What is Your Website Selling?

I thought before I finished blogging for today that I'd let you know a big more about templates and WYSIWYG editors.

First,do not buy FrontPage. Microsoft is bringing out a new web hosting problem, that means that it will only be a matter of time before the extentions do not work. However, I use it as a straight HTML editor.

I have a problem reading numbers, so I work with pictures, and then go into the code and 'clean it up.' Of course, you know that with any MS product you should never buy the first issue - or the second. That means that it may be 2 or 3 years before MS has another HTML editor on the market.

Dreamweaver has gone a long way toward writing clean code.

I've tried a few of the free HTML editors - don't use them. A couple downloaded spyware and marketing/tracking software onto my PC. The others made a nice looking page - but the code was useless.

If you do not write code - then I suggest dreamweaver. If you use Frontpage - then do not use any of their features that need FP extentions.

The 'web creation' software that is used by free sites is useless. It creates a formula based template that rarely meets your needs.

When buying templates you need to know what you are selling. I have used boxedart.com, but I recently moved to one that has more focus on faces and women - because this is my target market.

You really need an imagination when buying templates. I've found that you will never find what you need where it is suppose to be. The new template for http://www.novelwritermagazine.com is actually for a television company - none of the 'book' templates worked.

And, the new landing pages are business, personal, and beauty templates.
Of course, all you are buying is graphics and tables, so if your template doesn't have great graphics, then just make a table and use that instead.

Merryone brought up a good point. If you cannot afford to go 'mainstream' then set up in a hub like squidoo, myspace, yahoo, or hubb. Actually - set up in them all.

If you want a free website then I suggest www.bravenet.com or www.godaddy.com - of course, you won't compete with sites like or www.inspiredauthor.com - but it is a start.



My 'teaching blog' for people who want a 'real' freelance writing career.

Novel Writer Magazine