Today, it is possible to create your own Web site in minutes and at no cost. Then, when you are ready, you can get your own domain name and Web hosting service. But first, you can experiment, develop what you want to say, and put up a site with 20-50 pages - about 5-50 MB - absolutely free.
To get started, you can get a free site at many different services. These include a site through an on-line service provider, like AOL. Or you can sign-up with any number of web-based servers, generally in return for allowing for some ad banners or links on your site. Some of these servers even have their own Web building software to help you get started. Some of the servers I've used myself are www.geocities.com, which is connected to Yahoo, and www.xoom.com. You can also find over 200 free Web site hosts if you go to www.freewebspace.net. Typically, if you use a free sites, you choose a name, if available, and then your name follows the address of the site, such as www.geocities.com/changingworld - the name I used for one site. And if you want another site, come up with another name and sign on again.
Once you have your site, you can easily start building your first pages in one of the latest word processing programs, like Word 2000, which already have the coding to turns a word processing document into a Web page. The coding is called HTML (which stands for hypertext mark-up language), but when you're just getting started you don't need to know this. Just save your document as an HTML document.
If you are only going to create a few pages, a word processing program is fine. Just create your first page as index.html or index.htm, which is understood as the first Web page on most servers. Then, as you create and name additional documents, add in hyperlinks to these pages, so you can move to these pages by clicking that hyperlink. Add a hyperlink on each of the linked pages to take you back to your first index page and call it "home".
Once you start each new page, put in your copy and any graphics just like in any word processing program. And for more control, use tables. Start with a table for your whole page and divide it table into three columns. Use the first column for the narrower navigator section, the second for a very narrow separator column, and the third for the bulk of your copy. Make as many rows as you want, and use these sections to put your copy and images where you want them.
If you have more then a few pages, get a Web creation program like Front Page. This will help you set up a system of hyperlinks and a navigation system, so you can better see what is linked to what on your Web site. Or use the Web wizard available on many free sites.
Finally, once you have your pages ready to upload, the easiest method is using an FTP (or file transfer protocol) program - more technically called an FTP client. You can get these programs free, too. Some of the most popular ones are WS-FTP or Cute FTP. Many Web hosts have these programs available, or go to one of the software download sites, such as CNET.com. Then, download it to your desktop and double click to install it or run it from its download location.
Once your FTP client is installed, click to open it up. Then, open up your files for your Web site on one side of the FTP client (it's on the left in the WS-FTP client). On the other side, type in the location of the ftp site where you are putting your Web site (you will get this name from your server - for instance, Yahoo's geocities' FTP name is ftp.geocities.com.). Finally, type in your ID name and password where indicated, highlight the files you want to transfer over, click the indicator or arrow to do so. And voila - your Web pages are up on your Web site and you can view them in your browser.
Afterwards, you can add new files or revise old ones and send them up, too. And later, when you're ready to move on, you can FTP the files for your Web site on your computer wherever you want - whether another free site or to your own domain.


About the Author
Gini Graham Scott, Ph.D., J.D. She is the director of CHANGEMAKERS, and a business and organizational consultant, speaker, and workshop-seminar leader, specializing in creativity, conflict resolution, and organizational behavior. Her own Web site is at www.giniscott.com. She is also the co-founder of an international corporation with its Web site at www.doyoulooklikeyourdog.com.