Unless you have knowledge of coding and sourcing—or you have a generous friend with a background in web design—developing a website that meets your personal needs can be a time consuming and frustrating process. It can be expensive, too, which is why SnapPages has become such a useful resource for basic internet users looking for an easier way to make websites online. The web-based publishing platform gives users a quick, simple, and cheap way to create custom websites from the comfort of their home.

Thanks to SnapPages’ drag and drop functionality, making custom websites is an intuitive process that practically anyone can do. Start by choosing a username, and create a title and tagline for your site. Pick a website theme from one of SnapPages’ dozens of templates, or design your own, and continue on the customizing process by selecting the graphics, logos, fonts, and colors for your site. A basic control panel helps you manage every aspect of your website, including blog posts and photo galleries, which are both simple to set up.

For a fee, users can upgrade to Pro accounts with SnapPages and get access to more features along with a custom domain name. SnapPages allows its users to transfer domains and add custom email accounts to any website. For anyone who has ever been interested in building their own site, SnapPages gives you the ability to make completely customized websites that look sleek and professional without any of the costs associated with hiring a expert to do the job. It’s definitely an application we would recommend.

Practical Uses:

• Create a website to advertise your small business
• Share photos with friends and family members
• Start your own blog
• Spread the word about an upcoming event by building a website to advertise it

Insider Tips:

• Select a template and then choose your own colors and fonts for a customized look
• Manage and share calendars from your SnapPages website
• Add meta tags to your site for better search engine optimization
• Control access to your site and limit who can view certain pages with custom security settings

What we liked:

• Getting set up takes less than five minutes
• No downloads or software to install before getting started
• SnapPages doesn’t overload users with too many options or templates to choose from
• Easy to import and tag multiple photos at once

What we didn’t like:

• Many features, like custom HTML and JavaScript codes, are available only to Pro Account users

Alternatives:

• BlinkWeb – business.blinkweb.com
• SiteKreator – sitekreator.com
• Weebly – www.weebly.com
• Wix – www.wix.com
• Yola – www.yola.com

Company Info:

• Launched: September 2008
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: Austin, Texas
• Founded by: Steven Testone
• Web site: www.snappages.com

Costs:

• Personal Accounts are free
• Pro Accounts are $8/month

Rating:

• 5 out of 5 (wow)