A free alternative to hosting your own website

For many the problem of having a website stems from the fear of technology. In the early stages of the internet building a website was done by masters of html, server side hosting and a host of other magical tricks. But today’s alternatives have made it as easy as having a MySpace account. My first two sites where a MSN Space and an Advanced Access real estate website. Now I have a few blogsites, have built blogsites, blog on other professional websites and have a host of free social professional blogs and profiles.

It has taken the better part of a few years to learn all this and the biggest thing I’ve learned is it does not have to take a few years to learn. Getting an online presence is far more important today then just a few years ago especially is a slow economy. The easiest way to gain a website is to join a social professional network and complete the free profile steps.

The first place to start, and get the feel of free web advertising, is to register at www.MerchantCircle.com. MerchantCircle is an online directory designed strictly for businesses and allows its users to create a profile, list contact information, upload a picture/logo, receive testimonials and even have a blog. It’s free, easy and within a few minutes your business can be online and in a search engine friendly directory.

Still not sure where to start? Go to www.MerchantCircle.com and register. Fill out the require fields and don’t be afraid to disclose business contact information, it’s safe and secure. When you’re done hit submit at the bottom of the page and voila, you have a webpage online.

From the merchant dashboard you can navigate through the profile, add in information and further build a free website. Don’t get frustrated when things go wrong or it seems challenging to get the hang of.

It is all a learning curve but once one network is figured out other networks will fall into place.