Building first website??

askkathy · Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Missouri Ozarks

I'm so new the word newbie is being too generous. I purchased and read Rosalind's Super Affililiate. Based on it, I now know what niche I want to create my first affiliate website around, but I'm very confused on what web design product to use to set up my website. I'm hoping you can give me some specific guidance.

I don't know how to do any coding, not even HTML. I'm sure I could learn HTML, but I don't want to if I don't have to. So, I really want to use a template or very easy to use web design program. And I'd prefer to buy one that does it all so I don't have to learn to integrate multiple products.

Based on what I read in Super Affiliate and what I've read in emails from Rosalind, it appears that one of the following are the best options for me:
1. Site!Sell
2. xSitepro

I was set on using Site!Sell until I got Rosalind's email yesterday about Joel Comm's new Monthly Adsense Templates. I was confused on most of what I read, but it appears to me that this could be used to easily create a content rich affiliate website. Am I understanding it correctly?

I'd also like to use a product that I can continue to use for a long time. I don't want to waste time learning new programs.

So, what product do you recommend I use to create my first ever affiliate marketing website?

I appreciate your guidance!
Kathy

sellportal · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 58 Location: Sweden

Hi Kathy,

My advice if you're completely new, know little or no html, probably have no tools or utilities would be sitesell.

The adsense templates, where created for adsense and using them for "normal" purposes like selling products (own or affiliate) isn't always so easy. And the changes needed to make it look good and to make your sites stand out in the eyes of the search engines is a heavy task.

Xsitepro is a program like dreamweaver or frontpage but it has a lot more focus on built in enhancements for online marketing, affiliate marketing and so on. I'd even say that it's a better tool than frontpage and dreamweaver for an orderly person that plan their sites.

You can also buy pre made templates for xsitepro.

But when it comes to pure power (in support, flexibility, included tools) sitesell wins. And what's good is that some of the tools are valuable for you even when you build other sites.

Sitesell has a massive support forum and un paralleled success and will help you through building your first site in a way no other solution or tool can.

Sitesell handles your domain, hosting, search engine submissions, mailingslist and a lot of other things.

I'm a sitesell and xsitepro owner myself and I have a number of adsense sites.

Give this a couple of days and you'll probably get more answers.

While you wait read up on sitesell (there are a number of sites related to sitesell) as well as xsitepro.

Start at http://www.sitesell.com/ and http://www.xsitepro.com/

let me finish with 2 quotes,

"The Internet Marketer's alternative to FrontPage and DreamWeaver"

and

"Site Build It! ("SBI!") is Web hosting that works. It is the only all-in-one site-brainstorming-building-hosting-and-marketing step-by-step system of software tools that delivers thriving, profitable businesses."

Both quotes directly the sites. Kinda say it all doesn't it?

Kenth

askkathy · Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2 Location: Missouri Ozarks

Hi Kenth,
Thank you so much for your prompt and informative reply. That's exactly the kind of specific information I need! I'll wait a bit to get input from others, but it sounds like Site!Sell is going to be the best fit for me.

Thanks again,
Kathy

sellportal · Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Posts: 58 Location: Sweden

You're welcome Kathy,

I did come to think of one other thing that is important for you.

Sitesell is a pay once per year/domain deal. Including all the tools and resources, but you get 1 domain.

Xsitepro is a one time pay and has nothing to do with domains, other tools, resources or similar. So you create an unlimited number of domains (the content) but have to pay for the rest.

Kenth

zaba99 · Joined: 19 Dec 2005 Posts: 27

Hi Kathy,

I totally agree with Kenth....
I am a SBI person and believe their system is the BEST all in one package system. If you are as new as you say, you can not go wrong with SBI. It does cost around $300.00 per year and a lot of people think of this cost as a crazy yearly fee. But like Kenth says, it includes a massive support forum and handles your domain, hosting, search engine submissions, mailingslist and a lot of other things. Try to price out the tools to just do these things alone and put in your time for manually submitting to search engines etc. Plus there is a lot more than this to SBI.
Now if you are like me, people going into online business should be looking to make more than $300.00 per year with their business so once you cough up the original purchase price if you follow the system to a T and do not get distracted then the following years will be free as your business will be making this in profits easily.
Also, the SBI system even though it looks complex at first, really shows you how a website should be constructed from start to finish (well there really is no finish)and guides you along the way.
I do want to try Xsitepro as well one day and make a website with that tool, but I will say that the majority of my future online business will be done using SBI.

Hope this helps in your decision!
Duane

monkeyalex2000 · Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 18

If you find SBI or xsitepro is still of the budget for you, I suggest that you take some time and learn how to build a website.

Nowadays you don't need to have html knowledge to create a webbie. Most of the html editor in the market are WYSIWYG eg: frontpage, dreamweaver.

When I first started out, I know nuts about creating a website, but I took some time to learn. Around 2-3 weeks. You don't need to be a "great web designer", just know the basics will do. It will help you a lot in the future.

If you can't afford frontpage or dreamweaver, try NVU (www.nvu.com) or CoffeeCup (www.coffeecup.com). They are totally free html WYSIWYG editor and they works perfectly well. No spyware. Smile

Hope it helps.

Lowell Rieger · Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:42 pm Post subject:

All -

I agree sitesell is a great tool for someone that just wants to get started.

No one has mentioned blogs. Most of my new niche sites are built around Wordpress with custom SEO themes.

There is a learning curve. But you can't beat the price.

And my blogs are indexed quickly with some simple techniques.

Lowell

Sandy · Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 1

Hello there,

I am trying to go a new route with my niche products and am very interested in how the blogging for products works. Do you have an example of some of the sites you have set up doing that? I looked at the domain name link at the bottom of your signature, but there were no recent entries.
Are you saying that you don't have to blog nearly everyday to keep up your ranking?
Thanks.

Lowell Rieger · Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 11:11 pm Post subject:

Sandy,

The site in my sig is very much under development, but it "works" fine in the mean time, and adding more content and features is easy when I get around to it. It may even morph into other topics. But right now it is making money as I add to it.

If you want to see a more fully fleshed out site, based on the Wordpress blogging platform, see

http://www.marketingnobrainers.com

I generally try to have about five posts ready when I start a blog site. I post them daily. After that I post when I have something to say or add. That said I try to post at least once a week, but that's a goal, not a personal requirement.

I have a ping list I use, instead of the generic pingomatic in WP. That and adding my feeds to the big 3's "my" pages helps get indexed fast. But there's lots of other stuff I do.

As far as ranking, that is dependent on incoming links, not frequency of posting.

Best,

Lowell

Katherine Huether · Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 21

I am almost completely new. I have some experience with html and templates but not a lot. To make matters worse, I opted to use a wordpress platform for my site which is not HTML, it is PHP, which I know nothing about.

I've run into problems, all of which I've solved. After a week of slugging through it, I managed to install it successfully (that took a day), insert pictures into my posts (another solid day gone), and sign up for various affiliate programs and figure out how to imbed the links without screwing up the layout. One week later, I have four pages.

But, I am glad I chose the route I did. I decided on ipower for my host. And I realized (after putting at least 2 hours in on the process) that ipower lets you install wordpress instantly from their host account.

Despite the frustrations, I am glad I chose to go the blog platform route because now that I know how to use the interface, make some minor template changes, and use html within the posts, the rest of the content will be built fairly quickly. If I went the traditional site route I would not be as far along.

I have three dead pages on the site, which I am working on. But, I decided to include it in my sig in case you wanted to take a look.

Lowell Rieger · Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:04 pm Post subject:

kathy,

Your sig file isn't showing....

Congrats on getting your site up.

I know it can be frustrating but I bet you'll use that 1 click install from now on...

Lowell

Dan Reinhold · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 115 Location: Massachusetts USA

I looove that 1 click install!

Most hosts have that now, don't they? The ones I use do, like HostGator.

Katherine Huether · Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 21

I added the sig after I posted this and then I couldn't find the edit button so I could make sure it showed up... I know how to do it now. Smile

But at this point, this post has the sig in it so it probably isn't worth it.

I deleted the pages I didn't finish and will add them again once I am ready to complete it. I figure, what is the point to having unfinished pages on the site?

Yes that 1click install was very nice!

Today's post highlights another problem I am having. What a crazy learning curve! But, I am patient and confident I will eventually figure it all out.

catherinel · Joined: 13 May 2007 Posts: 62

I personally love XSite Pro - don't waste your time learning code, use that time to build your business.

I know a lot of people really rate site build it if you have no business experience at all, and I think that's the one I would have gone for if i'd been in the same situation.

Sadly, there weren't all those options available when i started out years ago, and everyone had crumby sites so it didn't matter then.

DarrenB · Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 12:50 am Post subject:

Hi Kathy,

I agree with Lowell that blogs are a great way to start a new website ...the easiest, cheapest, and most effective way to way to launch a new website for those who are new to websites.

I recently launched two new websites using blogs (wordpress)....and each have a Google PR rank of 4 in less than 2 month.

For example you could:
>>get a web host like hostgator $6.95/month
>>register a domain name with them $8.95
>>install a blog on your website with one click
>>now add posts (articles) to your website...which is very easy to do....wordpress has lots of tutorials...blog posts are really no more difficult than posting to a forum like this one.

Good luck,
Darren

P.S. I also have some SiteSell websites.. Sitesell is good for a newbie but a bit expensive.

Big disadvantage of SiteSell is they don’t allow you to have a “real” blog on your website