Any experience with Site Build It?

[jgant]

Yes, you can integrate a WordPress blog into an SBI site. It takes a little figuring out, but you can do it. I did it and that's how I discovered WordPress.

Other than the vast amount of information SBI offers, I'm also constantly impressed with the search engine rankings of SBI sites. I know what they look like; they are easy to spot. In many niches, SBI sites rank well. SBI teaches you about SEO - both onsite and offsite. They also teach about building backlinks.

The info from SBI is solid, but you can learn much of it elsewhere such as Lynn's blog of which I'm a regular reader.

I respectfully partly disagree with Bookkeeper-For-You's suggestion that design isn't terribly important. The part I agree with is don't agonize endlessly over design. Choose a design and go with it - don't spend days and weeks tweaking design.

But, in my view, if SBI has not added new designs in the last year to 18 months, then I can say that I don't like their designs at all. Sure, website design is not the be all and end all, but having a contemporary looking website is important in my view. SBI designs are outdated and I believe this affects conversion to some extent. WordPress themes and Joomla templates are far more up-to-date.

That said, content is the most important element of a website. SBI repeatedly teaches this.

So, if you're prepared to write great content and do backlinking (tedious, but necessary), then you're in a position to create a successful website.

[murph]

Phil, this is great stuff from you, so thank you for that. Just 2 questions from your response - one is that my perception is that Site Build It helps to drive traffic to your site. Is that correct or a misunderstanding on my part? The second question is about links - I am pretty poor about links, so is there an article or report that you could recommend that would give me the important dos and donts about links? Sorry for being a nuisance but the quality of your response just helped to raise more questions in me!

[Phil Tanny]

Phil, this is great stuff from you, so thank you for that.

You're welcome sir, glad to be of service.

Just 2 questions from your response - one is that my perception is that Site Build It helps to drive traffic to your site. Is that correct or a misunderstanding on my part?

Again, I haven't looked at SBI in a few years, but my understandings are as follows.

SBI teaches you how to do keyword research, and how to optimize your pages for these keywords. It's not the software specifically that builds the traffic, but the instruction that is built-in to the system.

You can get that same instruction here on this forum, and quite a number of other places. If my memory is correct, you can also get the SBI manual containing this instruction for free.

Point being, it's not the software that builds the traffic, but information, and what you do with it. I wouldn't purchase SBI with the thought that once you have the program that you'll just push a button and somehow traffic will happen.

The original vision of SBI was to be a unified complete system that contained everything novice webmasters needed. That is, the publishing tools, and the instruction, bundled together in a single package. This was ground breaking at the time, as the vast majority of web hosts give you some server space, and that's it, you're on your own from there, and they make no attempt to teach you the business or help you succeed. Most web hosts hate the whole idea of having anything at all to do with you and your business strategy etc.

SBI's original vision is much less industry leading now, but it still could be a good choice for those who prefer an all-in-one type environment to picking and choosing tools from around the net. If you can get in to the SBI forum, that might be worth checking out. I forget if it's open to the public.

I'll soon be re-releasing my own site builder, so if you're not in a hurry, stay tuned for that. But, like SBI, Wordpress or any other sitebuilder, it won't magically generate traffic for you. What will build traffic for you is...

1) Lots of quality content
2) Keyword researched and optimized pages.
3) Lots of links

The key to lots of traffic isn't software, but content, keywords and links. Even that isn't quite right...

The real key to traffic is us. What is our relationship with our online business? It's not hard at all to learn the information about traffic, the challenge is in applying that info relentlessly and consistently over time, until we reach our goals.

As far as I know, there is no software in the world that can really address the key deciding factor, what's going on inside our heads. I say that with some regret, being a web software developer myself.

Lynn's personal coaching has a much better chance of positively affecting those things in us that really matter to the success of our business.

The second question is about links - I am pretty poor about links, so is there an article or report that you could recommend that would give me the important dos and donts about links?

I have a site coming about this too. It will contain a long list of link building tips, and more importantly, a system for keeping track of which tips we've actually completed.

But "coming soon" doesn't help you much now, so if you'd like to start a thread all about link building here, perhaps we can all pile in our favorite tips.

[murph]

Thanks, Phil, and keep me in mind when you have your site about links. I will start a new thread regarding links, so please look out for it and contribute. Thanks.

[Phil Tanny]

Ok Murph, will do. If you don't see me in the links thread after a few days, please feel free to remind me with a PM if you wish.

[robert adams]

1. google for free web templates
2. choose one you like and change it up to make it your own
3. learn about sales pages etc. from here and apply to your template
4. read up here about SEO and do what you learn here.
5. rinse and repeat

you have just done everything that SBI and /or XSitePro etc. will do for you

[angienewton]

Actally XSitePro has a lot more than what you mention above Robert (I'm not familiar with SBI but I think it does as well). It really just depends on what your goal is with your business as to whether you use a static site with software, static site/blog with Wordpress, etc. Everyone's business will be different.

[robert adams]

Actally XSitePro has a lot more than what you mention above Robert (I'm not familiar with SBI but I think it does as well). It really just depends on what your goal is with your business as to whether you use a static site with software, static site/blog with Wordpress, etc. Everyone's business will be different.

not really, xsitepro is just a web site creator with the other stuff I mentioned built into it. I am not really bashing either one, I just think they are overpriced for what you can get for free with a little time spent searching around and learning a bit for yourself.

robert