Last fall, I posted my evaluations of free Web site services, Tripod, Freewebs, and Blinkweb. You might want to review those posts before continuing this one:

Free Website Offerings, Part One

Free Website Offerings, Part Two

Since then, I’ve worked with Tripod, Freewebs, and Blinkweb to the point that I’m ready to make a recommendation on which one I think is the best choice for a freelance writer wanting a brochure-style site with a blog attached. But, first I have to tell you about a new one I encountered.

Recently, I learned about Viviti, which offers a no-ad trial period. After two weeks, though, you either sign up to pay the monthly fee or live with the ads. I set up my own experimental free site and have fiddled with it a bit. Take a look: http://emilyakin.viviti.com/. The templates are creative and colorful, but I found the sitebuilder hard to manage.  I became frustrated all too easily while trying to set up my simple experimental posts. The design choices are acceptable, but I just don’t think a novice website builder will find this one user-friendly.

So—back to the others I previously evaluated. I’ve totally ruled out Tripod, because the ads are just too intrusive. Here’s my test site: http://emilyakin.tripod.com/. I really like the design templates in Blinkweb, which features no ads. However, I found the site-builder even more frustrating than Viviti’s. I could not figure out how to do a bulleted list on the blog page.  Take a look at my Blinkweb site: http://emilyakin.blinkweb.com/.

Drum roll, please! Now we come to my final recommendation. For someone wanting a simple site with plenty of design choices, a blog, and an intuitive sitebuilder, Freewebs is the way to go. Actually, the name has been changed to simply Webs.com. I’ve worked more with Freewebs, because I have my own experimental site at http://www.freewebs.com/emilyakin/ and another site for my music club at http://www.freewebs.com/philharmonicmusicguild/.

The Freewebs text editor works much like a word processor and has more design features than the other free sites mentioned above. Also, you can now have a blog with Freewebs. The Freewebs ads are less intrusive than Tripod, and you can get rid of them entirely if you want to go upgrade to paid plan, about $10 a month, as is the case with all of the free sites.

Keep in mind that you do get more features and benefits with a paid plan, but, for a freelance writer establishing his or her first Web site, Freewebs is the way to go. Play around with it and be creative, but keep it business-like. Choose a design with no graphics or with graphics that suggest you are a serious writer. Pass up the cutesy designs and any add-ons that distract from your message.

If you’re a writer aspiring to publication, you need a Web site, so go on over to Freewebs right now and get started. It’s free, and nobody knows it’s there unless you tell them. Keep it under wraps until you’re ready for your grand opening.