Building a Website from Scratch
Designing and building a Web site yourself is usually the least expensive way to get on the Internet, but it requires time and a bit more expertise. Doing it yourself will be easiest if you already understand how to code a Web site using online programming language. However, there are software programs to help even if you only have a minimal understanding of the methods.
If you are creating your own Web site, you will design and save all of your files on your own computer, then upload them to storage space on the Web that's been configured to match your domain name. Every time you have a change, you will edit the incorrect page stored on your computer and upload it again. This step overwrites and replaces the outdated page, as long as you keep file names identical.
There are special software programs for people who aren't familiar with Web programming that look and work a lot like the word processor you use to write letters. You can easily add photos and other style elements to your pages after learning a few basics with onscreen tutorials. Adobe GoLive and Macromedia Dreamweaver are programs that are available for both Mac and Windows systems. FrontPage is probably one of the simplest software programs for beginners, but is only available in Windows formatting at this time.
Fact
Programs such as GoLive and Dreamweaver allow you to use powerful tools to design, but they show you how to keep your Web site simple if you're not ready yet to dig in deeper and use all the bells and whistles available.
Two important pros to building a Web site from scratch are design control and cost. The software is an expense but a storage space (hosting) might only cost you $6 to $8 per month, versus $100-plus to belong to a predesigned network. Your design will be unique, with no chance that agents around town will have the same preformatted look. Weigh the options to decide which route works best in terms of time management and expense.
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