As photo albums turn digital and e-mail addresses become commonplace, modern families are building their own Web sites, contributing to an increasingly popular part of the Internet where you can find everything from elaborate wedding invitations to vacation pictures to the first photo of a newborn.

You don’t need advanced computer skills anymore to create a family Web site. Today, sharing photos online is as easy as pressing the Enter key to upload images to a photo site. And you can create a wedding or baby site by simply filling out a form. Even if you want to create a customized Web site, the software programs and resources available now make it easier than ever to personalize the way you share family stories and memories over the Internet.

In this article, I introduce you to the many ways you can build a Web site so you can better appreciate your options and decide which method is best for you. Then I take you on a tour of family Web sites so you can see what’s possible. Finally I compare the most popular Web design and image editing programs so you can find the best tools for your project.

Connecting Families Over the Web

My goal in this article is not just to help families create Web sites but to help people around the world get closer by sharing their stories and photos with loved ones over the Internet. Here are a few ways people like you are using the Internet to keep in touch:

• Baby sites: Many parents are using Web sites and blogs (online journals) to chronicle every milestone of their child’s life, from the first tooth to the first day of school. Next article features templates and tips for creating a baby Web site, and next article covers blogs, which are becoming increasingly popular on the Web.
• Sites for younger kids: Better than a bumper sticker, Web sites are a great way to showcase your favorite student’s work, clubs, after-school activities, hobbies, and more. Next article features templates and instructions for creating a sports or hobby Web site.
• Sites for older kids: Tech-savvy high-school kids are showing off with graduation sites, prom sites, and team sites. Creating a Web site is like having your own yearbook, only better. If you want to create your own completely customized site, see the introduction to Dreamweaver in next article.
• Travel sites: The days of vacation slide shows in the living room are fading fast. Today, families are creating vacation sites with online photo albums to share snapshots from their latest adventures.
• Wedding sites: Before they say ‘I do,’ more and more couples are building wedding Web sites that feature invitations, directions, guest registries, and more.

If you’re anxious to put up a Web site right away, skip ahead to one of the article listed in the preceding list. You find everything you need to get a site up quickly. If you have a little more time to think about your project or you want to create a more general family site, continue reading this blog to discover more about the range of options for creating a Web site.

Comparing Web Site Options

If you’ve never created a Web site before, you may not realize how many ways you can publish photos and other information on the Web, or how many software programs and service providers there are to choose from. You’ve probably seen Web sites in many styles, but you may not know that some of the differences in how those sites look depends on the type of technology used to create them.

Choosing how to create a Web site is an important first step. You can start simply, with an online photo album site or with an online service that does nearly everything for you. Or you can create a site based on templates, like the ones featured on the CD for next article, or you can create a completely customized Web site. This section provides a brief review of your options.