There is more to creating an online presence than opening up a web site builder. You have to plan ahead. What is your message? What do you want the world to see when they visit your page? Will it have graphics? Will it have special effects? What content will it have?

I've seen people get entranced by web site builder programs that do special marketing techniques like build in SEO elements and they will spend good money (and a lot of it too) for the program. I've seen others use a word processing program to build a page. Others buy expensive over the counter programs. The bottom line is that the program is a tool and only a tool.

The end result is the pure product of your vision. It's like building a bookshelf. You can use a hand saw, pre-cut material, a full set of professional tools, or have someone do it for you. The end result will be based on the quality of the wood you used and the skill of the carpenter. However, the most talented carpenter working with press-board will likely not have as pretty a product as a less talented carpenter working with teak.

As you plan your website, make a list of what you want on it - graphics, color, text, forms, and search engine optimization. Maybe there are other things you want as well. Then figure out what the web site builder offers you in terms of all these things. Most programs will allow you to add in all that you need but adding forms and optimization takes a certain level of skill depending on the complexity of your program.

If, for instance, I was going to get into web site building, I would buy a state of the art program and take a course on how to use it. If I was just experimenting, I would get a free web site builder and try that out. If I was just beginning and not sure where to go, I'd close my eyes to hype and try a free program but keep a list of things that it does not do or that frustrate me and add them to my shopping list as I try out demos for more expensive products.