Web Development on a Tight Budget
Templates:
Not interested in coding your own html and making your own graphics? The perfect solution for you is what's called a template. A template is the basic skeleton of a web page. Purchasing a template is a quick and easy way to get a web site created. All you have to do is edit the html, add you own logo and content and voila! Instant web site! Templates come in all styles, colors, and prices. Your best bet for free templates is FreeLayouts.com ( http://www.freelayouts.com/ ) They have several pages to browse through. If you're interested in spending a little money, the best resource is Template Monster ( http://www.templatemonster.com. ) The only drawback of using a template is you will inevitably run across a site that looks just like yours. A new alternative is to run a contest for a custom template at Design Outpost.
( http://www.designoutpost.com/ ) The way the site works is you pay a cash prize, post your contest requirements on the forum, and their Design Team battles it out for the cash. All entries are custom designs from your specifications.
Programming:
So you need a forum, an image gallery, and a links page. Where do you go and how much is this going to cost? The site to visit for ready-to-use programming scripts is HotScripts.com (http://www.hotscripts.com ) The cost for many of the scripts you find there is free.
Images:
With the advent of digital cameras, high quality photography is easier to come by. The best and least expensive site to find these photographs is iStockPhoto.com. (http://www.istockphoto.com ) They have over 40,000 images in their database. The first 2 downloads of high resolution photographs are free and 25 cents for each additional photo. They have every imaginable category available.
Content:
You can't have a web site without something on it. The largest directory of free content for your site is FreeSticky.com (http://www.freesticky.com/stickyweb/ ) Whether you need the weather, jokes, news, or syndicated articles, they will most likely have what you're looking for.
Help:
There are thousands of people in the same business as you. An often overlooked resource for help are forums or message boards. Are you stuck with getting a page to display properly in Netscape? Do you need advice on how to market your web site? Not sure if your web site is search engine friendly? All the help you need is available for free just by registering with the forum and asking your question.
This is only a small sampling of valuable resources I've found during my years of web design. With a little investigation you will find many more as well. Happy hunting!
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