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[F784]Free Professional Website Templates

by Grojan Fabiola, Gro

Contrary to what people usually think, website templates and especially free templates, are designed by professional designers, and each free template is different from the other. It is true that some free templates might be the same as far as the design is concerned but they are usually different in color or font styles. On the other hand, there are website templates as different from one another as the sun and the moon. Their design is unique and even though they are free templates, you might never see templates similar to yours on other websites.

Moreover, free templates are perfect when building a low budget website. Even if you do not have a large amount of money to spend on your website, it does not mean that it cannot look spectacular. Many free website templates are unique in the feel of your website and in design.

Using free templates has both benefits and drawbacks. The fact that you usually have to use a ?designed by? link on the site might be considered a drawback. This gives away the fact that you are using free website templates. There are free templates available that do not require such a link, but it is harder to find them. If you are bothered by the link you must use, then the alternative is paying for website templates or hiring a website designer.

On the other hand, if you use free templates, you save money and have a professionally looking website. Free templates save you from spending money and the website you build using these website templates is as good looking as any professional site. Moreover, building a website using these free templates is very easy. All one has to do is download the templates and add the desired text. Within a short period of time you can have a professional website.

Another drawback might be the fact that your web site might not have that unique feel to it. Other web sites might have a similar look as your website, given the fact that you might be using the same free templates. However, the content is different and the colors can also differ. Even so, if you want something truly unique, then you should use payable website templates or hire professionals to create your website. This, unfortunately, can be very expensive and can take a lot of time.

On the other hand, using free templates gives consistency to your website and allows you to change the aspect of the site whenever you desire. Similar colors and design give consistency to your site and make it look more professional. Downloading free website templates requires no special program. They are also very easy to use and you can edit them according to you taste.

Using free templates can have its drawbacks, but the advantages of using such website templates outnumber them. For no money at all, you can have a great looking website, which you can built within minutes and change its aspect whenever you feel like it. Website templates are perfect for people who want to create their own site and save a lot of money.

Internet users will spend 3-5 seconds at a website before deciding to either stay, or try elsewhere. Take heed of this fact and realize that a website with great content can still be left behind without a professional, attractive look. Unfortunately, designing and coding a great website isn't always easy; it requires a good deal of creativity and knowledge, which a lot of us just don't have. Web design companies can charge per hour, more than many people make in a day for just this reason. But there are other options, and this is where website templates come in. They allow you to take advantage of other people's creativity and expertise while paying a fraction of what you would (around $50). However, this drastic price cut does come with some strings attached, and you will need to do a few basic things to get your template-based website ready for prime time.

Content

Your first task with a template will be to insert your content and format it properly. Take a look at the template and your content side by side and determine what should go where, and on which page (homepage, contact, about us, etc.). Then, open up one page (.htm or .html file) at a time in your favorite text editor, and copy and paste in your content. Make sure to save the file with .htm or .html as the extension and take a look in a browser. It probably won't look perfect at first, so try playing around with paragraph length and font-size. The line below shows how to change the font-size to 10px by editing the paragraph tag at the beginning of your paragraph.

p style=”font-size:10px;”

You'll also need to change the text of the links in the navigation to reflect the flow of your website. Below is an example of how to create a link to the About Us page:

a href=”about.html”>About Us<

If you've never worked with HTML or CSS, this step may take you a few hours, but this is a trade-off you should be a little more willing to make after spending $50 for a professionally designed website.

Image Editing

After you're done adding content there is still work to do. Even if you get lucky and you're happy with the look and images your template comes with, you should think about replacing them with your own. One of the unfortunate facts about web templates is that their purchase carries no copyright, and therefore many websites can use the same ones. So, changing colors, and replacing images can prevent your website from being almost identical to a competitor's. Assuming you purchased a template to save money, buying an expensive image editing program would defeat the purpose. So, unless you already own an image editing suite like Adobe Photoshop, try out GIMP (http://www.gimp.org), a free, open source image editing program that offers most of the same capabilities. At this point a few really simple changes can make a world of difference. Web templates often make wide use of stock photos, so find an image that relates more closely to your content, make it the same size as the one it's replacing, and your website will have a whole new feel. Editing the color of the background, and changing the color of navigational buttons are two more changes that are quick, easy, and give your website a new look.

Web Hosting

The last thing you'll need to do is find a domain name, and web host to get your site online. There are thousands of web hosting companies online, and the vast majority of them will offer domain name registration. Make sure to look for one with an easy application to upload your files, high bandwidth, and e-mail addresses included. Go check one out, and get your professional, attractive website online quickly, easily, and for a fraction of the price your competitors.

Article Source : Pg. 25

About Author

Both Grojan Fabiola & Chris Lexmond are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Grojan Fabiola has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Improvement, Information Technology and Estate Planning. For more resources about or about please review this website. Grojan Fabiola's top article generates over 1830000 views. to your Favourites.

Chris Lexmond has sinced written about articles on various topics from The Internet. . Chris Lexmond's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.