Business web site suggestions

[redux]

I want to create a web site for my tax prep business. The extent of my knowledge is...I know how to spell web site. I would appreciate any help those of you in the know can provide.

I realize I need a web host. But they come in so many forms, such as, a simple one that will host a site that I have designed. I know that I can purchase design software such as Frontpage...but then I'd be required to learn HTML. I also know that some hosts provide a design service for several hundred dollars. I also know that some hosts provide, as a part of the price, design tools so I can use their templates etc to come up with a site.

I'm looking for an outline of the process. Suggestions and opinions on the best approach. I'm thinking that perhaps learning HTML my self is going to result in the most professional looking site. MS has replaced Frontpage with new authoring tools called "Sharepoint Designer" and "Expression Web."

Beyond that, I am totally illiterate.

[Marge]

I use homestead.com It is very easy to work with. Maybe now that tax season is almost over I can do some badly needed work on my website.

Have been neglecting that lately.

Homestead is reasonable too.

Marge

[daisy]

I use IPower.com for hosting, and you don't need to learn HTML for Frontpage, it's a WYSIWYG application, so you can design the site easily without knowing any html.

IPower, I have the Pro option and I think it's like $7.95/month, but you have to pay the entire year up front. You get e-mail addresses, and you can also use it for other sites.

Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions.

[Julie]

I like First Page 2000, by Evrsoft It's free, although lacking in some of the bells and whistles of the current version (which costs money).

HTML is easy to learn. I suggest picking up a book by Elizabeth Castro. There are several versions of her "quickstart guide" to HTML. Even if you buy WYSIWYG software, a little HTML will help you polish the site to your satisfaction.

My web site is hosted by EhostPros. For ~$60 a year I get way more space than my tax business needs.....I'm hosting my husband's art site on the same account, and a couple personal web pages, to boot. The art site takes up most of the space, but there's still plenty of room.

Web site design is fun, and I'm starting to send out feelers as to picking it up as an off-season adjunct to my tax business.

[redux]

I like First Page 2000, by Evrsoft It's free, although lacking in some of the bells and whistles of the current version (which costs money).

HTML is easy to learn. I suggest picking up a book by Elizabeth Castro. There are several versions of her "quickstart guide" to HTML. Even if you buy WYSIWYG software, a little HTML will help you polish the site to your satisfaction.

My web site is hosted by EhostPros. For ~$60 a year I get way more space than my tax business needs.....I'm hosting my husband's art site on the same account, and a couple personal web pages, to boot. The art site takes up most of the space, but there's still plenty of room.

Web site design is fun, and I'm starting to send out feelers as to picking it up as an off-season adjunct to my tax business.

Thank you very much to all that responded.

[Eric]

If you don't need anything too fancy, and don't care to have your own domain name, google offers a nice (and free) service to those with a gmail account.

It's called the Google Page Creator

If anyone interested, I can send you an invite for a gmail account. You use the same username and password to log into the google page creator, and you do your editing with a simple WYSIWYG web based editor.

Your website address would be http://username.googlepages.com

[redux]

If you don't need anything too fancy, and don't care to have your own domain name, google offers a nice (and free) service to those with a gmail account.

It's called the Google Page Creator

If anyone interested, I can send you an invite for a gmail account. You use the same username and password to log into the google page creator, and you do your editing with a simple WYSIWYG web based editor.

Your website address would be http://username.googlepages.com

Thanks erc, I already have a gmail account so I'll check it out. It sounds like it could be an option for me.