There are huge companies out there that tell you how easy it is to create and manage your own website - my company used to do the same thing. Then we discovered that it's just not that easy. A website, no matter how beautiful, is only as good as it's results.

If you:

• Have more time than money
• Great computer skills
• An interest in learning the ins and outs of web design and web marketing
• Good photo editing skills and software
• Good content writing skills
• Understand how search engines work
• Love to research things on the web
• Great design ideas
• did I mention lots of time?
• Know who your target market is
• Know how your target market will search for your products
• Have a unique product that everyone is looking for anyway and will buy even if you don't have an online store...

Then building your own website might be a great way to go.

If you can answer yes to all of the above then you may want to check out our SiteBuilder Now Tools. This software allows you to choose from 100s of pre-built templates and build your own great looking website by simply plugging in content and images. You can even create an online "store" by using your PayPal account and learning about "add to cart" and "buy now" buttons.

This solution is awesome if you have 50 or less items you want to sell and don't need to calculate real time shipping fees (i.e. if you can just charge a flat rate for shipping any given item).

If you want a more advanced e-commerce solution we do not recommend building your own website. Instead consider letting us develop the foundation for you and you can save a lot of money by entering and managing your own product database.

Commonly asked questions:

Q. Why shouldn't I do an Ebay or Yahoo store?

A. Read the small print. Although start up costs may be much smaller than choosing our solutions, your costs will go up along with your success. On average, a successful store owner will pay about 12% of their sales to one of these types of solutions. Even with our solution you have to figure you will pay about 4% out for credit card processing (this does not go to us) - but with Ebay and Yahoo stores you pay an additional percentage of every sale for the use of their software and services. Additionally, since their websites are built using proprietary software you will have a hard time migrating your data to another solution when you realize you are not happy with the return on your investment.

Our e-commerce and other database driven websites are not easy to migrate but, since we use open source software, you can hire another professional that can help you and leave us any time you decide you are not happy with our services. You don't lose your initial design and development investment this way.

Our SiteBuilder Now Tools websites are more difficult to move. You can move the websites themselves but they will be difficult to edit and your forms will probably not work.

Q. Can I start by building my own website with the SiteBuilder Tools and then "upgrade" to a more advanced website?

A. No. The technology behind a SiteBuilder Now Tools website is completely different than our more advanced database driven websites. This is why we encourage you to consider your short and long term goals before making a decision on the technology you are going to use for your initial website.

Q. If I have you build a "basic" website for me can I decide to turn it into an editable (manage it myself) website later?

A. Yes! New technology allows us to offer this service on new or existing websites built by us or other webmasters - however you won't have the robust tools we can offer if your site is built in the SiteBuilder Now build your own website tool.