Universe — A Stupidly Simple Way To Make A Website On Your Phone
When it comes to building a website, I guess you could say i’ve been around the block. Wix, Weebly, Wordpress, Squarespace; you name it, i’ve tried it. These top tier providers sport outrageous price tags, creatively inhibiting layouts and confusing user interfaces.
It wasn’t until I stumbled upon the Universe app, that I realized I could create a simple yet elegant landing page for Free! Here’s my take away.
It Doesn’t Get Any Easier Than Universe.
“Universe is the easiest way to make a website. Choose a custom domain, build your site, and share it in less than a minute — all on your iPhone, for free.” — Universe Website
Create a site in less than a minute? That statement may seem a bit far fetched, but it has been tested and proven to be 100% true! I’ve tested every other platform against Universe and personally found it the quickest and simplest way to get your site off the ground and instantly on the World Wide Web.
When I did find myself in an odd bind, customer service was a click away; built directly into the app. They answered my queries in a timely and straightforward manner.
The Universe app is currently only available to IOS device owners through the AppStore. Just an FYI though creating, editing and maintaining your website can only be done through their app. Don’t worry, your visitors and clients will still be able to see your finished product on either their mobile device or home computer.
A Single Tap and Your in Business.
Universe features a ridiculously simple drag and drop editor; allowing you to create a website without the need for a Phd in applied sciences.
Upon creation your are presented with a 3 by 8 grid. This blank canvas approach may seem daunting to many site creators. What information should I include? How do I organize all of it in a pleasing and legible way? The Universe App is the answer to both our prayers. It features several easily editable templates. Simply allow the app to guide you through the process with a simple questionnaire (business or personal). They’ll gather all the necessary information and place it within your chosen design. Creating a landing page for yourself or business has never been easier!
Add Some Personalized Content.
The 3 by 8 grid is a unique and streamlined approach to a drag and drop editor. Tapping on a square launches the Block Menu, a collection of objects you can add to customize your grid. Such blocks as…
A Text Block — Adding text could never be easier. With a simple drag and drop, your words are immortalized. Add a link to your text box and now a site visitor can tap it to navigate to another page or website.
A Photo Block —Much needed for those who want to showcase their digital art portfolio to prospective clients. There’s no limit to the amount of photos you can add. You can even enlarge or shrink a photo to take up as much or as little space as needed.
A Video Block — Demonstrate/feature your product or service. Maybe even share your award winning home movie.
A Social Media Block — Add a direct link to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat, Linkedin Pinterest, Tumblr…
A Contact Block— Perfect for any business inquire. Add a primary phone number or email address enabling your clients to contact you with a single tap.
A Code Block — This block allows you to add html, css and javascript code to your website. You can add a youtube video, recent tweet, facebook post, google map, soundcloud playlist or any other web enabled content. The possibilities are truly limited to your imagination.
You can even customize your sites background with the option to either choose from a limited variety of preselected colours or upload your own photo or video. Personally, the video background is my favourite, as it gives a simple static homepage some life. Keep in mind you are limited to a single three second clip.
Now let’s connect that domain.
The Universe app is totally free to use and if you’re on a tight budget like yours truly, than the subdomain (example.onunivers.com) they provide is good enough. If you really feel like putting that personal touch on your finished product, then you should splurge for a custom domain.
Method 1:
The universe app does allow you to purchase and connect a domain through them for a ranging rate of $1.29CAD to $3.99CAD a month ($15.48 to $47.88 a year), but keep in mind that this method is a bit more pricey.
Method 2:
You are able to connect a domain purchased from a third party distributor, such as goddady or namecheap. Both offer domains at a far more affordable rate. Simply buy your domain from either site and forward it to your xxxxxx.onuniverse.com sub-domain, apply masking to display your sites custom address in the search bar and you’re done. A guide to doing both can be found here.
Final Thoughts.
I love everything about this platform, especially the fact that you can create a site in under a minute. Universe’s grid style drag and drop editor, elegant editable designs, simple pricing and above pare customer support really tie this platform together and place it at the top of my chart.
Create your own website today with the Universe app. The internet needs your personal touch!
