In times past, you had to have a lot of money to build a website. Now, however, even though you have a shoestring budget, it's possible to create a website for almost next to nothing. If you want to test the waters on the Information Highway, now is a great time as it won't cost you a fortune.

One option you have in creating a website on a budget is to use free software. Free software is readily available on the Internet for just about any programming need you may have. Many of the scripting languages are also free. You can always go to sourceforge.net, which shows you a large amount of free software that is available to help you create your own website.

Free software is frequently used by the masses of people that utilize the Internet today. It is becoming the "norm", so to speak. If you go with a free program make sure it is very popular and has a good user forum, so you will have a place to ask questions.

Another option is to use an inexpensive program like XSitePro. Now this program will set you back about 200 dollars, but that really is economical when you compare it to other html editors. XSitePro was made with internet entrepreneurs in mind and makes building websites quick and easy.

One of the easiest and cost effective ways of building your website is to use one of the templates that come with your html editor software. You can always start with one of the free templates and then edit and tweak it to make it your own. You can also find many templates for sale online and they are usually reasonably priced.

In order for the world and your customers to see your website you will need to host it somewhere. There are many low-priced hosting companies available today. Since you are just starting out you probably do not need a lot of space or bandwidth.

Usually, you have to pay by the month to host your website. Now, however, there are some hosting companies that allow website owners to only pay for what he or she uses. This type of hosting works best for personal websites and not business sites though.

No matter what your budget is, make sure you think everything through before you get started. It's always best to do it once and do it right. The alternative is very frustrating and a waste of your precious time. So before you decide on the cheapest or free website builder make sure that it will do everything that you are looking for. It is also important to choose a website builder with excellent support and user forums, so when you get stuck, (and you will) you'll have a place to turn for help.