"Ibuilt" My Own WebSite

Computers are incredibly fast, accurate and stupid. Human beings are incredibly slow, inaccurate and brilliant. Together they are powerful beyond imagination.

So, if you have been reading this blog, you are aware that I am in the process of starting a business. I will write about that someday soon, but one of the main reasons I started this blog is to pass along cool things that I happen across in the process of creating this business. So, one of the things I realized , as my idea for my business took form, is that I needed to become more computer saavy. So, I have been on a mission...to teach myself as much as possible about how business is done on the web. One of the reasons I started this blog is to become more familiar w/the blogging medium too. I believe the web is the way most/many things will be marketed now and even more so in the future. People are just becoming more and more comfortable ordering on the web and receiving their packages right on their doorstep.

I decided to build my own web site. Now, I am not a girl w/any experience writing code and to be honest, I don't want to make that my focus. I tried out so many "trials" on web site host/builders that I have to pass along the one that stands out so far and has become a favorite, ibuilt! This site is very easy to edit, no code required...and lots of templates to play with...No, I am not set up as an affiliate of theirs, so I don't get any $$ for recommending this, but the web sites you create are packed w/features, the e-commerce plans have features like automatic uploading to froogle etc...so, even if you think you could never do this, try out a free 2 week trial just for fun. You may learn something and it is a blast to mess around to see what you can do. So...ibuilt...it's one to try and I will be back with more as I continue to try these out.

2/9/07-UPDATE-The exact same web sitebuilder can be found at Netidnow, and I find it to have a few more plan options (click on WEB STUDIO). It is actually the exact same program, though. Netidnow web studio is the one I am using, but the differences are negligible. After all this time, I still find this the most intuitive and easy to work with! You can be a beginner or a pretty advanced user and this program will suit your needs.

Ticker Factory

Well, this is a cool little site that lets you create a countdown ticker to any event, weight loss, birthday etc...
You just go to the site, Tickerfactory and follow the directions to set up a fun little ticker to count something down and it creates the code for you to copy and paste into most anything. It's a cool little motivational tool. If I was brave I would have created one to use as an example of my weight loss so far, but I am not quite that brave. Maybe you are. Either way, this is a fun thing to check out! If you use it, let me know what you think!

Evite Invitations

I was out of the country for a week and then went to Scottsdale, Arizona (where we used to live) for another week, so I have been away from my computer for a while. However, I did run across something very cool as I was trying to organize a lunch get-together with my girlfriends from afar. I really did not have time to make 10 phone calls, wait for people to call me back, and then call everyone back with the final date. There is a really great website called Evite that sends a FREE customized invitation via email...allows guests to vote on a choice of dates and they type in a response...often a little message back and "voila", the party is planned. You get to see when the message is read and send additional messages, like the final choice of date, if you gave that option. The invitations are really hip and there are also free cards to send too. There are menu suggestions for at home parties, recipes or events to suggest for your area and lots more. You can even have a list of things to bring if you are organizing a "pot luck" and as someone signs up for something , that item is taken off the list. Pretty easy way to organize a party and eliminate a lot of phone calls. Definately a site worth recommending! Check it out and let me know!!! I really love this site and will use it to organize parties from now on!