Never, at any time in the past, has it been so imperative for businesses and organizations to establish an online presence as it is today. Even brick and mortar locations have found that not having an online presence costs them business and revenue. Recent studies have revealed that more than 80 percent of consumers preparing to make a local purchase of over $30 will conduct an online search to compare prices, store locations and more. This means that every business owner needs to have an online presence, and that begins with a functional and user-friendly website.

There was a time in which building a website was so complex that only individuals who were skilled in certain coding languages, such as HTML and Java, could build sites, and the cost to outsource the work was expensive. Well, those days are long gone. The advancement of technology has made it possible for the average person with no technical experience to build their own site in a relatively short period of time. Weebly is the leading platform when it comes to providing the capacity for people to build their own site.

Why Choose Weebly

There are a number of other website building platforms that promise easy to use tools for building sites, so why use Weebly?

• Weebly has a highly intuitive and easy to use drag and drop user interface that makes building the site easy and fun. The drag and drop feature means that you don’t have to have any type of coding knowledge.
• The platform has some paid plans, but the features are free. I have personally found that I can build a highly functional and engaging site using the free plan; however, for the person who wishes to take things a step further, they will find that the costs will still be very inexpensive.
• Weebly offers a wide selection of templates to ensure that you will be able to create the aesthetic view that you are looking for. The site is constantly adding new templates that are customizable.
• There is no need to pay for separate web hosting when using Weebly. Web hosting is a common cost with creating an online presence, but Weebly offers the hosting as a part of their service.

With all of the tools and the ease of use that is available at Weebly, it is easy to understand why it is the leading free website building platform on the web. The follow instructions will prepare you to make a Weebly website without experiencing any frustration.

Things You Will Need to Get Started

Another remarkable benefit of using Weebly is that it does not require much from your end to get started. There are a few things that you will need to ensure that the process runs smoothly.

• You will need a credit, only if you wish to use some of the chargeable options available through the Weebly platform.
• If you are looking for maximal functionality, you will probably want to take advantage of some of these services, but it is not required.
• A web browser of your choosing. I personally recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox.
• The content that you will use to populate your site. If you are not effective at generating quality and relevant content, there are a number of online platforms that will do it at a reasonable price.
• The willingness to exercise patience as you catch up to the learning curve.

Getting Started with Building Your Site

You will need to visit the Weebly site in order to sign up for the service.  Once you have created the account and profile, you will immediately be introduced to the theme selection process. The themes are categorized by topic, but you don’t have to use a theme within your specific niche if you find a theme from another category that you believe will work better for your specific needs.

Once you select the theme that you wish to use, you will be able to make some adjustments to it, such as changing the colour schemes, font sizes, etc. After you have made the desired changes to the theme, you will be prompted to select a domain name. You will have the option to choose a subdomain name, which means that the domain name will include “Weebly” in it. Although this option is available at no charge, I recommend registering your own domain, which will provide a more professional image.

After choosing the domain name, you will have the opportunity to watch a brief video that will help to familiarize you with the tools and options available. I suggest that you take the time to watch this video, which will make it easier to understand the process moving forward.

When you are done watching the video, you will be taken to the dashboard where you will be able to customize your site to suit your specific needs. The user interface on the dashboard is intuitive and easy to use. The drag and drop functionality will make customization of the site a snap. You will start by changing the name of the site to your company name. You will also be able to upload a logo or specific image to enhance the branding impact of your site.

From that point you will proceed to build the site by adding pages and subpages. This is where you will be able to add your “About Us” page, “Contact Us” page and other pages. You will even be able to integrate a blog page onto the site, which will prove to be a great asset. Adding a blog page to the site provides a dynamic element that will keep visitors coming back to view new content.

There are multitudinous ways that you can customize your site. You can make a Weebly website as simple or complex as you like. If you already have your content prepared, you can literally complete this process in a day or less. Weebly is definitely one of the best options available to help businesses and individuals establish an online presence in rapid fashion.