Free Clan Websites

I understand that many Clan Leaders might not have the money to invest into a website, and there are a lot free options out there for Clans.  Clans are a lot like businesses, they take a lot of time and money to operate. I found a free host option that mirrors some of the benefits that you gain generally from a paid for host. While you are still rather restricted, and do not necessarily have the same stability as financed web hosts, if I had to recommend a free web host;  it is offering the best benefits that I have seen for a free website.

When you are looking to shop online for a product, are you more likely to buy from a company with a free host?  Can you really trust them if their web address is company.host.com?  I wouldn’t typically  look twice if the company was based off a free host myself.  Keep in mind the disadvantages of having a free host on the internet when deciding where to put your website .

• Functions:  A lot of free hosts have security scripts to disallow users to use PHP scripts like forums and chatrooms.  A lot of free hosts do offer free forum templates, however they lack the abilities of PHPBB Forums.
• Professional:  Lack of a domain name and restrictions imposed by hosting companies in areas like:  the number of pages, bandwidth, size of files, etc. can really detract from the professional feel of your Clan.
• The Hosting Company:   Web hosting companies can sometimes be unreliable. It can be rather time consuming to move your website to a different host if this happens.

I remember when I had a free Geocities website for my clan, and having the annoying advertisements popping up above my website.  This alone may have driven many possible members away from my Clan just because it was free.  Even though the website didn’t look cheap, the domain name gave it away.  The lack of bandwidth had also prevented alot of my members from viewing my website from time to time. Due to the amount of information I had on the website in regards to day to day activities I had to purchase more bandwidth.  However, there are alot of free options out there and I want to give you my best recommendation if you decide to go with a free web host.

Ning

Anyone can create their own social network without any charges.  Anything from Zombies and Single Parents are some examples of Ning powered websites.  This free option would be the best one for any Clan looking for an easy site management platform that includes features like:

• Forums
• Groups
• Blogs
• Photos
• Videos
• Events
• Site activity
• Members
• Birthdays
• And much more

There are also a wide variety of applications that you can pick from to enhance your website’s content. You can use the administrator groups to help you:  manage, monitor and moderate your site. The easy drag and drop site builder can move features around a three column template.You can also allow the moderators specific areas of responsibility.

The added benefits to Ning are:  the ability to purchase other services, to get rid of advertising, adding your domain name, and more bandwidth for photos and videos. For a free web host and a powerful platform, Ning would be a highly recommended free option for you.