As a writer/publisher I use web sites extensively in my business. I presently own and operate eight websites and manage others. Websites can be a valuable marketing tool for some businesses but serve only limited uses for others.

A website will probably not bring you a lot of local business unless you spend the time and money to market the site. This would be time and money better spent to market your services directly.

On the other hand, I believe that a small and simple website could serve any business as a selling tool when visiting or talking to prospects. Today most people have computers at home and in their office. Most of these computers are connected to the Internet. Why not take full advantage of a ready-made marketing tool with your own simple website.

If your business involves using your skills to build products, a website could serve as an excellent 24/7 photo album of your work. In addition to photos, the web site could tell potential customers how you work and the level of customer service that you always provide. It can be a place where potential customers can learn about your business at their convenience.

You could develop a section for frequently asked questions about your products and even a few testimonials from satisfied customers. These can be included with a picture of the customer and the project with the customer’s permission. You should also include a link so potential customers can send you email to request information.

If you sell products in quantity, a web site can serve as a catalog for these products, facilitating automatic purchase night or day. Such a web site could increase your sales significantly.

Your web site can be your silent sales person just waiting to answer questions when you are not available. You get people to this website simply by adding it to any advertising effort. It can be on your business cards and other stationery. It should be included in classified ads or flyers and, of course, you can give it to potential customers by word of mouth.

You don’t need a web site to succeed in a one-person business but it can be a great tool to make marketing easier and available at all times, even when you are not.

Like the merchant account, web sites can be problematic and expensive if you are not careful. Here are a few details that will help you get started on a small budget.

The first step for a web site is to register a domain name. There are many registrars out there offering many different price levels. I use Positive Imaging at http://positive-imaging.com because it is reliable, inexpensive and easy to use. You can register your web site name with them in minutes. Choose a simple name for your site and consider using your own name because that gives you name recognition.

The next step is to create a web site. There are many tools for web site creation. After selecting and registering a domain name, you can purchase web site hosting from Positive Imaging for only $3.95 per month.

To create your web site, go to http://www.nvu.com and download the Nvu Web Creation software free of charge. It is an excellent program that will help you create a simple web site for your business. To get free web site templates go to http://www.oswd.org . They have a large number of free templates that you can use to create your own web site.