One of the BIGGEST hurdles for those new to Internet marketing is getting their website up and running. There are several alternatives for doing so I will discuss here.

First you could pay someone to do it. Oftentimes that is the first choice for established businesses. That is fine IF the web designer understands how to build a search engine friendly site. Many do not. If you are hiring out your web design, it is vital YOU know what to expect and how your site should be optimized. By the way, if your web designer says he or she knows how to optimize the site by putting meta keyword tags in, find another designer. That worked 10 years ago, but not today. I have more suggestions about hiring the work done later in this article.

The next choice is learning to create a site yourself. With this option there are two sub-options. You can use a web editor like Kompozer or Dreamweaver to create the pages (called a static site) or you can create the site with WordPress blog software.

Using a web editor gives you the most flexibility in the long run. However, the learning curve is HUGE; I only suggest this option for your main sites if you have a LOT of time to devote to learning and practicing. I do suggest you learn how to create very simple HTML pages for your Craigslist listing, PayPerClick squeeze pages (lead capture). However, these pages only need to be tables, text and images and are relatively easy to make. It still takes a few days of focused study and practice to learn. Kompozer is a free editor you can download. Although it is primitive, you can create simple pages easily. Dreamweaver is the editor of choice for most web designers. It costs several hundreds of dollars.

The second choice for “do it yourself” sites is WordPress. WordPress is a blog software that has morphed into a powerful site design tool over the past few years. First off, I am NOT talking about using the WordPress site to host your blog. They offer a free solution, but this is no place to skimp. Their solution has limitations. Now days you can buy a domain name for $10.00 a year and then purchase your own hosting with a full featured host for just $7.00 per month. WordPress has many advantages. The biggest benefit to using WordPress is how easy it is to add pages and content along the way. Basically, you just type the content, click to add in pictures if you wish, easily select to include links, etc., click another button and the new page is instantly created on your site. By the way, WordPress also allows visitors to add comments and ask question easily about your topics…what a GREAT marketing tool it is!

Today’s hosts offer easy, push button installs for WordPress. Gone are the days of having to download and install it yourself. Simply go into your hosting account, click a few buttons and WordPress is installed automatically. Once WordPress is installed, you will have to spend some time configuring its “back end”. Getting to know the inner workings of WordPress takes about a day of dedicated study. It is important to take this time; there are many features and options with it you should become familiar with. Your WordPress site will become a powerful asset for your business.

Once WordPress is installed and configured, all the fun can then begin. You see, WordPress can change its “Look” with a click of the mouse. These “looks” are called WordPress themes. Now days, these themes are so developed that you may have trouble distinguishing a site between being a static site or a blog site. For example, WeberInternetMarketing.com is a WordPress site. In the admin area of WordPress, you can search for and install these themes with a few clicks of the mouse.

Although WordPress has over a thousand themes to choose from which are free, I prefer to buy them. The free ones “usually” work OK, but may often have bugs (I’ve learned the hard way about that a few times). The purchased themes are more stable, have a customized backend for easier editing, and often come with support. You can usually buy a top notch WordPress theme for $40 to $100 and this is well spent money as far as I am concerned. You can do a search for “WordPress themes” on Google. For my business I use a theme designer based out of Edmond, OK. Their company, iThemes, supplies the most flexible and user friendly themes I have worked with. I love the way they have customized the themes’ admin area. By the way, WeberInternetMarketing.com uses their “Flex” theme. With it, I can move the text, header, footer, and link areas around the way I want! I can easily change the background, add widgets, etc.

I suggest you learn how to configure and use your WordPress site yourself. I feel in the long run that having a good understanding of how it works and what is possible with it offers you more opportunity for leveraging and increasing your online presence in the future. However, if you still wish to outsource your web design, I know a very good designer in Oklahoma City who understands search engine optimization well, works with WordPress, and uses iThemes. He can create your site to your specs and then teach you how to administer the site. If you need his contact info, just let me know and I’ll get you in touch with him.

As I said earlier, site design can be quite a challenge to those new to online marketing. However, learning only the basics can open doors of opportunity for your business you probably are not currently aware of. The need for and the benefits of having a human and search engine friendly website for your business are constantly increasing!

Here are site building resources I use and suggest:

• Buy a Domain – Your domain name costs about $10 a year
• Full Featured Hosting – All the bells and whistles now days costs about $7/month
• WordPress Themes – Purchased themes are more stable and come with support
• A Free Web Editor – Use this for making simple landing pages for Craigslist, etc.
• Web Design – For those wishing to hire out their web design work, contact me and I’ll put you in touch with someone I trust.
• Free WordPress and hosting install videos here