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You see them all the time, pre-packaged websites selling everything from acorns to zinc. Most of them have a nice professional look about them, with good pictures and graphics. Of course, the sales literature with the offer telling you how you're going to make a gazillion dollars!

Most of them are one page mini-sites devoted only to selling their particular product and that's where the problems begin; since it's only a sales "landing page." It will not be enough to sustain an ongoing relationship with your visitors and customers, the real bread and butter of any business!

The reason they aren't effective as stand-alone websites, is that many customers that visit a site don't purchase the first time. In many cases, it takes a number of visits to get your visitors into a buying frame of mind. I heard it put this way: When you first met your wife, did you ask her to marry you on the first date or did it take a while? It's the same thing with customers!

The idea of "pre-selling" your visitors has been time tested and it does work. Through each visit they learn more about you and feel more confident buying from you. Heck, just the fact your website is still there after a period of time is a good selling point.

A well put together website will also have a sense of balance and there will be honest-to-goodness content aimed at the visitor; not straight-up sales copy!

The difference between a one page sales website and your own, content filled and well designed, is like night and day! As an example: Have you ever been phoned "cold" by a pushy telephone salesman? What was your mood? I bet it wasn't a positive one!

The same goes for any website that only pushes sales at the expense of an ongoing relationship with their visitors. A stand alone sales promotion campaign that leads your customer to a hard-sales website, is doomed to failure!

All the previous reasons should convince you a turnkey website is a terrible idea as your first Web effort.

That isn't to say it isn't good for some purposes! Used as a sales landing page, once your customer has been pre-sold, is an excellent use for it. Matter of fact, some of them have very effective sales copy and will do the job nicely.

Of course, comparing the sales effectiveness of pre-selling versus pre-packaged, has left out the most glaring reason for building your own website: You and your personal style and experiences!

You have unique qualities that will be reflected onto anything you do; all the people, places and feelings that have contributed to making you a one-of-a-kind individual!

All this should go a long way to convince you to build your own website. With so many copycat sites in every corner of the web, your website will be a smashing refreshment from the cookie cutter approach.

Your originality will be remembered and identify you as a unique and creative individual. The total design and vision of your website will convey ideas that a trainload of turnkey sites can only hope for!