Software Packages
We'll need web development software and graphical design software to create our website. Don't spend too much time on this step - the choice is pretty obvious!

Web Development Software
You'll need this to physically build your site. You might see these referred to as WYSIWYG or "What You See Is What You Get". They let us design our page visually while the program does the coding grunt work in the background. I highly recommend Macromedia Dreamweaver - somewhat of an industry standard. If you insist on swimming against the current, take a look at some of the options in our Guide to Web Development Programs. The remainder of Build and Earn will assume you're using Dreamweaver!

Graphic Design and Photo Editing Software
To make your website look professional you'll need graphic design software. Professionals use Adobe Photoshop and it too, is the industry standard. For the shoestring budget there are some cheap and free options that will get the job done. Find the software package that meets your needs with the Guide to Graphic Design Software.

If you want to browse some additional tools to add some pizzazz to your site, browse the Cool Tools Guide. However, not enough can be said for keeping it simple and sticking to the basics!

Now you've got a killer concept with a descriptive domain name. You've got the software to build a great website and your webhost is ready to send it live. Whoa there cowboy, not so fast… you've got some planning to do… let's move onto Step 3 - Mapping Your Plan.