Do-It-Yourself Website Development

Build Simple Custom Websites From Scratch with Completely Free Tools

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In this course, you'll learn how to build a simple, custom website from scratch. Not a template-based site that will look like everyone else's. You'll build your website from nothing… in raw code, the way you want, then take it live on the Web.

You're going to learn a lot about HTML and CSS, the languages of content and design in web development. You won't be a professional web developer at the end of this course. You will have built a rock solid foundation in HTML and CSS. And, if you decide you want to learn more, you'll be well prepared to tackle more advanced web development courses.

If developing some simple websites for yourself and your friends is all you want, you'll learn all you need from this course. You'll also learn about some resources that will help you further develop your skills on your own.

You won't need to buy any special software. You'll use free tools that I'll guide you through setting up. The only cost will be an affordable web hosting service to take your site live on the Web. I'll help you with that too, when the time comes.

And when you're done, you'll have a custom website that you built yourself, live on the Web, sharing what you have to say with the world.

Let's get started.

Topics Include:

  • Setting up a plain text editor for web development.
  • The structure of HTML.
  • Structuring written content.
  • Adding images.
  • Embedding videos, maps, and other third-party content.
  • Linking to internal and external pages.
  • Creating lists and tables.
  • Styling content with CSS.
  • Designing pages for readability and visual appeal.
  • Customizing fonts and text.
  • Registering your website domain name.
  • Setting up a web hosting service.
  • Uploading your site and taking it live on the Web.


Your Instructor(s)


Thomas Bell
Thomas Bell

Thomas Bell is a co-founder and partner of Chronicle, a brand narrative consulting firm. He co-founded and served as founding program director of the AJC Decatur Book Festival, one of the United States' largest literary events. In this position, he met regularly with all Big Five publishers and many university and indie publishing houses, as well as with book critics, agents, publicists, and writers ranging from internationally bestselling authors to local self-publishers. He has advised and negotiated on behalf of start-up indie publishers, first-time authors, and already successful authors working toward even greater success. He regularly attends and networks at BookExpo, the annual conference of the publishing industry. He has taken private tours of print-on-demand facilities and the nation's largest book distribution facility, and has presented to the full national sales force of Ingram Content Group, America's largest book sales and distribution company, at their quarterly sales conference. He was formerly a book critic at alternative weekly Creative Loafing, and the production editor of The Duck & Herring Co.'s Pocket Field Guide, an independent literary magazine.

Bell has always been equal parts artist and sci-tech nerd. He started programming computers when he was 13 years old, coding in BASIC on a TRS-80 Color Computer with 4K of RAM and a cassette tape interface for storage. Shortly after, he had his first paying client, an electronics repair shop that learned through the local Radio Shack that this kid could write for them an inventory program. Today, he gives time and attention to his nerd brain by developing websites and mobile apps, for fun, for promotion of his other projects, for friends and families, and for clients.


Course Curriculum



Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.