Do you have the time, ability and artistic flair to create a professional web site?
Probably not. Even with the appropriate talent and skills (not to mention the software tools) it can take a lot of time to get a site looking right. Most people underestimate just how difficult it actually is to design a site that displays the level of professionalism for which is was designed. So to shortcut the whole lengthy and risky development stage, the clever way forward is to buy-in a web site template. Don't worry, the cost is actually quite minimal. For instance, you can get a full site for around $60. The benefits far outweigh the initial small outlay; development times are a fraction of what they could have been and you end up with a professionally designed web site - one that will be appreciated by your target market. The following link will take you to a page of further links to companies that have web templates that you may view. This is only a subset of what is on offer online. See web site templates for those companies recommended by freedomfromthenet.com. Of course the choice is yours, but choose carefully. As a word of warning, only pay online when the web site is secure, as identified by the symbol of a lock in the bottom right of your web browser (for Internet Explorer users).

Is there no other way to get a professional web site?
Yes, you can design one yourself. Check out the cost of Macromedia's industry-standard web site editor "Dreamweaver" (that should put you off). There are free ones that are pretty decent, but still lack a lot of the features you may require for professional development. At the end of it however, your web site will probably look like all the other self-made homepages out there. Another illegal option is to plagiarise other online sites. This is (immoral, obviously) but also a false economy as what you get won't be what you need; a template is easily modified and comes with artwork, sometimes a photo library and often some sort of support. On the other hand, trying to plagiarise a web site means you will end up with a scrambled mess of HTML code, few links of which will work, no images will be available and the web site itself may well be poorly designed. Your web image is important.. to some, it is at least as important as the content of your site. If you scrimp on this stage you risk losing professionalism and wasting time. With a template you will have a fully functional professional site in (literally) a couple of days, all legally yours and ready to earn you money. Alternatively, should you wish to give web design a shot, check out the following resource:
2 Create a Website A free tutorial on building a website. Offers an HTML tutorial, domain registration tips, web design advice, money making tips, downloadable guides and more.

Why don't I just pay a web developer to design one for me?
You can of course pay someone to design a site for you. However be aware of the expense of pursuing this approach. Most professional web developers will charge upwards of $600 for a basic one-page site. In addition you will have to wait for your site to be designed. You will find it both cheaper and quicker to follow the template route.

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