Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

1. WordPress makes it easy for people who know nothing about HTML to put up a professional website that doesn’t look like it’s straight from the 90’s

2. BlueHost will take care of your domain name registration and web hosting, they have a cPanel that allows you to install WordPress on any of your domains, so no technical experience needed

3. The average person can create a site that has all of the things you see on professional looking websites: Google Maps, galleries, directions, forms, polls, MP3’s, YouTube videos, stores, shopping carts, news reels...the list goes on

4. BlueHost has awesome tech support who actually know what they are doing and can help you out the first time around

5. You can host an unlimited number of domain names with BlueHost (for $6.95/month), and you only pay a $10 registration fee every time you register a new domain

6. WordPress has a ton of documentation and tutorials made for it, if you can’t figure something out chances are someone has already answered your questions in a tutorial

7. People who do know HTML create themes for WordPress, so the look and feel of your site is professional, even if you aren’t a tech savvy person

8. The theme buying site ThemeForest has themes that are developed by people who create documentation and support forums for their themes, so you can go to them if you can’t figure something out

9. If you get tired of your theme you can buy a new one or try out a free one, you aren’t held ransom by high website design costs

10. Even I can put a website and I teach ice skating for a living

If you’re interested in creating a website yourself without it costing an arm and a leg you can check it out here www.creatingasmallbusinesswebsite.com

Very good informative information .I want to say some thing..if you want to developer a personal customization website then it is possible by only by designer only..so don't avoid a designers.

It's true there are so many content managment systems out there now you really don't need to be a developer, it's all about experience though at the end of the day.

You can work without designer, but it will require a lot of time. On the other hand if you have money and resources, you can hire a good designer or developer and you can utilize your time in other tasks. Correct me if I am wrong :)

#11 -- Web designers by nature are just that... "Designers". What you really need is a "marketer". You can have the best looking website on the planet -- but if it doesn't convert and turn those prospects/visitors into paying clients, then the website itself is absolutely worthless.

I agree... Most do-it yourself biz owners could put together a decent website that'll sell if they can get the sales-part right. I've seen crappy sites that outperform 'beautiful' sites everyday of the week.

Put the prospect/visitor's needs first... Find out what's keeping them up at night and address those issues right off and you're halfway there. When these visitors/prospects land on your site, your landing page should pick-up on the conversation that's already happening in their mind. Pick-up on that dialogue and you'll be light years beyond your competitors.

This simple little website sells over $1 million dollars worth of stuff:
http://www.denturecorp.com

And even though all of the 'expert designers' and seo guys can tell you what's wrong with the site, such as... no meta tags, no description, not enough backlinks, no sitemap, etc... The fact of the matter is... If u can get the marketing piece halfway right, you'll make money.

And to top it off... That very site ranks #1 for it's main keyword: Denture Repair and Denture Repair Kit

Sure... You can do it by yourself and be successful. Spend your time and efforts on creating a good "Marketing Plan".

Great website, however, I couldn't find your contact information.

Don't you just love generalizations. Web designers ARE designers (and nothing more).

It is true that there are many resources for DIY web design/creation. That's a good thing.

It's true that business owners know their business.

What is not necessarily easy is applying your knowledge of your business to a web site design. That is, creating a website through wordpress or whatever tool is not as "easy" as posting you existing marketing material into wordpress.

Communicating through a website is different than through an email, brochure, print ad, or store front.

A good "web designer" will work with the business to create a site that effectively communicates their marketing message AND create a site that is user friendly (so visitors can find their way around the site and find what they are looking for).

A good designer will work with you to determine the best SEO methods, search terms, and site promotions to get your site found by your target market.

A good web designer doesn't just post your content, he/she create a online presence which helps the business owner connect with their target market, open up new markets, and automates manual processes...making running your business more efficient.

A good designer doesn't hold you up for ransom, but explains the costs up front and the cost of maintaining the site (by the designer or business owner).

~Roland

It is not matter of designing a website it is a matter of designing professional website which would work best in any environment and different platforms so avoiding web designer wouldn’t get considered as wise option.  In web designing with different technology, experience counts and clear difference can be seen in design made by experienced web designer and design built with this kind of software or website builder. So always prefer to Hire experience person to build up great and suitable website for your business.

Wordpress makes it all easy for me. Easy to find templates and I do not have to have a web designer.

Good information share here. Actually, I am finding this type of information but that you shared which is very beneficial stuff for me.  I hope you will sharing more like this.