free trial. And be sure to let me know how you like it! Please post comments on your personal experience with Create Your Own Website.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Market Your Blog or Site: Ezinearticles.com
In an effort to better market myself, I decided to take some advice I received and post an article on Ezinearticles.com.
Ezinearticles.com is a website loaded with articles written by people like you and me. It serves a few purposes:
1. To provide useful content to visitors to Ezinearticles.com.
2. To offer readers more information by visiting your website, also filled with relevant content.
I posted my very first article on Ezinearticles.com entitled:
HTML For Web Design - Why It's Important For All Web Designers and Web Business Owners to Learn
I was notified by Ezine yesterday at 5:00 PM via e-mail that my article was approved, and I've already received 27 views in less than 24 hours!
I recommend that, no matter how successful you've been at marketing your websites, that you visit this site, sign up, and write your first article today!
Ezinearticles.com is a website loaded with articles written by people like you and me. It serves a few purposes:
1. To provide useful content to visitors to Ezinearticles.com.
2. To offer readers more information by visiting your website, also filled with relevant content.
I posted my very first article on Ezinearticles.com entitled:
HTML For Web Design - Why It's Important For All Web Designers and Web Business Owners to Learn
I was notified by Ezine yesterday at 5:00 PM via e-mail that my article was approved, and I've already received 27 views in less than 24 hours!
I recommend that, no matter how successful you've been at marketing your websites, that you visit this site, sign up, and write your first article today!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Net Neutrality is under fire
In 2006, when I first learned that Net Neutrality was under attack, I immediately signed the petition at http://www.savetheinternet.com and contacted my Representative and Senators.
At that time, we won a glorious victory. However, that hasn't stopped the Internet Service Providers from lobbying Congress to allow them to control the Internet.
Why is Net Neutrality so important?
Net Neutrality allows every single person on the world wide web and equal chance to be seen. Unlike television and radio, anyone can have a web site and have their voice be heard. Before the Internet, the first amendment and a level playing field were non-existant.
Under Net Neutrality, I have just as much of a chance to get a consistant and large stream of visitors and maximize my personal profits as the largest web design and development firm.
Without Net Neutrality, big corporations will control what you and I see on the Internet. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will decide which search engines you use, which web sites you see, and how well your sites get viewed by the public.
How will ISPs decide what content will be viewed by their users?
The answer is a simple 4 word question: Who has the money?
ISPs have corporate partners, just like every other large company in the nation. Instead of concerning themselves with the interest of their customers, ISPs would be more interested in preserving the interests of their corporate partners. That means that if ISP-A forms a partnership with Search Engine-5, then you won't be able to have access to any other Search Engine online! Worse yet, if your ISP creates its own Search Engine, you could be dealing with a monopolized internet connection.
It's just like what happened to TV and Radio
Television and Radio have become highly regulated by our government and the FCC. Companies own the channels and the airwaves. So unless you have a license and you're owned by a large corporation, your voice would not be heard on the mass media about anything. When the Internet came, its popularity soared because everyone was equal, and everyone had a voice.
What will happen if Net Neutrality is not preserved?
Many things will happen if Net Neutrality is not preserved.
At that time, we won a glorious victory. However, that hasn't stopped the Internet Service Providers from lobbying Congress to allow them to control the Internet.
Why is Net Neutrality so important?
Net Neutrality allows every single person on the world wide web and equal chance to be seen. Unlike television and radio, anyone can have a web site and have their voice be heard. Before the Internet, the first amendment and a level playing field were non-existant.
Under Net Neutrality, I have just as much of a chance to get a consistant and large stream of visitors and maximize my personal profits as the largest web design and development firm.
Without Net Neutrality, big corporations will control what you and I see on the Internet. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) will decide which search engines you use, which web sites you see, and how well your sites get viewed by the public.
How will ISPs decide what content will be viewed by their users?
The answer is a simple 4 word question: Who has the money?
ISPs have corporate partners, just like every other large company in the nation. Instead of concerning themselves with the interest of their customers, ISPs would be more interested in preserving the interests of their corporate partners. That means that if ISP-A forms a partnership with Search Engine-5, then you won't be able to have access to any other Search Engine online! Worse yet, if your ISP creates its own Search Engine, you could be dealing with a monopolized internet connection.
It's just like what happened to TV and Radio
Television and Radio have become highly regulated by our government and the FCC. Companies own the channels and the airwaves. So unless you have a license and you're owned by a large corporation, your voice would not be heard on the mass media about anything. When the Internet came, its popularity soared because everyone was equal, and everyone had a voice.
What will happen if Net Neutrality is not preserved?
Many things will happen if Net Neutrality is not preserved.
- Freedom of Speech and the Press will be, once again, highly regulated.
- The average American citizen who has earned his/her living on the internet will lose their businesses to large companies who have money to pay the ISPs for web traffic.
- The unemployment rate will go up.
- The economy will suffer (as if it hasn't suffered enough).
- Everything will be controlled by Mass Media and corporate interests.
The list goes on and on!
For more information, please visit http://www.savetheinternet.com...
...and Take Action!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Kilkennyweb.com joins the blogosphere
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Kilkennyweb.com blog. This post is sort of an "introduction" or "about me" article.
I am a web designer and developer with 10 years of experience. In the mid-90s, I spent a great deal of my time learning HTML codes and designing web sites for the pure enjoyment of it. I would pick any topic that interested me and design a web site. I spent a lot of my days on geocities.com and other free sites designing web sites just because that's what I loved doing.
Three years later, I attended a local university, taking core classes that were offered without deciding on any specific major. However, there were often weekend, 1 credit, seminar classes geared towards the internet, computers, and Web Design & Development. I would take as many of those classes as I possibly could!
Two years later, after moving, I decided to enroll in an Associate Degree Program at my local community college. I picked "Web Technologies" as my major, while simultaneously earning a Certificate in Web Design & Development.
While enrolled at the community college, I joined up with the Honors Program and Leadership Development Program. There, I was able to expand my knowledge and work-skills through volunteer work and internships. I completed web design and development internships with non-profit organizations such as Earthwatch Institute and The New England Seacoast Institute, and even did some low-cost designing for musicians.
After college, I continued volunteering to maintain the NESI : New England Seacost Institute web site (at the time that this article was written, the web site and the organization were gearing up for a relaunch). I also began my own freelance web design and development business from my home, doing a few jobs here and there from the comfort of my own home computer.
After the birth of our first child, I let my passion fall by the wayside as my time had become limited. However, now that my children are getting older and I have a little bit more time on my hands, I am back and ready to get back to it!
My goals right now are to provide information to aspiring web designers, whether they choose this as a career or simply want to be able to design their own web sites. I also want to focus on designing my own web sites for personal and commercial purposes, while educating others on how to do this as well. My future goals is to get back into being a professional web designer & developer, designing sites for clients and their businesses and non-profit organizations.
Stay tuned! I plan on updating this blog and its corresponding web site, Kilkennyweb.com, frequently. If there's anything you want to know about web design and development, visit my web site and read more or contact me!
I am a web designer and developer with 10 years of experience. In the mid-90s, I spent a great deal of my time learning HTML codes and designing web sites for the pure enjoyment of it. I would pick any topic that interested me and design a web site. I spent a lot of my days on geocities.com and other free sites designing web sites just because that's what I loved doing.
Three years later, I attended a local university, taking core classes that were offered without deciding on any specific major. However, there were often weekend, 1 credit, seminar classes geared towards the internet, computers, and Web Design & Development. I would take as many of those classes as I possibly could!
Two years later, after moving, I decided to enroll in an Associate Degree Program at my local community college. I picked "Web Technologies" as my major, while simultaneously earning a Certificate in Web Design & Development.
While enrolled at the community college, I joined up with the Honors Program and Leadership Development Program. There, I was able to expand my knowledge and work-skills through volunteer work and internships. I completed web design and development internships with non-profit organizations such as Earthwatch Institute and The New England Seacoast Institute, and even did some low-cost designing for musicians.
After college, I continued volunteering to maintain the NESI : New England Seacost Institute web site (at the time that this article was written, the web site and the organization were gearing up for a relaunch). I also began my own freelance web design and development business from my home, doing a few jobs here and there from the comfort of my own home computer.
After the birth of our first child, I let my passion fall by the wayside as my time had become limited. However, now that my children are getting older and I have a little bit more time on my hands, I am back and ready to get back to it!
My goals right now are to provide information to aspiring web designers, whether they choose this as a career or simply want to be able to design their own web sites. I also want to focus on designing my own web sites for personal and commercial purposes, while educating others on how to do this as well. My future goals is to get back into being a professional web designer & developer, designing sites for clients and their businesses and non-profit organizations.
Stay tuned! I plan on updating this blog and its corresponding web site, Kilkennyweb.com, frequently. If there's anything you want to know about web design and development, visit my web site and read more or contact me!
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