Building a website on your own can be a long and drawn out task. Making it even longer is learning how to do it all: planning, design, and coding. But with a little knowledge, a few tools, and a tip in the right direction, you can easily build your website for free.

Start off by getting some knowledge on HTML (hyper text markup language). This is the basic code used to tell web browsers like Internet Explorer how to draw a web page.

Whenever I first learned HTML, nobody was there to teach me. The internet was young and tutorials were limited. Now you can check out sites like http://www.w3schools.com which is loaded with free tutorials, working code examples, and links to books you can purchase for learning. Take advantage of these offers and get familiar with the code.

Next, download some free tools. Below is a list of Windows freeware HTML editors, a powerful graphics editor, and FTP software (for uploading your website once complete). Freeware is software that is free to download and use, with no restrictions or payment required. Most of this software is as good or better than the commercial (high-priced) programs. So take advantage of the author's generosity and grab yours now.

* The Gimp (http://www.gimp.org): A very useful, very powerful graphics editor that any do-it-yourselfer would be happy to own. Create eye-popping designs and save images in several “web-ready” formats.

* Alleycode (http://www.alleycode.com): Once you learn HTML, you'll love this program. It gives you tons of precoded HTML tags and JavaScripts saving you hours on coding time.

* NVU (http://www.nvu.com): Until you learn HTML coding, try NVU. It lets you position images and text just like Microsoft® Office programs. You don't even need to know HTML to use it. The last time I checked, this one came bundled with other useful programs too.

* Pablo's Web Editor (http://www.pablosoftwaresolutions.com/html/wysiwyg_web_builder.html): This editor is similar to the one above, but this one gives you more control over tables.

* Deluxe FTP (http://www.download.com/DeluxeFTP/3000-2160_4-10352949.html): I still use this program on all my machines, even while running a professional web design firm. An FTP program allows you to upload your web designs (pages, content, images, and codes) more easily to the web. Your web host will provide you with FTP access, so this program will come in handy.

Before you start coding blindly, stop and think about your website. A poorly designed website reflects in the finished product and you don't want a mediocre image for your business. So plan it out first. What is the purpose: to show off your products for sale or to act as a brochure for your company or service? Take out a piece of paper and write down your website purpose. Now you can start.

The most important part of your website isn't beautiful images or even content – it's navigation. Users who can't find your content can't read it, so making links visible and in plain sight is important. Place your navigation links on the top 1/3 of your home page real estate. Use “alt” tags with images and group important site navigation links together. Alt tags allow visitors to see where your links lead, even if they can't see the image you provide.

Consider colors too. There's an interesting article here (http://iit.bloomu.edu/vthc/Design/psychology.htm) about the effects of color on our minds and emotions. Read it and take note whenever you're considering colors for your business website. If you already have a logo and color scheme that works for your company, great! This part will be simple.

Next, take a look at other websites and get a few ideas. Many customers have come to me with “ideal” web designs they'd like based on other websites they've seen. So check out a few you like, but don't copy images or content. Just get a feel for the website, how everything flows, and decide why the layout “works.” Design your own site to have that same feel.

Most layouts use tables, columns, and white-space to provide clean design; and the best websites use images sparingly. A visitor who has to wait 5 minutes for an image to load will leave in seconds.

Which leads us to images. Photos and other graphics can make a powerful impact on your visitors, readers, and customers. But content is still the reason we all look for information. Imagine a department store ad with just pictures and no descriptions or prices. They'd be out of business fast. So always strive for 75% text content with 25% graphics. This ratio will keep your website search engine popular and user friendly.

Use the GIMP (see above) to draw your images, create anti-aliased text (text that doesn't look jagged), and save in gif, jpg, or png format. These image formats are easily read by web browsers. Also, keep your image size down below 25 kb if possible – they will load faster.

After you've finished designing your images, it's time to put it all together with your text and other content. Use one of the free HTML editors above to either position everything the way you want or code it by hand (if you know HTML). Be sure to check your spelling, include all the links your customers/visitors need, and add a way for users to contact you by email or phone. Ask friends, family, and colleagues for their opinion too. They are your best “in-house” quality control.

Now you're ready to upload everything to your web server. Use a FTP program to copy files (your content, images, and graphics) from your computer to your web host's server. These files are not deleted from your computer, so don't worry. After everything is uploaded, log on to your website and make sure it all works.

As you need them, add guestbooks, order forms, and other interactive ways for customers to reach you and order your products. Design from your users point of view and you'll never go wrong.

So you really need to build a website, now you know how! Even with very little knowledge of HTML or design you can create a great starter website for free. Once you've grown your business, and see a steady income, contact a web design team like mine at Dennis Web Crafting (http://miden.43i.net). We have the experience and tools to create a professional and affordable website for your company. By using a small business design firm, you'll save yourself the work and the cost of expensive software.