Website Builders

If you are creating your internet presence the classic way – with a HTML editor and CSS – or relying on tools such as a Content Management System (CMS) or a website builder, the skills required will depend heavily on your previous knowledge and experience in website design.

Working with computer languages

HTML is a markup language used to create pages on the World Wide Web with information and various features. During the early days of the internet, HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) was a very important part of designing a website, and there was no other option but to write the HTML source code yourself in order to create your own website.

Even today HTML is a fundamental element of the World Wide Web: it still has a large role to play in the core structure of a website and the written content of a site, and ultimately represents a large part of the final page that appears in the web browser. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is the standard language for creating a website.

CSS was first introduced in the middle of the 90's and is responsible for the presentation and design of the individual pages, including features such as layout, color, font and font size. Aside from HTML and CSS, another fundamental language of traditional web design is JavaScript. However, its application is mostly reserved for web designers as most computer languages are considered difficult to learn.

Content management systems and website builders

There are of course other options for website design that do not involve directly working with the source code of a site: for this purpose a Content Management System (CMS) or a website builder (also known as a website toolbox) can be used. Such software simplifies the structure and creation of a website with an easy-to-use interface that makes them suitable for web design beginners and allows the creation of a website to be done quickly and intuitively. However, such tools can at times be limited in terms of design options.

Aside from web design programs for beginners, there are various CMS that also meet professional requirements – most of these are CMS rather than website builders. Many of the well-known CMS offer a lot of freedom when designing a website, but for this you also require a certain degree of familiarization with the software. When working with a CMS the content is separated from the design, making it easier to manage. In practice, a pre-made template (a design template), which can be modified at a later point, is usually used for the design. With many CMS you can also take over the design completely, for which an external web editor is usually used.

Most of the creative possibilities are self-evident if you write the source code yourself and design your website through the use of programming languages. Nonetheless, many CMS offer an excellent variety in terms of web design. On the one hand, the CMS developers regularly update the applications and design features in keeping with modern web design. On the other hand, especially in terms of CMS, the community contributes greatly to the improvement of the tool by developing extensions, tools and templates (free or paid). It is recommend that total beginners to take advantage of the uncomplicated web builders as they are easy to use and, despite their limited functionality, are quite sufficient for the creation of many website types.

Beginners can also create an attractive website with IONOS – for this, no knowledge of HTML, CSS, or any programming language is required. Our developers have ensured that each phase of creating a website is made as easy as possible. With each one of our packages, we provide you with server capacity and your desired domain. We offer hundreds of industry-related designs and images, all you need to do is select and create your website according to your preference. The appearance of the backend, the place where all alterations take place, largely corresponds to that of the frontend.

This allows you to keep an eye on how the end result looks when you design your web pages. All it takes is the click of a mouse to activate certain elements, and then move them into the desired position. Using a versatile editor allows you to easily write a text for your site – use it to adjust the font size and make other formatting adjustments such as underlining text. In addition to this, photos, videos and links can be easily integrated. Create your own website with one of our MyWebsite packages – all of which do not require knowledge of computer languages like HTML or CSS. All you need to build a website with us is an idea, some time, and some willingness to have fun! Successful results can be seen in just a short period of time.

Whether a private user, a freelancer, an online retailer, or a small or large business owner, with IONOS MyWebsite anyone can create a professional website without any prior coding knowledge. Each MyWebsite plan includes the following:

Basic features:

• the website editor with which you create your website
• a selection of industry design templates, optimized for use on various devices
• hosting on a secure and reliable web space
• round-the-clock support

All plans are available at an attractive price regardless of what stage your business is at – the larger plans not only include the basic features, but also give you access to more advanced functionalities. Regardless of which plan you choose, they are all suitable for anybody who wants to create a simple and functional personal or business website.

Our more comprehensive plans are the best value for money and are suited to a sales-oriented business website. They can offer all the basics alongside some extra features such as marketing tools (for SEO, Facebook, analytics), and professional mail plans.

Whether looking for certain products or services, or researching a specific topic, the internet is almost everybody's go-to resource. It is therefore very important for companies, organizations and self-employed people or freelancers, to have their own internet presence. These days, this is the only way to ensure that your services and offers will be noticed.

If you want to build your own website, there are many options. There is a wide selection of web design services for both advanced users, professionals and beginners alike. Even without any prior knowledge of designing a website, there are a number of tools available to assist you in making your own website. Before considering exactly how you will create your website, first think about what kind of site you are interested in – different sites serve different purposes. Some of the most common website formats are as follows:

Personal Website

Websites can be used to display a personal story or a family story. With such sites, it is common to explain one's interests and career path with photos – and the themes are more often than not part of the webmaster's personal experience. In addition to this, personal websites are often created for special occasions (weddings, additions to the family, etc.). This type of website is often used as a diary that is viewable to the public.

Blog

A blog (long form: weblog) is a website that mostly publishes content in the style of a diary or a magazine. Similarly to the private website option above, all content focuses on the blogger. However, in contrast to a private website, a blog usually centers on one specific theme or topic. In terms of blog content, there are almost no limits; common themes include popular culture, fashion, lifestyle, technology or politics.

With high-quality and sought-after content, texts suited to your target audience and an appealing web design, it is easy to set up a successful blog that also earns money. The most common web applications for the creation of a blog are wordpress.com, blogger.com and tumblr.com.

Photo Gallery

The internet is full of images in all shapes and sizes – so much so that some websites are almost entirely dedicated to them. Artist and photographer websites, as well as sites for furniture, jewelry or fashion brands, also include a lot of imagery.

Generally speaking, photo galleries are a great option for companies or businesses that need to display a number of products or services. The way in which a photo gallery is embedded on a website depends on the system used to create your website, or your website builder. There is also a large selection of social media platforms that offer a simple method of publishing and circulating images (for example: Instagram, Pinterest or Flickr).

Promotional Website

Some people use their website for professional purposes to upload their personal résumé, as well as including further information on their professional career and work samples. A link to your promotional website can make your application stand out from the crowd and act as testament to a forward-thinking and initiative-showing applicant – as long as it is well presented and aesthetically pleasing.

To ensure that your personal data is not open to the public, keep your private documents (personal résumé, certificates, etc.) in a password-protected section of your website. This way, you simply have to send the password to the relevant person dealing with your application.

Online Business Cards

For business relations it is a good idea to build a website in the style of a business card. The great advantage of business cards is the speed with which they can be designed. A single page for basic information and contact options is also sufficient. Some online business cards are made from a number of web pages in order to display certain information separately, such as your own portfolio. Online business cards for both companies and self-employed people, have the same purpose as promotional websites for people on job hunts; your internet presence displays your personal strengths and should contribute to your personal success. Regardless of whether your digital business card is a single page or a complete website, this is normally the starting point for small companies in the digital world – especially for small businesses and self-employed people – and eventually grows into a fully-fledged business website.

Company Website

Company websites usually have a larger amount of content and a deeper structure than online business cards. Depending on the sector or the firm, business websites usually contain content that has an informative or entertaining function. An online presence can strengthen a company's image, it can be used as a marketing platform for new publications and services, or provide support; as well as communication channels for the target group. The same applies to the websites of self-employed people and organizations that do not solely aim to make a profit. Many company websites do not just inform about their various products and services, but also offer a service to purchase or order such items directly via their website. There are also many sites that exist exclusively for specific products or brands. If the focus of a commercial website is on the sale of goods, then it is considered an online shop.

Online Shop/Web Shop

eCommerce is an integral part of everyday life for many people and an end to the online trading boom is nowhere near in sight. For those wanting to create their own online shop, a fully-functioning website is of course required. In addition to this, there are a number of other aspects to take note of: before creating an online shop, it is important to first create a business plan. Other areas that need to be considered include the distribution of purchased goods and the search engine optimization (SEO) of the online shop in order to make it more visible in Google search results. In addition to this, as an online retailer there are various legal frameworks that must be adhered to.

Yes! People assume that it costs a lot of money to build a website, but that's simply not true. Our website builder was particularly created to help small business creating their own website fast and without previous knowledge. IONOS makes it easy and affordable. Here's how the process works:

Step 1: Pick plan and domain

If you already own a domain, transfer it. If you don't have one yet, we'll help you find one. IONOS hosting plans, which include a website builder, offer extremely competitive pricing for budget-conscious business owners.

Step 2: Create your website using our website builder

Using our setup wizard, choose from one of our hundreds of website templates, which include web pages designed for many different industries. All of our templates are mobile-friendly, which means your customers can visit your site using their smartphones and tablets. Can you really get all of this from a website? Yes, you can.

Step 3: Use Web apps for a customized visitor experience

Using our Web apps, you can integrate social media, images you've stored in the cloud, and even online payments into your website. Let customers book appointments, track orders, watch YouTube videos, read content, and much, much more.

Bottom line: You don't have to spend a lot of money to create a beautiful, feature-rich, and surprisingly affordable website. It's not about how much you spend on a website - it's about how well it works for you and your customers.

Yes! You can handle the transfer a couple of different ways. Transfer the site yourself, backed by IONOS's tech support team, or let our professional web team take it to the next level.

Do-it-yourself

If you've already built a website for your online business, we make it as easy as 1-2-3 to transfer your site to IONOS. You are able to test our website builder for yourself for 30 days with a money-back-guarantee.

1. Pick your plan.

Browse through our plans and choose the one that fits your business. The website builder plans differs in the number of pages which you can create, the number of selectable designs and a few other features. Pick the contract term and payment schedule that works best for your business.

2. Move your website to IONOS.

We make it easy to move your content to our servers and to fit it into one of our free website builder templates. If you need support during the move, we're available 24/7.

3. Transfer your domain.

Transfer your existing domain to us, and terminate your old contract. Your website is reborn, hosted by IONOS.

If you'd prefer a custom design to one of our templates, let a IONOS professional website creator transform your existing website into a knockout showcase for your business. After creating your unique website design, the IONOS team will:

Optimize your website so that search engines can find it

Your website always gets the attention it deserves when you choose a custom web design.

No. With our website builder, you don't need any previous experience with HTML or HTML5 code, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, jQuery or any other programming language in order to build your website. In fact, our developers have created the website builder in an effort to guide you through the process of the creation of your website in a simple step-by-step approach. Web designs and images are available for more than 200 industries – allowing you to make your own website suitable for your specific requirements.

To simplify the administration of our website builder technology, the backend view largely corresponds to the frontend view – meaning there are no complicated menus or navigations and you can always see what your changes will look like. A versatile text editor is included that allows you to easily edit font size and deal with other formatting tasks whilst images, video and links can also be integrated easily. Professional website building has never been so simple. By the way, when you make your own website using our website builder, the resulting site will be consistent with W3C standards.

When you build your website with our website builder, you can expect unparalleled safety and security. Your website will be safe for visitors and your data and software will be secured against hackers and other types of data loss. What's more, when you use our website builder, you will also be safe from viruses, malware and other threats.

Our high-performance data centers are subject to German data-protection standards which are among the strictest in the world. In addition to this, your website data is secured using geo-redundant servers, to ensure maximum protection. When transmitting data through our fiber optic connections, we ensure multiple security measures through encryption and the data is passed through an external firewall.

Of course, when you are building a website you will automatically think of the legal requirements found on professional websites. IONOS can provide the necessary legal texts that deal with this issue. Finally, should you have any further questions or issues regarding security or legal operation, our experts are on hand 24/7 through telephone or email.

With our design templates you have everything you need to create a website that performs well - with no expert knowledge necessary. At the same time you have the freedom to build a website based on your own ideas and preferences. To this end you have full access to HTML structures, allowing you to add new site elements and to adjust the structure of your website. In addition, it's easy to create CSS elements - this gives you the absolute freedom to adapt the design and layout of your website. With CSS (Cascade Style Sheet) you can enjoy complete control over the color as well as the size and position of each individual HTML element. Using the design templates you can create your own website and adjust it to your own requirements with the customized CSS and HTML settings.

If you are interested in web design but have yet to master CSS and HTML, then you should look into these two coding languages. The rules are simple and there's no special math knowledge required. You will need programming languages like PHP or JavaScript to implement additional functions and applications on your website. With these languages your options are virtually limitless when it comes to creating and building a website. From calendars to interactive content blocks, you can write code that genuinely enriches your website. You will find more assistance and information in our Help Center.

In recent years, creating a blog or a website has become more accessible with various software, platforms and organizations. Traditionally, websites are used for more static content such as business and contact information as well as more detailed features like online stores, reservation portals or contact forms. Blogs on the other hand are used for more topical or changing content such as news and updates and perhaps photo or video content.

Users opt for both a website and a blog because they provide both individuals and businesses with a complete digital presence. While a website acts as a reliable and informative reference point, a blog provides content directly to your customers and allows you to regularly update them on business developments. A blog not only keeps customers and consumers in the loop, but it also increases your website traffic and therefore your services or products.

Blogs also provide a social and interactive aspect; they allow you to comment and follow other blogs and create a supportive and connected digital community. For social media also, blogs provide more shareable content and engage users, encourage social interaction, and therefore add value to your website. Aside from maintaining and fostering healthy relationships with your customers, a business blog will improve a company's Google ranking and provide visible benefits all around.

It's a breeze to insert images and videos with the MyWebsite tool. Simply select "insert element" and then "basics". Now you can quickly and easily drag and drop images to insert them on your website. By using the button "edit image", you add image effects and also adjust the size, sharpness and focus. If multiple images are to be displayed in succession, then simply drag the element "image gallery" in the "image and videos" category to your site and then establish the sequence settings, such as how many seconds each image is visible before the next one appears. It's also easy to include videos as you build your own website - under "images and videos" you can display video material either as Flash Video or direct from YouTube as well as MyVideo. To embed clips from YouTube or MyVideo, you need only paste in the corresponding embed link to the video. That way your desired video is automatically linked to your website.

Creating a website is only half the work - high-ranking search engine results are essential to a website's performance; around 50 percent of all purchases online are made using a search engine. In addition to this, it allows people to find your website online and helps you appear ahead of your competitors. For these reasons, it's important to have a sustainable, long-term search engine optimization strategy. At IONOS, we provide you with all the tools you need for better search engine placement. When you create a website with us, our powerful tools for successful online marketing will take you through your existing content, helping you to ensure that it's fully-optimized for search engine rankings.

Yes! We make our online website builder straightforward and easy to use. However, if you need help to create your own website, our tech support team is available 24/7, every day of the year. For tech support, you can contact us via email or over the phone. If you send an email, we'll get back to you within 48 hours. For immediate problems, give us a call.

We use some of the safest and most modern data centers in the entire U.S. If a piece of hardware in the data center fails, or if the data center experiences a power outage, we automatically connect to backup systems to keep your website up and running. Additionally, we protect our servers and our network using world-class security measures.

You can feel confident that your Web pages are safe and secure, and you can stop worrying that an attacker will crash your site. With IONOS, your business website stays up and running just like we do - 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days per year. You build your website - we take care of the rest.

Yes! IONOS offers valuable tools for lead nurturing and generating repeat business. Here's how we help our customers build relationships with their customers:

Step 1: Build website

Create a website with the our website builder and host it with IONOS. Use IONOS Site Analytics tools to learn more about your customers. Do customers find your site using Google, or do you get a lot of referrals from Facebook? Which of your web pages are most popular? Where do your customers live? With IONOS, you'll learn the answers to these questions and more.

Step 2: Find and nurture leads

Create content for your customers, including blog posts, downloadable e-books, and more.

Step 3: Make the initial sale

Our Web Apps let customers book their first appointments or make their first online purchases from your business.

Step 4: Maintain the relationship

Keep customers coming back by sending them coupons and notifications about new products or services. Connect with them on social media. Offer a section on your website featuring the latest industry news and trends. With IONOS, you're always providing value and staying connected with your customers.

Yes! IONOS isn't just in the business of offering free websites and affordable hosting. We offer several different options for attracting new customers to your site.

Get traffic from Google with search engine optimization (SEO)

Along with our website builder, IONOS offers a set of tools. They're easy enough for beginners to use but powerful enough for SEO experts. In addition to optimizing your site when you first build it, you'll get notifications about your search engine ranking. Our SEO tools provide ongoing analysis of your site's text and structure to improve your Google rankings.

Attract visitors from social networks

Whether you're active on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, or other social networks, our web apps connect your social media accounts to your business website. If you own a restaurant, register your business with Foursquare so that guests can check in and find each other.

Take advantage of local search

IONOS can register local companies with Google My Business so that you're easy to find on Google Maps, Search, and Google+. You'll be able to display the same address, phone number, hours of operation, and more across all of Google's services.