With the internet having become such a major part of our lives, it is becoming more and more important for professionals to maintain a healthy online presence, especially if they wish to become good businessmen or entrepreneurs. This habit has to start from a young age though, which is why students are now turning to the internet not only to do their own research but also to publish this work like literature reviews or papers that they’ve written. For such students, it is important to be aware of some of the best web-design apps and websites so that they can make the most of what is available out there.
So, if you’re a student and you wish to publish your work online for real people to read, then the next time you do your assignment, be sure to keep in mind that there are various web design apps that can help you create your very own website in very little time.
Why Have a Website at all?
Before we talk about some of the best web design software you can use, let’s talk about why a student might want to have their own webpage in the first place. There are many reasons for this, but some of the main ones include:
- Publishing Research: If you are working hard on a project for your college, then you might want to publish it just to share it with people. It not only gives you a sense of accomplishment to have your work published online but it also offers you people’s own insights into the subject matter and their feedback.
- Collaboration: When people read your work on a regular basis, you can end up getting opportunities to collaborate with them on some project. You may get in touch with an expert from across the world who might get interested in your research and you’ll end up learning a lot more.
- Professional Opportunities: Not only can you add a successful website to your resume, but you may also be contacted by people who are looking for someone with your skillset. You don’t have to be a researcher to create a webpage either. You can be a designer, an artist, or a student of any field. As long as you share your work with the world in a formal and well-presented manner, your professional outlook improves.
The Best Website Publishing Platforms
So, if you’re ready to start your own website and are looking for services that can help you create one, then these are your best options:
WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular website builders out there for students. The main reason for this popularity is that the platform itself is free to use and doesn’t require any knowledge of coding or web-design to get started with. Students can easily choose from one of the many different templates available and start uploading their content right away. And when you grow more confident with your coding skills, you can customize your WordPress website however you want! This flexibility is what makes it such a good option for long-term users. WordPress also has a strong content management system and many different plug-ins and themes that can be used to boost your site’s engagement and other aspects.
Weebly
Using Weebly for education website has become a very popular option for students too. This is also a free website builder that is extremely easy to use. There are multiple themes to choose from so that you can get your site looking just how you want. With features such as an SEO guide to help with your site’s online presence and the opportunity to convert your site into a commercial store at some point, Weebly is a very good choice for student websites.
Wix
Wix is perhaps the best free DIY website builder out there simply because it is very, very easy to use. This is a modern-day web page builder that looks and feels more polished than many other options. There are a whopping 800+ templates that you can choose from so you can have a website that looks professionally designed from the get-go. You can adjust the various aspects of your site via a drag-and-drop functionality that makes the whole process very intuitive, and you can also add an online store to provide your services later on.
The Best Learning Resources
If you wish to take your website building or management skills a step further, then you can use the following resources to actually learn some things about web-design and you won’t have to rely solely on web design apps for the rest of your life:
Alison and/or Udemy
Alison and Udemy are just two examples of websites that have a lot of different courses that students can take part in, including those revolving around web-design. You can learn how to code, build a website, increase conversion rates, and much more. Many of the courses offered are free and the rest aren’t very expensive either. So, the amount of knowledge you get out of the money you pay, if you pay at all, is very high. Such platforms will be very beneficial for you if you plan to create a website for the long term, even if you start by sharing literature reviews or other research.
Codecademy
If you wish to really take control of your site, then learning to code is going to help you a lot. Codeacademy is the place where you can learn coding for free. The lectures here are very easy to follow, even if you’re a beginner. When you learn to code, you can make your own website however you want. It’s a good skill to learn if you’re keen on having a strong online presence with a classy website to boot.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many benefits to having your own site even as a student. Sharing your knowledge with others is not only fulfilling but can also open many doors for you as a professional. Whether you use Weebly for education sites or go all-out on WordPress with your own coding knowledge, having some sort of a website is likely to benefit you a great deal when you get done with your studies or move on to more serious research work.
All of the web design software in this guide is free, or has a free tier at least, so students of all kinds can easily use them to develop their very own websites.
This article was written by Daniel Jones who is a writing tutor at PapersOwl. Other than being a writer himself, Daniel has had extensive experience with web design and has worked for various software companies as their lead web designer and content creator.
These days, he also offers guest lectures at different institutions, talking to students about the importance of having a positive online presence by creating custom websites and blogs.
