So you have decided to build your own website. But what software is out there to help you do it.
Well you can pick up a free copy of NVU or you could go out and buy a copy of one of the big three design packages – Microsoft Frontpage, Dreamweaver or Adobe GoLive.
The problem about using software like the above is the fact that you will have to learn a little bit about html, CSS, ftp etc. And, if you know nothing about search engine optimisation you are going to have to take a crash course in learning how to optimise pages for search engines – otherwise you will never get seen online.
There are two software packages I recommend for beginners and experts alike. Sure there is a little learning but these packages have a little bit of everything.
If you are a complete beginner I would go no further than the excellent Site Build It Software from Sitesell. This is a complete package that costs $299 per year. The reason for the yearly cost is that your domain and hosting is all included. If you eventually start to learn a lot about html and graphics you can easily add your own codes, headers and photos.
The great thing about this software though, is that it will take you from start to finish and teach you how to brainstorm keywords for search engine optimisation. Everything is built into the software and once you have gone through it all you are sure to end up with a site you can be proud of.
You can view the Site Build it Software here
VIDEO PRESENTATION: You can view a video presentation if you click here.
The other piece of Software I highly recommend is Xsitepro. The cost is a little cheaper at $297 and that is all you pay. You will need to buy a domain and set it up and you will need to buy hosting for your site. A domain is only about $10 per year and hosting about $6.95 per month.
I use the excellent hostgator for hosting where you can host unlimited domains and is pretty good for Xsitepro.
Click here for Hostgator Hosting Packages. I recommend the baby package at $9.95 per month.
You can find the page for XsitePro if you click here.
VIDEO PRESENTATION: They have a video presentation on their site as well you can see it by clicking here. (either fill in your name and email or click on the 7 reasons video in the left navigation)
Conclusion
If you are a complete beginner then you are probably better going with Site Build It as it has all the tools to enable you to learn step by step how to build a site the right way. However if you have some experience on the web and understand how to buy a domain and set up hosting then look no further than Xsitepro.
By the Way: There is another way that you could build your site on a budget. If you sign up for hostgator above they have a sitebuilder there called soholaunch. Once it is installed on your domain all you do is point and click to build your site. It is totaly free and all you pay is the monthly hosting charge. The templates are pretty good too and you could build a fairly decent site in a few hours as it is pretty easy to use.
Good luck with your web building. It takes a little time to learn all this stuff but it is not rocket science and if you are prepared to put in a few hours a day there is no reason why you cannot build a money making site.
If, however you feel that it is all above you then you can certainly contact me as I run a web design agency and we can easily build you a customised web site with all the advanced functions like graphics, databases, autoresponders, mailing lists etc.
It's probably a bit more expensive than doing it on your own – however it's a lot quicker as there is no learning on your part involved and you WILL get a professional web design done.