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Create Your Own Website in Minutes!

You don't have to hire a team of experts to build your website. Here's how to do it quickly and easily – yourself!

By Ann Marie Tropiano

Although more women are power players in the business world today, the online community is still an area yet to be conquered by women. Of the 650,000 Web-hosting customers in the U.S., only 13 percent are female, according to 1&1 Internet Inc., the world's largest Web host. This data implies that women are not taking full advantage of the opportunities on the Internet. Today consumers expect every business to have a professional Web presence, no matter the size of the company, so it is especially important for women entrepreneurs to stay on top of their websites.

And you don't have to be a technology expert – or have the budget to hire a Web team – to have one. The hosting package 1&1 (1and1.com) offers costs less than $10 a month and allows you to launch and manage your own website. (Other options for simple and cheap web hosting include Web.com and Hostway.com.)

Here are four easy steps to launching your own website through 1&1:

DESIGN

Log on and click on the WebsiteBuilder icon. Enter a name and choose a domain from the drop-down menu. (You will need to buy a domain name – or URL – for your site before you start. You can do this through 1and1.com or through other sites like godaddy.com.) Edit the layout, color scheme and images of your pages using the "Design" button.

ADD PAGES

Preview the templates and select one. By clicking "Pages" and "New," you can add different pages that will be connected to your homepage, such as a photo gallery.

TWEAK

Edit your pages using the "Contents" button. This will allow you to write text on the website. By clicking "Extras," you can add some free features such as news, entertainment channels and maps.

PUBLISH

View your site by clicking "Preview" and then click "Publish." Now you're officially on the Web. You can always edit and add to your site in the future. You can even manage and improve it by using a free WebStatistics tool.