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There are many web designers who are honest and will tell you exactly what you need to do to have a successful web site. Yet, there are others who want to create some fancy gadgets on your site, charge you a fortune, and completely rip you off... while you are watching your money go down the drain.

The truth is you DON'T need a web designer to develop a site for your small business. If you have some computer skills and a little bit of time to devote to your web site, you can make it yourself and spend as little as $6.00 a month on it!

Here is a list of facts that you should be aware of before you pay your hard earned money to a web designer:

1. "Build it and they will come" theory is just a myth when it comes to online business. Nobody will come to your web site unless they are already familiar with your company or their friend has told them about your site.

2. "Pay a lot of money to your web designer to create a fancy web site with all the bells and whistles and your sales will skyrocket overnight". This is another myth that many web design agencies are using to impress you with their skills and get you to buy their services. The fact is, most small businesses who are making money on the Web have a simple web site with a good sales letter. No need to pay top dollars for technical gadgets.

3. "Get a web site for your business and make $5,000 within a month". Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, many businesses don't see any profit for 4-6 months! It takes time and a good marketing strategy to start getting sales.

4. "Sell just one product on your web site and make a lot of money on it" is not how successful business owners make profit online. They first attract their visitors with a free or very low-price item, generate a customer list of e-mail addresses and contact them over and over again with special offers and sales letters about a high-end product.

5. "Online marketing does not take any time at all because there are a lot of people out there surfing, who might stumble across your site and order from you". This myth was created especially for you - a busy business person who can't take the time to promote the web site on a weekly basis. Success takes time. The good thing about it is that it is so rewarding that you can't afford not to do that!

6. "There are so many companies out there selling what I am selling Who will ever buy from me?" This is true, but there are also a lot of consumers out there and if you target your web site correctly you will see better results than 70,000 other web site owners.

7. "A web site takes months to set up " This is not true at all! Unless you are a big corporation and have tons of information to put online, it could ; only take 10-15 days to have your business web site up and running. And if you have been a computer user for a while, you could have a web site within less than a week!

8. "You need to be a computer guru to make your web site" Not at all! All the skills you need is a basic word processing skills and using the Internet at least 3 times. If you know how to use a mouse and a keyboard - you are ready to make your web site.

9. "The number of ways to market a web site is limited to banner or button advertising " The truth is, I can think of at least 100 different ways to promote your web site. Just to start with, how about writing your own newsletter, posting on targeted forums, exchanging links with other web site owners in your target market, creating joint ventures with companies who target the same customers as you do and selling to their mailing list. And don't forget the offline promotion - your business cards, direct mail, local newspapers Of course, you can't do it all. The best marketing strategy is focusing on 2 or 4 methods at a time, finding out what works and ruling out the rest.

10. "Web site design is very expensive, I just don't have that kind of money to take out of my business and spend on a web site " Actually, I am paying only $5.95 a month to have my web site. So if you make it yourself, no matter how much you sell a month - you will still be in profit.

Yes, I know. You are very busy. You don't want to learn a whole new skills. You are thinking, if only someone could teach me how to do it, I would listen.

But trust me: this is the only way to be in total control of your web site, and never have to think if someone is ripping you off.

About the author:
Milana Nastetskaya is a full time web developer and the author of two books: "Create Your First Business Web Site in 10 days", and "65 Instant Web Design Answers". http://www.firstbusinesswebsite.com http://www.instantwebanswers.com