Website Builder

A free website builder is software that allows you to create a free website with a free plan quickly online. These programs work in your browser, so you don't have to download additional software to your computer – you just have to log in and design your site. The best free website software out there are designed for you to create a simple website as quickly and easily as possible. Typical features include:

• A WYSIWYG editor ("What You See Is What You Get"), which lets you work with a real image representation of your site.
• Drag-and-drop tools and other step-by-step solutions, with ready-made text boxes and pre-designed images to help simplify the creation process.
• No installation needed – the storage space is provided via an external database.
• Simple, intuitive operation.
• Free website creation and use.

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 personal 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 site 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 name. 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 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.

Hosting

Free site builders enable you to create simple ease-of-use websites even without any previous knowledge. The downside is that these free site builders rarely offer hosting services as standard and it is quite expensive to add hosting to the package or to enlist the help of an external web hosting provider. The few free site builders that do offer hosting often do so at the expense of some full-features or with extra restrictions. Others offer hosting in exchange for placing ads on your site, which barely generate any revenue.

Templates

Templates are especially helpful for beginners who want a professional looking website, but don’t much about programming or designing a website. This may sound great at first, but there are several drawbacks when it comes to free ones. Since the template is fixed, there’s little flexibility if you want to change anything. There may also be other websites using the exact same template, making it difficult to stand out from the crowd.

Email

Many companies prefer their employees to have uniform email addresses, usually containing the company name for extra professionalism. However, free domain-specific email addresses aren’t possible with free website builders and some don’t even offer them for a fee. You may need to use a plugin, add an email function, or use an external service.

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 homepage 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.

1. 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.

1. 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 mobile-optimized 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.

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.

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 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.