Go Professional

Yes, there are many Web authoring packages on the market today but contrary to the accompanying descriptions they are not so easy to use. Even if you have the capability in house, you should ask the question "Is it cost effective?" Web site designers are professionals—they usually have multiple skills in marketing, design, programming and more.

A web site designer should advise you on:

The organization of your information for the best presentation on the screen
Ideas for the layout and presentation of the information
The pros and cons of using the latest web technology
Utilization of your logo or designs used in other marketing materials
Suggestions for logo and graphics if none are available (either, custom design, clip art or stock photography)
The best way to navigate through your site
Advantages of linking to other sites
Ensure that the key words about your business appear in the place where the search engines will find them
Provide consistency throughout the site such as contact information on each page.
Give you an estimate of the cost

Furthermore, the web designer should be able to:

Make the web pages including interactive forms and animated images
Arrange for your domain name
Set-up the web host (or tell you how to)
Develop a preview for you to approve and change
Test everything including all external links to other sites
Put it on the web server after approval and notify the Search Engines