The Internet is cluttered with badly-built Web sites that do nothing to promote the owners' businesses.To set
your own Web pages apart in this sea of garbage and make them effective at turning visitors into customers, you
have to know what you're doing. That takes training, study, an eye for design, the right tools and the time to do
it properly.
Without proper training and without the right tools, building an effective Web site becomes a long, difficult
process. The results are usually poor and do nothing to advance your business online.
Do-it-yourself vs. Professional?
You can liken it to building a roof on your house. Do you do it yourself or hire a professional? Most of us hire
a professional so we can be sure our new roof will match the house, look attractive, stay put in a high wind and
keep the rain off our heads. In other words, so that our new roof will be effective at what it's supposed to do. If
we attempt to build it ourselves, we put that at great risk... unless we undertake to become a professional roofer!
(Or Web designer, in our case.)
What About Web Templates?
Can you buy a prefabricated roof? Not really, because every house is different. You can buy prefabricated
trusses for your roof, though, but you'll need a professional to install them. The same can be said for Web
templates. With the right amount of professional help, prefabricated templates can work okay for you. They won't be
custom-made for your business, because every business, like every roof, is different. And you might see someone
else's Web site using the same template, but a template might do in a pinch.
"Instant" Web Building Tools
By the way, there are some tools out there that purport to make designing a Web site simply a matter of "filling
in the blanks," so to speak. But be warned, those fancy-looking examples they showcase will have been put together
by a Web professional. If you don't know HTML, CSS and good design principles, your results will be hokey and
amateurish, no matter what tool you choose. If you want to use such a tool, find one that allows you the most
design flexibility. My recommendation is XSitePro. There is a tremendous support community for XSitePro. On their
forum you'll find excellent help with any aspect of Web design and Internet Marketing.
If you're going to do it yourself, no matter what tool you choose, hire a professional Web designer to create a
custom, professional design for you. At least this will give you the proper framework for your Web site. After that
it's up to you to learn some basic design principles, such as the right fonts to use, the best way to lay out your
pages, how to optimize your graphics, etc.
In the end, unless you undertake to become one yourself, it's always best to hire a certified Web professional.
This will ensure that your Web site looks good, works properly and helps you convert visitors into customers. You
will get support and service from a professional; this can mean the difference between success and failure when it
comes to getting your Web site online and fully functional. It will also mean that your business can flourish
online, and rise far above that sea of ugly, ineffective Web sites out there.
When someone gets value for their dollars, they say, "It was money well spent." Professional Web design is like
that; it's definitely money well spent.