Hello Tanya! This is Luella. John is very knowledgeable and imparts all he has learned for all to use. I am so glad this forum has been as "pearls of wisdom" for you. I know John has many more "pearls" in store. Love to you! Luella May and John Elliott, aka Oaky Wood

Hi JR, John Here, Thank you for your valued imput. Owning your own domain can actually be the best investment, any potential businessman/woman could ever make. The cost is actually so relitively small, a domain, a .com can be registered for less than $9 a year, and good hosting for as little as $5 per month with plenty of storage space. So you see quite cost effective indeed. Its always best to learn basic HTML as mentioned previously, so again knowledge is the key, and there are plenty of free services out there today provided anyone is willing to learn. Free tutorials are available everywhere so even the learning should cost nothing. I myself have learned everything I know, by scouring the internet using google searches and article directories etc, and reading everything I possibly could. Love and Peace John Elliott aka Oaky Wood and Luella May

Hi, Everyone, and especially MaxinVegas For a truly individual design and a website that works, you have to look no further than Adland's own Linda Caroll. Her designs are individual, created by collaboration and it goes far beyond what you want it to look like. Linda starts with what do you want to accomplish. You get a real education in marketing with her. I'm sure there are others here whose business is website design, and I don't mean to slight them...I know Linda's work, so I can heartily recommend her. She designed my site (see my sig). For those on a shoestring budget, and from what I read in many posts that may be the majority of us here, Linda will soon have a comprehensive course to help you do-it-yourself. I'm one of her test group, and I can guarantee that Linda makes it easy. John, your article was excellent, and something to be very aware of as one starts an internet business. The ONLY way to stand apart from the crowd is to stamp your site with your own personality, whether you work with a designer or do it yourself. Anyone thinking that a ready-made, replicated website has a snowball's chance in 'h-e-double-q' is fooling him- or herself and wasting money. BTW, even if you have to use a template background, try blogging. It's easy and usually free if you don't mind ads on your blog. Cheri

Hello Cheri, This is Luella replying. Thank you for your very informative post. I am sure you have just been a tremendous help to many in the community. Yes, the best way to go about internet marketing is to be original and have your own site. Designers as a rule are quite expensive, but you just presented a most marvelous solution! Your own web site, with your own personality. However, one will also have to learn marketing tips. May I plug Kathleen Gage at The Corner 4 Women? Please feel free to read her articles and visit her website. She is brilliant and has a step by step method to marketing. All you need do is follow her instructions. http://thecorner4women.com We are so fortunate to have such talented and knowledgable people in the community to aid us in our business efforts. Once they are brought to our attention, learn from them and don't hesitate to pick their brains. We are here to help one another. Kindest regards, Luella May and John Elliott, aka Oaky Wood

Hi, Luella Oh, of course I should have thought of Kathleen, too. I know her, you know. We live in the same town, more or less--she's in Draper, I'm in Midvale, both suburbs of Salt Lake--but she's moving to Oregon :-( Have been privileged to catch her seminars on more than one occasion. Love her and her business partner, Lori, too! Kathleen has some fantastic information about marketing, don't know that she's a designer. And sorry, John, didn't realize you were, hope I didn't step on your toes. I think we can learn from everyone, so I belong to both ladies' forums, as well as Clay Page's and Ken Sword's. Now this one, and Steve's blogging one. I gather all the good ideas I can and put them into practice as soon as I can! I have a question for John. When you said give as much detail about yourself as you can, did you mean on the home page or in the About page that most sites have now? I always thought it should be in the About page--isn't that what that's for? Cheri