Understanding why it's not practical to do it all yourself

Besides overseeing the content, managing the money, and handling the marketing, are you going to educate yourself in HTML, PHP, JavaScript, database programming, Dreamweaver, FrontPage, Marketing communications, copy writing, photography, and graphic design in the next six weeks? Forget about it!

Unless you're already a professional Web designer, don't do it all yourself; this is the biggest mistake you can make. Playing with your personal web site is one thing, but creating a successful business web site is a job for the pros. Would you let someone without experience design your ads, dress your store window, serve customers, buy goods from vendors, or negotiate contracts? Then why trust your Web site to a novice?

Novices might include your friends, neighbors, children, or siblings, unless they have experience creating business sites for a living. Even then, treat people you know as you would any professional - write an agreement so that expectations are clear. Believe me, an agreement won't only save you aggravation and disappointment; it might save your relationship.

Time is money! A nonprofessional who does Web sites on the side and takes three or four times as long as pro will end up costing you marketing opportunity and sales as well as money.

Deciding who will design your site is a strategic marketing decision. How will your site measure up if it's obviously homemade, with links that don't work, but your competitors' sites look professional and run smoothly? If your competition's sites are equally poor, this is not as much of a factor, but you're wasting an obvious opportunity to get an edge.

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