"Can You Really Build Your Own Website?"

That's a very legitimate concern.  And YES!! You can really build your own website.  Even Newbies can.

And this won't be any sloppy old website.  No, it will be a website that stands out, one that really makes an income.

The trick is to hook up with the strongest web host on the planet.  Not the most expensive.  Just the best.  When you go looking for a web host, make sure they provide the following:

• Sharp looking templates that you can use, and change easily;
• Both 2-column and 3-column construction;
• Easy text formatting, both for beginners and advanced users;
• Easy ways to link to other sites;
• An easy way to insert a contact form (be sure to see the bottom of the page for our contact form);
• Easy to create and manage an ezine;
• Take care of all the "pinging" and "ponging" with just one click;
• Check and make sure you've got all your links right;
• Outline of a strong linking program for your site;
• Easy to construct images, and use those images in your website;

... and provide lots of help in case you get stuck. And, yes, SBI does all of that.  And more.

There are lots of things about how to build your own website that you not know about yet, but in the beginning most people are concerned about the basic construction and look of their site, so let's start there.

 

Build Your Own Website with SBI's  BlockBuilder

This is the core of SBI page building.  It is just super easy to use.  With a half hour lesson in html, you can even add bolds and colors to your page.  This really is the "build your own website" approach. And it really makes a nice looking website.   There really are some great website templates, several hundred actually.  Here are a few of the beautiful SBI templates:

 

With the click of a button, you can change your site from a 2-column site to a 3-column site:

It is just as easy to change templates entirely.  Just a click of a mouse, and ZAP! you've got a brand new look. If there is an SBI template that fits your theme, that is the easiest (and cheapest) way to go.  You can customize a lot.  You can change the color of the buttons, the color of the logo font, the style of fonts in the logo and nav bar.  In short, you can make it Yours.  Also see Images and Headers for more ideas.

So Which Is Better For A Build It Yourself Website, 2 columns or 3?

There's an adage that comes to mind:  Use a 2-column format unless there is a reason for using the 3-columns.  The 2-column format has LOTS of advantages, not the least of which is that it is easier to read and to manage.  For Newbies, I suggest starting with the 2-column. As our friend Luisa from ViequesTravelGuide.com notes:

I personally like the two column website. I am all about making the visitor first, and monetizing secondary. If the readers have a good experience, the advertising dollars will follow naturally. I have been surprised at the many readers that kindly have taken the time to write in with comments about my sites, the number one comment is that the simplicity of the website and organization gives them a good experience as they read through the site.

I think the 3 column is too distracting, the human eye is trained to look from left to right unless you read Hebrew. I think it's too distracting to have an additional column but the only reason why I have considered the 3 column is because advertisers have requested ad space. However I think that I will try to implement the ad space into the 2 column design in order to keep it as simple as possible for the reader.

Here are two successful two column sites:

 

  

 

A custom template like the ones you see above usually cost around $200 - $400. 

"Can You Build Your Own Website With More Sophisticated Stuff?"

You bet.  For those comfortable using html, then you can indeed use DREAMWEAVER or FRONTPAGE or any other html editor and upload those pages to SBI.  In terms of design, the sky is the limit.

We will talk about lots of the other tools -- the ezine, the contact form, etc., in other sections.  But rest assured that you can do everything in the list above, with all the flexibility and ease that you see in the template design.

"What About the HEEEEELP Part?"

Aaaaah.  The SBI Forums

That part about "providing help" for a build your own website is really important.  SBI does provide lots and lots of help.  There are written materials and videos to watch, AND the real key to SBI is the Forums.  Every single day hundreds of people visit the forums, some to ask questions, and some to answer them.  I have never in my life seen forums that are so universally helpful and so just darn nice. 

Whether you join SBI or not, please take a peek at the forums (see the info about becoming an affiliate).

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