Webs.com, formerly known as FreeWebs, has become a popular alternative for people who are looking to either create a free website or host and create a site with their own domain.  The free service stands out for the number of options that it offers and the paid packages also seem to stand up to the competition.  The problem is that with so many options available, it can be difficult to choose the right up.  This Webs.com review will cover the basics of what is offered as well as the potential benefits and drawbacks of using this service.

Overview of Webs.com

Webs.com offers 4 different pricing plans ranging from free hosting and website design to the pro version ($16.66/month).  All of the packages include free site building tools, which is what has made Webs so popular.  The free account includes 100MB of bandwidth per month and 40MB of disk space.  As you move up the ladder there are additional features such as premium templates, free domain name, free email address, as well as more bandwidth and storage.

Benefits of Webs

•    Easy to Build
The biggest reason that Webs.com has become so popular is that creating a website is super-simple.  You can choose from 100′s of professionally designed templates and customize them to your liking.  You can even upload your own logo.  The website builder utilizes a WYSIWYG interface that makes adding new content, pictures, and everything else a snap.  They state that if you can use Microsoft Word, then you can use their website builder.

•    Applications
Webs features a wide variety of applications that you can add to your website ranging from a daily calendar to new arcade names.  All of these applications can be installed onto your site with a single click and some will even help you integrate your social media profiles from networks like Twitter and Facebook.  Other popular applications include: CafePress Shop, Meebo IM, AllStar Experts, Forums, Blogs, Guest books, Donations, and many others.

•    Tracking
Webs.com uses Clicky Web Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools to help you see how many visitors your website has generated as well as give you insight into what content has gotten the most attention and what your visitors searched for on your website.

Potential Drawbacks of Webs

•    Free Account
There are several limitation placed on the free account, which seems to be an industry standard.  The most notable issue is that there will be an advertisement placed above your header.  Fortunately, the banners do not seem to interfere much with the website as a whole.  Another potential drawback is that your website will not be hosted on your own domain, but rather as a sub-domain at Webs.com

•    Paid Accounts
In general, all of the paid accounts seem to have everything that you need.  However, if you are planning on creating a web store, then make sure to check out the limitations that are placed on the number of items that you can host.  Another potential problem could arise if you plan on hosting a lot of videos because you limitations are based upon the number of minutes rather than the size.  However, the Pro account is still very affordable and gets rid of these types of restrictions.

Webs.com Review

Overall, Webs.com delivers on its promises.  The website creation process couldn’t be much easier and the free account offers a lot more features than most others that can be found online.  The paid accounts seem to stack up pretty well against competition in terms of features and overall flexibility.  While there are some potential drawbacks to be aware of, the benefits that you can gain seem to largely outweigh them.