10 Free Tools and Resources for the DIY Business Person
These days, it is not necessary to pay for website creation. If you don’t choose to spend thousands of dollars on a premium designer, there are plenty of tools out there to do it yourself. Small businesses and personal bloggers have all the tools they need to make a website for free, and while many designers make beautiful sites these days, it may be beyond the needs of the average small company or hobbyist.
Here are some of my favorite free webpage design tools and resources.
1. Publishing Software: WordPress.org
WordPress has revolutionized web design and most of the advice is based on this program. There are other options available, but in my opinion WordPress offers the most value. Not to mention that great hosting providers, like HostGator, have made it a simple matter to upload the software to your cPanel with the clíck of a button.
2. Website Themes: New WordPress Themes
WordPress offers some basic free themes with their software, but I personally get all mine from this website. They are still free but a world ahead of the standard templates. Get a little experience working in the admin area, and no one will be able to tell you didn’t go with a premium theme.
3. Graphic Software: Gimp
This tool is brilliant. Download it at gimp.org. They even have an extensive list of websites with a multitude of images you can use or customize. Just be sure you check the rights on them, but many are free for any use. I’ll warn you that there is a steep learning curve in graphics design, but if you Google around a little bit, you will find some fabulous tutorials out there. Spend a week or two learning the basics and you’ll be designing great logos and headers in no time.
4. Photos: Flickr
They have plenty of images you can use on your site, even if you are commercial. The advanced search options allow you to easily search through the photos which allow commercial use. Just take some time to get to know how the search function works and how to double check the rights of each photo.
5. Advertising:
List your business with Google Yellow Pages and put ads on Craigslist. You should also learn some SEO to take advantage of natural search engine traffic. And get this – some webmasters are now getting massive results by handing out free fliers that provide something of value to their customers and that requires a sign-up onsite.
6. Email: Gmail
A lot of people give Gmail and other free email providers a bad rap, but I have had email accounts with many different providers, including paid services, and I swear by Gmail. You couldn’t twist my arm hard enough to choose a different one. Get to know Google Docs and some other Google features as well, and you’ll find they can go a long way in streamlining your online business efforts.
7. WordPress Headers: ThemeHeaders
This site has a lot of nice header designs. I usually just open them up in Microsoft Publisher or Gimp and add some wordart; however, they do customizations for $10 apiece.
8. Monetization: Commission Junction
Unlike some commission directories, they only support reputable companies, and there are some very high-paying programs available. Just sign up for an account and search in their system for advertising banners that suit your niche.
9. Theme Generator: WordPress Theme Generator
This WordPress tool is awesome if you aren’t happy with the limitations of a preset theme. It does have a learning curve and will be a little awkward to use at first, but if you take some time to play with the different features and experiment on what each does, you can get pretty good. Uploading a custom header is a must if you want it to look professional.
10. Advice: The Warrior Forum
If you want to get serious about internet marketing and webpage design strategies, the Warrior Forum has a wealth of information. I really can’t say enough about this place. There is a very positive, helpful atmosphere on the forum, and members get access to a list of free eBooks about internet marketing and free webpage design advice.
About The Author: Free Web Page Design: If a learning curve is not way you’re looking for at this point in your business, you can even get a free webpage design put together for you while you focus on the business of business. All you pay is your monthly hosting and the team at www.FreeWebPageDesignService.com does the rest. Go check it out now!
