My Journey to Site Build It!

...and how it can work for you too

If you got here from my About Me page, you know that I use Site Build It! (SBI!) to build this site. In case you got here through a different route, let me share a little bit about my journey to SBI! - but more from the "how I picked a website tool" perspective. (If you want the personal side, too, you can read that here. Anyhow, once I decided that the web was the way to go, I had to figure out the path to take. Gee - that shouldn't be so hard, right?

Wrong. If you (or anyone you know) has tried to start a website, you know how easy it can be to fall into the wrong situation. The ads say that you can just sign up your domain name at a webhost, design your pages and rake in the dough.

OK. I get the first part (who hasn't heard of www.GoDaddy.com ?). Design my pages? How the heck do I get those on the Web? What's a server got to do with it? And what are these keywords everyone is talking about?

You can guess where all that led. Yep, down another wrong path. The "get-rich-quick" path. Not so much to get rich quick but because "they" said that "they" would provide me with a turnkey website. And they did. And I couldn't change it, and it was filled with a bunch of their own ads anyway. Game over. Got the refund. Tried AGAIN.

Somehow, in the frustration of it all, I found Site Build It! And I was one big skeptic by then.

So, I looked and reviewed and looked some more.

I found REAL PEOPLE. People who were working hard on businesses, not just websites. I mean, really, I hadn't seen any other provider in all that web surfing that had stories like this.

Now this was looking up. My first test was whether I had to know anything (let's remember that thinking I knew something kept putting me on the wrong path). Here's what I found:

• SBI! makes online business success do-able. Anyone can succeed with an all-in-one process, tools, and guidance.
• The process is simplified to such a degree that success (i.e., profits, not the mere presence of a Web site) is achievable even for a beginner. For an experienced person, achieving success is even smoother. SBI! really does change lives.
• Page creation is as simple as riding a bike with its training wheels still attached. No need to know HTML. The block-by-block builder trains you how to write a page that is both "Search Engine and human effective." It's simple, do-able and most importantly, effective site-building. The block-by-block builder is perfect for beginners, but even many "advanced" users should start with this tool. It's an excellent way to break bad habits! (There is plenty for the folks who like to do it on their own or think they might want to one day. SBI! is compatible with popular HTML editors (ex., Dreamweaver) and image tools (ex., Photoshop, Flash, etc.), you can easily use advanced page-building techniques, if you like. This allows for maximum creative flexibility for all skill levels. Sure, this didn't mean too much to me at the time - and honestly, still doesn't because HTML just isn't my thing. But it might be perfect for you. And, get this, you can do both! Or you can transition from one to the other.)

My next step was to figure out what was included and how much all this was going to cost. I had learned enough to know that I was going to need more than what I originally thought. Traffic statistics, search engine submissions, visitor counts...AARRRGGHHH! How in the world was I supposed to know what that meant let alone how to find it on the world wide web? Surely it was out there somewhere but that's a pretty big universe. And I don't have that kind of time! What do you get for the money?

• SBI! includes domain name analysis, optimization, and registration. You will develop the best name for maximum profitability in your niche. (It's often different than what you had planned.)
• When it's time to create your site's Look & Feel, SBI! provides fully customizable, easy-to-use templates. You can choose and create a professional-looking presentation, even if you have no design skills. And if you're a designer, you can create and upload your own. This page shows a range of styles. Yeah, I'm not a designer or even that creative. But I got this website look and feel straight from SBI. Go figure!
• Traffic Stats and Click Analysis help you understand what your visitors like most. Understanding them helps you know what to write about, which in turn leads to more and more business.
• SBI! includes an easy-to-use form builder with autoresponders. You can build contact forms, surveys, and polls to easily communicate with your visitors. You don't need to use your e-mail address, which attracts spam. Experienced users will appreciate no longer needing separate form-building tools. Having these tools all in one place saves time and expense, too.
• Automatic site blogging turns your site into a blog easily. You'll enjoy all the benefits of a blog without needing extra skills or additional software. For those experienced with blogging, auto-pinging for your SBI! blog keeps your site on the Search Engines' radar. All of this helps attract more traffic.

Final step: how much hand-holding do I get? Nearly every other option I had looked at promised things - mostly based on the idea that I had some clue of what I was doing. Yes, I know "buyer beware" and all that. Well, I had learned my lesson and I was being very aware. I was tired of being disappointed (in myself if nothing else). So - how's the hand-holding? Pretty darn good - and downright awesome at times.

• SBI! comes with unlimited Customer Support. SBI! owners often call it the best they've ever experienced. And the SBI! Forums complete the picture. They are the most friendly, help-and-be-helped set of e-business forums in the world. The SBI! private forums provide friendly, helpful support from other Site Build It! users. Help is available from folks who are in the same place as you. This peer-to-peer support gets you over the humps along the way in a stress-free environment. Help is available even for advanced questions. The forums are a business-building support community ready to help you succeed. Seriously, this is alone is worth the cost of SBI. There is just no way to say how friendly and helpful this environment is.
• New tools are added continuously so you can feel secure that you'll always have the most up-to-date site-building and marketing tools. You cannot beat this! They are not sitting around happy with what's out there - largely because they own sites that use this stuff too - but also because they are a great company. Great companies care about their customers and partners in business (they did teach me something in business school!).

Don't get me wrong. There are easier ways to build a Web site. However, online profits require more than just having a collection of Web pages. SBI! includes all the tools and a proven process required to build a long-term, profitable e-business.

And, isn't that what we are in this for? If you are going to invest time and energy in this, don't you want a business that works for you?

Me too. And while I knew (or thought I knew) what a great company was offering this product and service, I have found out so much more since my purchase. It's icing on the cake.

• SiteSell.com was established by Dr. Ken Evoy in 1997. His series of books (now free) have helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses. Make Your Content PREsell! and Make Your Words Sell!, formerly books sold by SiteSell, are now free. They are literally the dynamic duo of "Web-writing."
• Dr. Evoy realized that the average business person needs more than some information in books, no matter how good. S/he needs both the C T P M process and an all-in-one Web site hosting, building and marketing suite of tools that enables them to execute the process flawlessly. To this day, SBI! is unique.

Need some more information? Be sure to check out the case studies and the results of the best of the best on the Web who just happen to be using SBI! - maybe it's not a coincidence). Or try the Video Tour (or the Quick Tour if you are on dial-up) or just give them a call. Or do every option. You can't be too careful when you are building your business - and SBI! knows that, too. So, take your time. Review all the information, and make the right decision for you.