Jimdo for iOS makes it a breeze to build and update a Web site.

(Credit: Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

Got an idea for a new blog or business? Are you a realtor who wants to share a new listing pronto? Need to promote a new smoothie collection? Usually the first step is staking your claim online.

Jimdo for iOS lets you whip up a Web site right on your iPhone or iPad. It’s actually a mobile extension of the popular browser-based service, which for years has allowed desktop users to accomplish the same thing. (Here’s a Rafe Needleman write-up dating back to 2007!)

Although the app won’t hit the App Store until Thursday, Aug. 22, I got a chance to try it out in advance. To get started, you simply create an account on your iDevice (or sign into your existing Jimdo site if you have one), choose a custom URL (such as http://smoothies.jimdo.com), then pick a layout from roughly half a dozen options.

That takes care of the basics; now you simply add text, images, links, and so on. The app couldn’t be much easier to use; you swipe right to add pages and manage navigation, left to add page elements like headers, photos, and text. There are limits to how much… [Read more]