A free website host in 2024 — perfect for simple websites.

Ryan L. Kopf
10 min readMay 3, 2024

In 2024, the digital landscape is more integral to our lives than ever. Businesses, now more than ever, need an online presence to thrive. This is where Website Raven comes in — offering a unique, accessible platform for anyone wanting to create a simple website quickly and efficiently.

Having a website is more important than having a brick and mortar storefront for tons of businesses; it’s essential for identity, credibility, and engagement. With the rise of mobile internet usage and increasing consumer expectations for instant access to information, a fast-loading, easy-to-navigate website is essential.

Imagine if you own a cleaning company that comes to homes and cleans them for a monthly fee. Customers will want to see pictures of your past work and testimonials from existing customers. They can’t find that without finding your website.

The Evolution of the Internet and Web Hosting

The internet has undergone remarkable changes since its inception. From the days of dial-up connections and static web pages to today’s high-speed internet and dynamic content, the evolution has been rapid. Web hosting, in particular, has transformed from complex setups, requiring in-depth technical knowledge, to user-friendly platforms that empower even the least tech-savvy users to build and manage websites.

The Significance of a Business Website

Today, a business without a website is a business almost invisible to potential customers. Websites serve as a 24/7 online presence, allowing businesses to showcase their products, tell their story, and connect with customers across the globe. They are vital for credibility, reach, and customer engagement. And many services like Wix and Wordpress cost a small fortune.

My Background

Drawing from two decades of experience in computer programming, I designed Website Raven to be robust yet simple. It was crucial to create a platform that would not only be reliable and secure but also accessible to non-technical users. This balance ensures that users can focus on their content without worrying about the underlying technology.

Drawing from over two decades of programming, hacking, and building in the digital world, I, Ryan Kopf, created Website Raven with a straightforward philosophy: keep it robust, keep it simple. My journey through the trenches of code, from early command-line experiments to complex cloud infrastructures, has been driven by a passion for making technology accessible and empowering. I wanted to build a platform that not only stands up to the rigors of the web but one that your mom or pop could use without having to call you for help. This ethos ensures that with Website Raven, anyone can launch their website, focus on their message, and leave the tech worries to us. It’s about removing barriers, so more voices can be heard in this digital age, aligning with my broader commitment to improving lives and promoting sustainability. Whether it’s organizing anime conventions, installing solar panels, or renovating buildings, my goal is to create technologies that simplify and enhance people’s lives, just as Website Raven does.

This passion for technology and empowerment goes beyond my professional endeavors. It’s woven into every aspect of my life, from my sustainable living practices like installing solar panels to my community engagement. Each line of code I write and each project I embark on is a step towards making the world a more accessible and equitable place. Website Raven is more than just a tool; it’s a reflection of my commitment to these ideals, designed to bring the power of the web to everyone, regardless of their technical skill level.

Website Raven: A Tool for Empowering Small Businesses

Small businesses often struggle with limited resources, and setting up a website can seem daunting. Website Raven demystifies this process by providing a straightforward, direct HTML editing tool. Users can simply click “Edit” to modify their site directly, making web management as easy as editing a document.

Performance Matters on your Website

At the core of Website Raven’s performance capabilities lies its foundation in Rust, a programming language renowned for its speed and safety. Rust’s efficiency is such that applications written in Rust can operate nearly at “bare metal” speed, which means they’re almost as fast as if the code were executed directly by the hardware without any operating system overhead. This is a stark contrast to web hosts that rely on PHP, which typically runs slower. For instance, benchmarks show that Rust applications can outperform PHP by several orders of magnitude in raw execution speed. This architectural choice ensures that Website Raven is not just secure and reliable, but also one of the fastest web hosting services available today, offering users lightning-fast load times and responsive site interactions.

Performance is a critical component of any successful website, with far-reaching implications for user experience and business metrics. Several studies, including those conducted by giants like Amazon and Google, have consistently demonstrated the significant impact of website speed on user behavior and satisfaction.

Amazon found that every 100 milliseconds of delay in page load time led to a 1% decrease in sales. This seemingly small delay can translate into substantial financial losses, especially for high-traffic e-commerce sites. Similarly, Google discovered that an increase from 1 to 3 seconds in page load times resulted in a 32% increase in bounce rate. These statistics underscore a clear message: performance is not just a technical concern but a critical business factor.

Faster websites provide a smoother, more engaging user experience. When pages load quickly, users are more likely to browse longer, explore more content, and ultimately engage more deeply with the site — whether that engagement is measured by reading articles, signing up for newsletters, or completing purchases. Moreover, website speed is also a ranking factor for search engines, meaning better performance can lead to higher visibility, more traffic, and increased opportunities for revenue and growth.

The performance of a website can be influenced by various factors, from the efficiency of the code and server architecture to the size and format of images and other resources. By focusing on optimizing these elements, businesses can significantly improve their site speed, enhance user satisfaction, and achieve better overall business outcomes. In an internet-driven age where seconds can mean the difference between success and failure, ensuring your website performs at its best is not just advisable — it’s imperative.

Key Features of Website Raven

  • Instant Website Creation: Effortlessly build and deploy websites with our user-friendly interface and advanced tools.
  • High-Performance Solutions: Boost your online presence with our high-performance website capabilities, ensuring fast loading times and optimal user experience.
  • AI-Powered Efficiency: Save valuable time with our AI-driven website builder, automating and simplifying the web design process.
  • Full HTML, JS, and CSS Access: Enjoy complete control over your website’s code for custom development and unique designs.
  • Affordable and Transparent Pricing: Benefit from our cost-effective website building tools without compromising on quality, and host your website with no hidden fees.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Website Raven

Starting with Website Raven is as simple as visiting websiteraven.com and signing up. Users are then guided through a seamless process where they can edit their HTML directly on the page, see real-time previews, and publish changes instantly. This section would include visual aids to guide new users through every step.

As the only free website builder that lets you edit your HTML directly on the page you’re working on, Website Raven is truly a game-changer.

Getting Started is as Simple as Clicking ‘Edit’

  • Edit Button On Every Page: Simply click the ‘Edit’ button on any page to change text or pictures. It’s simple and quick, with setup processes that are instant.
  • Complete HTML Control: Directly change the HTML of your pages for full control over custom designs. Don’t be locked into uneditable templates.
  • HTML Template Editing: Easily tweak your website’s layout by editing the HTML. Make your site look just how you want — you can customize everything.
  • No Need For FTP: Forget about editing your site in a separate editor and uploading files; edit right on your site, saving a ton of time and headache. Read: What is FTP?

Building for the Future — Plans for Website Raven

Website Raven is continually evolving. Plans to include CSS customization options, more templates, and enhanced SEO tools are underway. We listen to our users and shape our roadmap based on their feedback to ensure that our service meets their growing needs.

Right now, I’ve focused on people who can build sites with HTML and CSS. Essentially, the basics of a website. However if you need complex code and PHP, like a website that takes orders or sell things, you will need to integrate with other services. We don’t do any script running on Raven, which makes it fast.

You can learn HTML & CSS easily from sites like CodeAcademy — https://www.codecademy.com/catalog/language/html-css

Why Website Raven’s HTML Builder is a Game-Changer

  • Integrate with Ease: Effortlessly incorporate code from advertising platforms. Our builder simplifies the integration process, enabling you to maximize your site’s revenue potential with ease.
  • Simple Third-Party Verification: Add verification tags to your layout quickly. This makes it straightforward to verify your site with third-party services, enhancing your website’s credibility and functionality.
  • Stay Ahead with JavaScript Libraries: Incorporate the latest JavaScript libraries with ease. Our builder ensures you can always leverage the newest technologies, keeping your site at the forefront of web innovation.
  • Optimized for SEO: Our builder is designed with SEO in mind, ensuring your website ranks well on search engines. This makes it easier for your audience to find you online, increasing your site’s visibility and traffic.

For example, if you have custom script tags you want inserted onto your page’s top of page, you can insert them anywhere into the content and our system will magically move them to the <head> tag of your website. Raven is meant to make website building just magical.

Comparing Website Hosting Services

WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) in the world, powering a significant percentage of websites on the internet. It offers a highly customizable platform with thousands of themes and plugins, which allow users to build everything from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites. However, the flexibility of WordPress comes with a learning curve and often requires maintenance and security updates that can be challenging for non-technical users. Additionally, while WordPress itself is free, many of its themes and plugins are not, which can increase the cost of operation over time. For users looking for simplicity and ease of use without the need for extensive customization, the complexity of WordPress might be more than necessary.

WordPress sites can also be slower if not properly optimized due to the heavy load of themes and plugins. Performance optimization often requires caching plugins and a good understanding of how to balance resources, which might not be straightforward for all users. This contrasts with simpler, more streamlined platforms like Website Raven, where the emphasis is on speed and ease without the need for such interventions.

Wix
Wix is a popular website builder known for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it an excellent choice for individuals who have no coding skills but want to create beautiful websites quickly. It offers a range of templates and design elements that are easy to use and modify, providing a lot of creative control without the need for understanding HTML or CSS. However, this simplicity comes at the cost of less flexibility compared to more developer-focused platforms. Wix websites can sometimes suffer from slower loading times and less effective SEO capabilities due to their underlying structure, which can impact a site’s visibility on search engines.

Moreover, while Wix simplifies website creation, it operates on a freemium model where the free version comes with significant limitations, such as displaying Wix ads and not allowing a custom domain. Upgrading to premium plans for additional features and removing ads can become costly, especially for small businesses or individuals on a budget. In comparison, Website Raven offers a more straightforward pricing structure and the ability to edit directly in HTML, providing more control over the site’s performance and SEO aspects.

Google Sites
Google Sites is a free tool from Google that allows users to create simple websites and web pages with minimal hassle. It is deeply integrated with other Google services, making it an excellent choice for those who are heavily invested in the Google ecosystem. The platform is very user-friendly, suitable for creating straightforward, functional websites without any bells and whistles. However, its simplicity also means it offers limited design options and almost no ability to modify the HTML or CSS directly, which can be a major drawback for those looking to create a more unique or branded online presence.

Another limitation of Google Sites is its lack of native ecommerce or sophisticated blogging features, which are essential for businesses looking to sell online or run a dynamic content-driven website. While it’s an excellent tool for creating quick, clean websites for personal use or small projects, it doesn’t scale well or provide the advanced features needed by more serious businesses or content creators. Website Raven, in contrast, provides the flexibility and control needed to scale and customize a website fully, thanks to its direct HTML and CSS editing capabilities.

Join us at RAVEN!

Website Raven stands at the intersection of simplicity and functionality, making it the perfect choice for anyone needing a straightforward, effective online presence. It’s designed for the modern web user who needs to get online quickly without the hassle of complex web development processes.

Ready to launch your website? Visit us at websiteraven.com and take your business or personal brand online today. Share your experience and join a community of forward-thinking website owners.

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Ryan L. Kopf

Serial C.E.O. and Entrepreneur. Great at technology, innovation, and entertainment arts.