YOU TOO CAN BUILD YOUR OWN WEBSITE!

If you've found this page, chances are you're at least ever-so-slightly taken with the idea that you too can build your own website. This is my story about sharing my passions for travel, adventure, & Northern California with you, and how SBI! helped me realize my dream.

WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? & HOW?

People ask me so many questions about my website, but mostly it boils down to the traditional questions reporters have to ask in order to report an accurate & complete story:

• Who are you that you could build your own website? Do you have programming skills? How do you know what HTML is, let alone how to do it?
• What did you hope to accomplish by learning how to build a website?

When did you start your site? How long did it take you to build it? How long before you started making any money?

• Where did you learn how to build your own website? And where do you work?
• Why did you do it?
• And, finally, the BIG question - HOW did you do it? Which also implies the question, "Can I learn how to build MY own website too?"

The answer to the last question is a big, hearty, "If I can do it, anybody can!!"

But let me not get too far ahead of my story here. The reason I started this page is to share with you (you who have an interest, that is) my own personal journey to this mid-October day in the year 2009. I could keep it orderly & answer the above questions one-by-one, but I'd rather tell the story MY way. :-D

WHO AM I? WHAT HAVE I DONE? AND WHY DID I DO IT?

I'm an ordinary person, just like you! Honestly, it's true.

I never finished college for a couple of reasons - but mostly because I couldn't figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I married a wonderful man and - in spite of myself - managed to raise two terrific boys who are now even more terrific men.

Sometimes I worked outside the home - my "career path" taking on a life of its own with no advance planning from me.

When I wasn't working outside the home, I embroiled myself in my children's activities, my husband's work life, and our community.

Pretty normal, wouldn't you say? Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary.

Time passed and, as I've mentioned before, DH and I were beginning to see an end to the current chapter of our lives with the beginning of another on the horizon: Retirement.

We started asking our own questions. Will we be okay when we retire? Will we have enough saved up to be able to do the things we've dreamt of? Should we be thinking about supplementing our retirement income?

The answer to the last question was: "It certainly can't hurt!" But what could we do? We didn't want to be tied down by working for someone else at "just another job" (freedom to travel being part of the equation).

Everyone, everywhere, seemed to be touting the benefits of making money on the World Wide Web, but how? We honestly hadn't a clue!

SBI! COMES TO THE RESCUE

That's when I discovered SBI! (or Site Build It!) Skeptical at first, I really took a careful look; then I took a second look & shared the idea with Darling Hubby; together we decided with SBI!'s money-back guarantee, we really couldn't go wrong!

So, what was it that SBI! offered me that I found so appealing? #1 - Numero Uno - was the Money-back Guarantee! If I wasn't perfectly satisfied that this was for me, I'd get my money back, no questions asked.

Number 2 on my Bucket List was the promise that SBI! would take care of the technical aspects of "building your own website." Since I knew nothing about programming or HTML, that was a biggy for me!

Then there's the Action Guide that comes in both written & video formats. It's a step-by-step guide - all I had to do was follow it! Really! The most successful SBI! owners say "all they did was follow the Guide." They didn't get sidetracked, or have to guess at what to do next.

And SBI! comes with unlimited support! Part of that picture is the Forums, where I've met the most friendly, help-and-be-helped set of e-business people in the world!

The final factor that pushed me into going ahead? Learning how to build a website would give me the freedom to set my own hours, spend as much or as little time at it as I felt able, and to be my own boss. I work at home and - if we're traveling - I can take my work along or leave it behind; my choice.

My First Stumbling Block: I Didn't Know What I Should Write About

Well, that turned out to be both harder & easier than I even thought it would. "Spend some time brainstorming subjects that you feel passionate about," the Action Guide advised. Long list, as it turns out!

But along came Niche Choose It! SBI!'s final decision-making tool. It used a complex decision-matrix theory that made choosing the best niche for ME simple... and flawless.

Combined with Niche Choose It! using Brainstorm It! to discover what keywords to use and how to use them showed me the best path for my particular idea, revealed some surprises, and helped me make the right choice.

Was It Really As Easy As All That?

Not really . . . the next hurdle was not only how to write my pages, but how to lay them out in an attractive way. Tadaaa - along comes the Block-by-Block Builder to train me how to write a page that was both "Search Engine and human effective." Like learning to ride a bike with the training wheels on!

The Block-by-Block Builder was perfect for me as a beginner, but even many "advanced" users start out with this tool. It's an excellent way to get started!

SBI! isn't only for beginners! Since it's compatible with popular HTML editors (such as Dreamweaver) and image tools (like Photoshop, Flash, etc.), it's easy to use advanced page-building techniques, if you like. This allows for maximum creative flexibility for all skill levels.

SBI! helped me with so many things I hadn't even known existed like announcing my site to the Search Engines, understanding Traffic Stats & Click Analysis, the concept of PREselling (which Site Build It! invented), and automatic site-blogging.

And new tools are being added all the time so I can feel secure that I'll always have the most up-to-date site-building and marketing tools.

I've Said It Before & I'll Say It Again: If I Can Do This, Anyone Can!

If you're concerned about your writing ability, don't be! Ken Evoy's (founder of Site Build It!) series of books have helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and small businesses.

They're quite literally the dynamic duo of "Web-writing!" Once sold at SiteSell.com, they're now free for you to download at these links: Make Your Content PREsell! and Make Your Words Sell!

And, if you still have questions, you can reach a real human being with real answers especially for YOU!

So, if you've ever wanted to build your own website, give SBI! a try - because "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." (Professional Ice Hockey Player & Coach, Wayne Gretzky)

I'd like to close by saying Thank You for spending time with me on my website - I love every minute of sharing Northern California with you! And maybe I'll see you in the SBI! Forums!!

Please continue your exploration of what Northern California has to offer by using the Nav Bar at the left, by using the links at the bottom of the page, or by using the customized search box below to find the specific topic that interests you.

Like what you're finding here at DiscoverNorthernCalifornia.com? Then please share with your Social Network (see the buttons in the NavBar to the left, or at the bottom of the page).

For more pictures of Northern California and other great stuff, check out my facebook page, www.DiscoverNorthernCalifornia.com. Become a fan, write on my Wall, contribute to the Discussion Board, post a Review -- join in the fun!