If you have a general online knowledge but are not a real computer pro, you may want to stick with a template. Your website hosting company may have these available for you to use, just ask them. Or you can search for a website or software that offers a number of website templates.



Templates are somewhat like high-tech fill-in-the-blank pages. You will be given a general look to the page, and then you will follow the instructions to change the colors, fonts and add your own photos, artwork and other designs to make it represent your company. If you want an extended website with more options, there are often packages that will also offer a setup of an online store, blog, and discussion area.

The other option is to design a website yourself. This is not as easy as the fill-in-the-blank template route, but it will give you a more unique website.

This option is not to be taken on lightly. It may seem cheaper up front, but it takes a lot of work to put together a website and get it right. That work is your time, which is your money. If you don't get it right, and can't figure out how to fix it, you're going to make a mess for your customers to try and sort through, giving you a very unprofessional appearance. You may then have to call in a pro to bail you out, and that will end up costing more than just investing in the template in the first place.

If you're still determined to build your own, here is some advice.

Get a good website design program. Programs like FrontPage, Dreamweaver and GoLive have all the tools you need to put a professional webpage online. Read up on the software before your purchase it, to make sure it has what you need, and that you understand how it works.

Build away, but don't make the fatal error of putting the website online before it's ready. Make sure to test every piece of it before you upload it on the server. If you don't any errors you didn't notice, will be noticed by your prospective customers.