The CaymanHost Web Hosting Directory

Before launching into this review it should be pointed out that Site Build It (or SBI ) and SiteSell.com , do not conform to the conventional notion of web hosting as most of the companies represented on these pages. Their services are aimed fairly and squarely at small business and internet marketers and indeed anyone looking to build quality static websites with the minimum of fuss and the maximum return on investment. But are they any good?

A lot of that depends on who you ask, and it is one of those companies that people tend to get very vocal about.

Site Build It and their web hosting company SiteSell.com are another Canadian company, the brainchild of CEO Ken Evoy, who have been in business since 1997 and in a nutshell, have grown their business by helping a great number of people turn their own ideas into very successful online businesses. The whole philosophy of Site Build It is really to enable people to get an online business set up as quickly and painlessly as possible without the need to know too much about all the technical barriers and “under the hood” workings of their sites and web hosting. So goes the pitch to potential new customers.

On the face of it, this makes them a very attractive proposition for those who want to concentrate on developing content rich sites but don’t want the distractions of having to learn too much about hosting, web design, marketing and promotion. As we pointed out in our opening paragraph, this is not your normal hosting review. So, let’s look at what this means for the end user in a little more detail.

SiteBuildIt is a controlled environment and this is a very important distinction. Unlike traditional hosting, you cannot upload anything you like to a server because you are working within a controlled FTP environment. There is no access to things like cgi-bin and php files, simply the facility to upload specific file types to certain folders designated for the purpose. Basically the SBI system handles all of the hosting aspects for you and also takes care of things like submissions to search engines and ongoing SEO. The company’s proud claim is that their methods and systems will ensure success and traffic and there are plenty of testimonials to support their claims. Mind you, their affiliate program pays well, so it is wise to be careful about believing everything you read.

With all the advances in technology and software in more recent years, it has to be said that what SBI does is not as relevant as it probably was back in 1997, and here is where you need to be sure what you want to do with your website and business building efforts before committing to any plan of action.

Another  word of caution – in terms of pricing, it does look like a very costly option for a beginner and you can certainly get your own site up and running for a lot less money.

Web hosting design and marketing made simple – Purists may well feel that SBI and SiteSell are therefore not for serious webmasters but this is strongly refuted in the company’s comprehensive onsite presentations. Do they have a point?  Some of their customers have produced some top percentile websites (at least based based on Alexa traffic rankings which are not necessarily the best indication). The website presentation is detailed and if you have time to watch their 30 minute video it gives you a good idea of what the systems can do, and indeed why so many people are attracted to the company. If you have no marketing or technical experience, which let’s face it, accounts for a large number of people, you would probably find SBI and SiteSell an attractive place to start as a fledgling website owner. This does not automatically make it so however, it just means that the marketing is effective.

It is important to point out that despite the controlled hosting environment Site Build It is not a generic template type deal, very far from it. You choose your own domain name(s) just as you would with any other hosting service, and build your sites around them. You are the webmaster in control of the websites you build. You don’t need to know any HTML as their site building software does everything, but, if you are familiar with web authoring you can freely design/edit your own pages via any HTML editor and Photoshop. You will have the ability to blog, you will have RSS capability and E-Zine and Newsletter facilities and most of the tools you would normally expect to be using in building an online presence. You will also find things such as automated keyword research, autoresponders, mailing lists, link exchange tools and comprehensive traffic and stats reporting. The attraction for a beginner is probably in the claimed automation of many of the hard tasks associated with marketing and promoting a site, In short, if you have a great idea but are intimidated by technology could this company be the answer to your problems? Even if you already have some website building experience but have had little success, you are also in the company’s target market.

Well, be wary of anyone claiming automation of work – the reality is usually not quite the same. It has been said by several detractors in recent times that many of the tools and techniques used by SBI are now out of date and innefective. I cannot comment on that with any degree of expertise as I have never used the service.

In terms of cost, SBI is actually more expensive than a good quality shared hosting program, (in fact it equates to about a dollar per day) and on the face of it you seem to be getting a lot for your money. Their claim is that they are more than just a hosting company and is probably the closest thing you will find to a “business in a box”. You bring the idea and SBI enables you to convert that idea into an online business. This approach has worked for some people, as to whether it is for you why not take a look at the company’s presentations to help you decide. All we would say is that you should not be swayed by claims of huge successes and little work – the reality of running an online money making site is much different and it takes work and knowledge, however you approach the site building aspect.

As a hosting company we could find very few complaints about reliability, nor customer and technical support although to be fair, we are not reviewing your regular host as we have made clear already. Users have access to a forum area as well as normal company support via telephone and email. Ultimately, if you have been trying to decide on a hosting plan and have read this review, it may well change your thinking a little. There is no doubt that SBI and SiteSell , cannot be considered a guarantee of success, it may appeal to those who want to get a website off the ground with a minimum of fuss if they are not worried about costs.

In conclusion, if you want reliable hosting but also like the idea of a lot of automation of “the geek stuff” SBI might be worth investigating further. As with all things, there are some limitations which will make the company a non starter for a many webmasters and it is certainly not a cheap route to go down. They ARE different but if you are just starting out in the online world or are frustrated by a lack of success, SBI do not represent a magic path to riches.

Our recommendation is that you study their system with a cool head and try to remain detached from the hard sell before deciding if it is for you, bearing in mind the annual cost in relation to buying a regular hosting account and building your own site yourself. Nowadays, even the non technical can easily install Wordpress on a server and have a blog up and running quickly, so the days when SBI offered more than the competition are probably behind us.

Technorati Tags: Site Build It Review , Web hosting review , Create a website , Web site design , Web site template , Web site marketing , SEO services , Web site builder , Increase web site traffic , Blogging , Hosting Reviews , Product Reviews , SEO , Web Design , Website Promotion

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