When putting your site together, look to free stuff first.

[dexterlablab1]

I know this may sound cheap. But when creating your website, forum, or blog, not everything has to be something you come out of pocket for.

Look all over the internet. You can find a good amount of free tools and scripts that might just end up saving you money.

That's not to say you can go entirely free when making your site. Just know that sometimes, the free options work just as well.

[Sefrotox]

I agree with this. At least while you are in the beginning processes where you are unsure what is going to happen next. There are so many free scripts out there that it actually hurts the ones creating paid scripts (a huge competition.) There are forum systems, for example. You know that MyBB, SMF, PHPBB, etc, really lower the sales for vBulletin, IPB, etc. But the fact of the matter is that the free alternatives are actually quite good. Some will even claim they are better.

There is also the option to learn how to create your own scripts. I usually prefer to create for myself, but for the larger things, this is not reasonable.

[omkar1991]

When you are starting off a blog for example, the best idea would be to stick with something free like Blogger or Wordpress. Get some content online, gain followers, create an identity in the online blogger space. Once you have done that, you can start to spend money for your blog, like going for a dedicated domain name, buying your own hosting etc. No use spending $100 on everything in the beginning and then realizing that it is not working out for you.

[artifactsofmars]

Try an HTML editor called Komposer (I picked it up, and don't know where). It is the best free HTML editor I have seen. It supports drag and drop, advanced table functions and more. HTML source does not always work quite right on auction sites. Many pages will remove source code, eradicating things like background pictures. You may be able to get around this issue if you don't copy the source, but just copy the page as is. I had that issue on a chat group.

[ssamcd]

I totally agree with you on this. I noticed that there seems to be more and more educational tips and forums on line that will help you with many problems you may encounter on your website. My whole system had crashed and my operating system was wiped off and I had no back up. A forum helped me retore it. Had I gone to a IT repair shop I am sure it would have cost me some money. It is nice when you make friends in the online community that helps each other.

[Mystique]

That is right! For beginners, they should not spend too much money on their sites, it's best to do some research online and gather as many freebies as they can. My partner found some amazing stuff online that he has included in his website and it looks great. However, he spent a great amount of time to ensure the freebies are legitimate items and they do not come with a virus! We're planning to spend some money in a few months in upgrading our website. By the way, we found a great site that we can keep track of our visitors in detail!

[novasparker]

I agree wholeheartedly with this. There is no reason to pay out of pocket for a website until it starts paying you back. This can be in the form of advertisements or increased business, etc. But there are plenty of free online resources for building and hosting your site that you should start there first. Then, as your online presence grows and your site starts to make you money, you can invest in your site.

[makingloot]

I agree with this. At least while you are in the beginning processes where you are unsure what is going to happen next. There are so many free scripts out there that it actually hurts the ones creating paid scripts (a huge competition.) There are forum systems, for example. You know that MyBB, SMF, PHPBB, etc, really lower the sales for vBulletin, IPB, etc. That is right! For beginners, they should not spend too much money on their sites, it's best to do some research online and gather as many freebies as they can.

[beyre]

Having been in the website design business since roughly 2005, I can agree that you can easily build a website/blog using free scripts/programs. In recent years, it has become a bit harder to find reputable free scripts and programs because so many contain lousy coding (ie, bugs) and/or contain malware or viruses. If you know you are looking for a certain function ... first do a search and get a list of websites you think contain what you are looking for. Then go to a few webmaster forums and ask for everyone opinion. Naturally, ignore those that say you have to spend money to get anything decent. That's hogwash! LOL. And, it all depends on how far you want your website to go ... you may have to end up spending money on programs, scripts, or a programmer to get some functions you want.

[neverforget98]

Whenever I first start working on a website, I find free is definitely the way to go. I always look for open-source scripts/free stuff before I even try to pay for something. Yes, I am very cheap. I hate paying for stuff!