Free Genealogy Web Page Templates

• Larger resources – Using the internet genealogists can access the databases such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Mormon genealogy databases, and many others. This access is instant and easy.
• Social networking – An even greater resource is finding those who are also passionate about their family history. Whether fellow geneaologists or members of the family, the ability to communicate with and connect with many people via the web makes this an exciting time to start a site.

And what better way to begin than with free genealogy web page templates?

Choosing the Right Template

Most people looking to use free templates from the web are looking because they are something of an amateur, substituting dedication and passion for commercialism and experience. While it is easy to build a genealogy web page, in some ways there are too many choices. Before you start downloading a template to use, there are several factors to consider:

• Technological requirements – Some templates are built online, using the servers and resources of web companies. Others are designed to be downloaded to a server and maintained by the user themselves. If you are not comfortable with configuring software on your computer, or at the very least reading and altering HTML code and CSS, it's important to make sure that the free template you download doesn't require it. Otherwise it's going to cost you in time and frustration much more than it saves you in money.
• Quality – Because genealogy is such a popular pastime, there are many not-so-scrupulous people out there trying to lure people into downloading supposed "templates" that are actually anything but. It's important to make sure that whatever is being downloaded is reputable (preferably from unbiased user reviews) and provides both references and support. Templates should validate by Worldwide Web Consortium standards, and the best will have support sites and forums to help their users. The alternative could be as bad as virulent hacker software that can destroy all of your data.
• Style – The purpose of any template is to give you a basis from which to work, so that you don't have to build the page all by yourself. At the same time, a genealogy web site is a very personal endeavor, and so making sure the initial template is something that you actually like is the best way to start. Layout, colors, fonts, images all can be changed later, but if you don't have to change them much it leaves more time to actually work on the fun stuff: genealogy.

Where to Get Free Genealogy Web Page Templates

Here are two examples of resources for free templates. Many more are available through a quick Google search:

1. Ancestry.com is an example of a website that will do all of the layout and design work for you. As easily as entering your first and last name you can begin your own family tree, and then invite your other family members to continue to add in information as they acquire it. It provides for the uploading of GEDCOM files, and also has search capabilities that are connected to many major genealogy databases. The one drawback is that this is only free for a while – after a month, they charge $12.95 for a basic membership. However, it is a great way to get started on a genealogy web page without much difficulty.
2. Genealogy Web Creations represents the other end of the spectrum, designed for do-it-yourselfers who are comfortable with cascading style sheets and other coding practices. The creator gives much information about the code, including the fact that it validates and giving simple suggestions for customizing it. Best of all, the templates are offered free, a gift to the world of genealogists from a talented colleague.

With a little time and these resources, a genealogy web site can be created by anyone and shared with the world.