The Internet has gone mainstream and big time! You can't turn on
your TV without seeing a commercial with a web site address
prominently featured right below the company's logo. When my
local town hall stuck two poles in the lawn to hang a banner
announcing their new web site, I knew the web page had come of
age.

If you don't have a web site to market your business to your
community and the world, it's time to get one. Web space is
offered free everywhere, and there are super-easy HTML editors
that make designing a web site just about as easy as typing a
memo.

Here are two quick and easy ways to get a good-looking web site
in less than a week (and that's if you take your time doing it!).

1. If you need to get your website up NOW, and you don't have
time to deal with it yourself, get a web designer to build your
first few pages. Keep the design simple and promise not to ask
for many changes after the job is done. Many designers will knock
out a professional looking starter site for a few hundred
dollars. Then--when you have the time--you can add more pages to
your site using the suggestions below.

2. OR - Design your web site yourself. Keep the concept simple
and use time-saving aids developed especially for beginning web
builders. First you need a place to put your site. Oodles of free
space is offered by http://www.tripod.com,
http://www.geocities.com, and http://www.angelfire.com/

These services also provide beginner directions on how to design
a site. Geocities provides their web building directions at
several levels of difficulty (or maybe I should say
"simplicity")--start-up, basic, E-Z, and advanced. Tripod sends
newbies directly to their Homepage Builder. They also provide you
with places to get free graphics to spruce up your pages.

If you are a member of AOL or Prodigy, those services provide
both web space and excellent HTML editors free for your use.

Even those who aren't AOL members can download a free copy of the
highly acclaimed and super-easy to learn AOL Press 2.0 (
http://www.aolpress.com). In fact, if you're brand new to HTML
editors, AOL Press is your fastest way to a professional look.

Common word processing and desk-top publishing programs now offer
web design features, too. I've seen nice looking sites turned out
with World Perfect and Microsoft Publisher. For more complete
HTML editors, look into Microsoft Frontpage, Adobe Page Mill, and
Claris Home Page.

Keep your web site information-packed and text intensive. Keep
the graphics down to one or two per page. Many of the nifty web
sites you see are done by expensive web design experts (who are
often more concerned with impressing each other than
communicating well to readers). There's no need to feel like you
have to compete with whiz-bang site's of the week. As long as
your site has good information or entertainment to offer, readers
will appreciate it.

There are many on-line tutorials and books that can help you
along the way. "Web Design for Dummies" puts HTML design in the
easiest terms. For those in a real hurry, Lisa Schmeiser's "Web
Design Template Sourcebook" provides you with a CD-ROM of web
designs. Most are aimed at the corporate world including product
brochure pages, guestbooks, and order forms.

One easy method I use to give a sophisticated look to my pages is
to copy other sites that I like. How? It's easy (although you
have to be careful not to plagiarize another person's copy or art
work). Most web browsers have pull down menus that include a
command like "View." Within that menu is a command "View Source."
By clicking this, you can see the underlying HTML code that
creates a page you like. Copy this code, replace the text and
graphics with your own text and graphics, and you've got a quick
way to build a nice-looking page. (To copy: Highlight the HTML
page, control "c", go to a word processing page, control "v" to
paste the code onto your page.)

Remember the basics of good web design. Include lots of free
helpful information (that's the engine that make the Net go!).
Use a title and headline that describe what your page or site is
about. Be very clear about what you sell and what benefits you
can bring the buyer. Tell readers who you are and why your
company does what it does. Put your picture on your page to help
people feel like they know you (earning trust on the Internet is
always a concern).

Web sites are rapidly becoming an essential part of marketing. As
millions of people discover the Internet every few weeks, you
will want your business represented by your own custom web site.

Kevin Nunley provides marketing advice and copy writing for
businesses and organizations. Read all his money-saving marketing
tips at http://DrNunley.com/. Reach him at kevin@drnunley.com or
603-249-9519.