creating a website for FREE

[Mermaid Momo]

Hi there! As you all know (probably) websites are a good and i must say, the best, way to advertise yourself and get your name out there.But, Websites and domain names can be pretty pricey ecspecially if you're a young merfolk just getting started. I don't yet have a mermaid website, but I do have a website (actually quite a few) so, here's my little thread on where and how to get a great website for FREE!

1.) Weebly (http://weebly.com)
weebly is free until/unless you upgrade to a professional account here's (http://themerfolkdirectory.weebly.com) an example of a weebly page.

weebly has a butt load of different templates that you can use to make your page. the only down side i ran into about templates is that they may not have the exact one you have in mind. But that can usually be solved with a bit of personlization on your part.
http://www.100webhosting.com/images/weebly-theme-gallery.jpg
You can also link your weebly to your facebook, youtube and twitter account using the new button option.

PROS
*can post videos directly onto page
* can create a contact form
*can upload a gallery (in slideshow format if you like)
* can have a lot of pages (including a blog)
* people can directly upload testimonials (if you want that option)
*you can add background music that plays automatically (i'll talk about this later)
* can check the amount of views you get on your profile page
CONS
*Limited free templates
*options for personalizing pages are limited compared to professional websites

[Mermaid Momo]

2) Wix (http://wix.com)
here's (http://lollipopcultureshop.wix.com/lollipop-culture-shop)and example of a Wix page ( I didn't make this one)

warning: wix is a flash based website

Wix also has a lot of templates (more than Weebly) and you can even start from a blank template and create your own the way you want.(with lots of trial and error of course)
and just like weebly, Wix is free until/unless you upgrade to premium.
http://www.zepy.net/wp-content/uploads//2010/05/wix_template.png
after i played with it for a bit, I have to say that it's really self expanatory and really easy to use. They have great options (i'm freaking out over the fact that with the scuba diving template, i can have a giant slideshow of my mer photos going automatically to catch the eye and keep people on my potential site.)

here is my test site (note that I didn't change any of the photos that were originally on the site, I just edited the slide show so it played automatically and at a faster speed.but if any mer would like to supply videos and/or photos that i can use, with a source to you of course, i'll update the site to make it more mer-is so you guys will see what can be done with this site.)

PROS
* lOTS AND LOTS of templates
*more pleasing to the eyes
*easy to navigate
*easy to edit and understand
*lots of customizing options

CONS
* since i didn't actually have to make the website, I didn't get to experience any cons. but, if i can get my hands on some merfolk vids and photos, i can create a website that most mers would have
NOTE: I couldn't open the editing page again after i saved it so I can't publish my page now, but i will whenever i get back into the editing page. So there is temporarily no link.

[Ayla of Duluth]

I'm using weebly and it's actually really easy. The only drawback is my URL will say .weebly which won't look as "professional" as a URL without it, but I think that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. People are there to learn about me and book me, not judge the professionalism of my site. It'll do for now until I can afford to hire someone. I haven't heard back from mermaid raina about the site she was making me so I just went ahead and started making my own out of boredom.

[Raina Matthews]

and I was just thinking I hadn't heard back from you in a while :). guess we were waiting on each other :)

[Ayla of Duluth]

you sent me an email on the 27th about walking me through the website editing process and i sent you one back saying that'd be great, or something to that effect. guess we're playing email tag. xD

[artorias]

What are some popular and effective book website templates that offer user-friendly design and functionality specifically designed to present and promote book projects?

[vordt]

There are many popular and effective book website templates (https://spreadsimple.com/templates/marketing-books/) that are specifically designed to present and promote book projects. They offer user-friendly design and functionality so that authors and publishers can effectively present their books online. These templates typically include sections for the book cover, description, reviews, author bios, pre-orders, and stores to provide a complete picture of the project and allow visitors to easily purchase the book. They help automate processes, increase market visibility, and improve customer service, making a book website a powerful tool for successfully promoting literary projects.