In case you missed last week's issue, I wrote about how my bizweb2000.com site was in need of a serious makeover. It had become very outdated, so I got down to business.

But the update was not without its problems. Today I'll share those with you and give you a look at the new site. Maybe you'll pick up a few tips you can use at your site.

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OK, being the lousy web designer that I am, I decided to use a template on my new BizWeb2000.com home page. After downloading the following template, I ran into snag #1.

I needed the buttons and other images to contain different text. So I decided to try it myself. I poked around the web a bit and decided to download PaintShopPro from jasc.com. It's a well-respected program that many graphic designers use.

The problem is, I'm not a graphic designer.

And I simply could not get a grip on using the program. I was able to find and open the blank button images. I even figured out how to add some text. But when saving the images, the quality went downhill and I was not satisfied with the results.

After an hour or so of that, I threw in the towel and went to plan B...

(More after this important message.)

I remembered that when creating my ezWebBusinessBuilder CD I included an option for folks to get their templates customized by a professional. I decided to load my CD into my computer and check that out.

Within a minute or so I was chatting with a professional web designer and had a quote for all the changes I needed. My cost was $90, which was FAR less than I would have spent in frustration doing it myself.

Needless to say, I opted for this "sit back and wait" approach. And within a few business days, I had my updated images. I then copied the images into my template directory and bingo, my site was customized.

Next I changed my About Page, Products page and Contact Page so they would all have the same layout. Eventually I'll get my other main pages into the new look as well, but at least this is a start.

Finally, I opened my CuteFTP program, uploaded my new web pages and did some testing. I checked all my links and also checked the site using a few different screen resolutions.

I have to say, this testing went off without a hitch. Sure, there were a few links I typed wrong. (It is very important to check ALL your links at ALL your pages when doing site work.) But those were easily fixed.

My bizweb2000.com home page and immediate sub pages are now redesigned and completely updated. If you have a moment, drop by and have a look. I think you'll agree that it is much more professional than my old look.

The cost for my redesign was $50 for the template and $90 for the customization, bringing the total to $140. Not bad considering I had a quote of $4200 just a few months before!

And if I had been a little more handy with that graphics program, I could have done it for much less.

While many "purist" web designers may not agree, I've found that website templates provide an excellent way to put together a professional site. And they are also excellent for redesigning an existing site. Especially if you like to save money.

To your online marketing success,
Jim Daniels - JDD Publishing
Creator of ezWebBusinessBuilder.com - the world's first View it and Do It software for profiting from the web.

P.S. I want to take a moment and send out a special thanks to all of you who wrote letters raving about my newest CD. It's heartwarming knowing that the software has helped so many of you get your web businesses going in the right direction.

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