It may surprise you to know that it is not all that difficult to build your own website over a weekend. A few years ago, I would not have made such a bold statement, but today the tools exist for the do-it-yourselfer. If you have a newer computer, decent Internet connection, can write at the 8th grade level, and oh yea a credit card for paying for the basics online…with less than $100 USD, and a weekend of dedicated time you too can build your own website over a weekend.

Begin when you decide the reason you want to have a website and the content you will have. You might just want to put photos online so your friends and family can see them have somewhere to discuss the events in your life, and leave a place for someone to leave their opinion when they sign your guestbook. If this is the reason, contact your Internet Service Provider and find out if they have an arrangement that allows to create a personal website.

In general, ISPs will provide their residential customers with a space where they can build and host a personal webpage free of cost. Your ISP will usually provide a few simple tools to help you get started. Choose your photos, follow simple directions to upload them, add some captions to your pictures, and email your friends the location of your new webpage. Simple as that, you have a website.

Creating a website is a great way to advertise your small business. To build your own website you will need to find a registrar. Your registrar can provide web hosting as well as a domain name. By choosing a reliable registrar your website creation should be an easy way to call more attention to your business.

There are some good and some mediocre registrars out of the many we have today. Try searching the word ‘registrar’ in a search engine and examine the companies that you find. Check out some of the registrars without buying anything. Find out if the site has a package deal and also if you can register a domain name, host it and if they have template-based websites.

Pick an established registrar, one that’s been around since the 90s. If their deal appeals to you, choose them. If at a later time you are dissatisfied, you can dismiss them and move your domain name somewhere else, but you usually can’t move your website. It is important to remember this when you first choose where you are going to build your website.

Once you have chosen the appropriate registrar, spend time picking out a domain name for your website (for example: yourname.com). Be creative and think about what would attract people to your site. Then select the package of your choice. The cost can be anywhere between $10 and $60 per month, depending upon the various services you desire. The registrar will provide online instructions for you. Soon you will have the capability to build your own website according to your preferences for all to see.

It’s possible to build your own website over a weekend. If all you want is a personal page to show pictures and send and receive messages from friends and family you can go to the company whose services you use for internet. They sometimes have a plan that includes a personal website. If you want something more professional, you can get everything you need from an accredited registrar. Search for registrars online and find one that has a good history, because if you need to switch registrar’s you can’t bring your website with you. Pick a domain name and package and soon you will have a website.

- Tem Balanco