August 17, 1999
Web posted at: 12:25 p.m. EDT (1625 GMT)

(CNN) -- If you really want to build a functional Web site but don't have a lot of money or think you don't have enough skill, "Poor Richard's Web Site: Geek-Free, Commonsense Advice on Building a Low-Cost Web Site" might just be the book for you.

The number of books on Web site design and creation has grown dramatically over the years, but "Poor Richard's" author Peter Kent felt they didn't address people's basic questions.

"There are books on HTML, JavaScript, Java, ActiveX, and all sorts of other geeky subjects. But not only don't you need to understand these things in order to set up a Web site; you can read a dozen such books, and you still won't know everything you need to do," Kent said.

Kent is no stranger to geek writing. He has written many technical manuals himself but came to realize that the computer-book business has a techno bias that frustrates the average reader.

With "Poor Richard's," he tries to answer simply people's questions about computers and the uses of Web sites.

He walks readers through what they need to know when they are considering creating a Web site, touching on everything from good and bad reasons to create a site to how pick and register a domain name.

The book stresses that you don't have to know pages and pages of HTML to build a good, functional site. Kent explains how to use interactive forms, take online orders and use e-mail services such as e-mail forwarding, electronic newsletters and autoresponders.

Finally, "Poor Richard's" includes suggestions on how to promote a site through Web search engines, Web link directories and traditional media including newspapers and radio.

PoorRichard.com features the more than 700 Web links mentioned in the book, broken up according to the chapters in which they appeared for easy use. "Poor Richard's" is also for sale on the site, illustrating how a simple site can be used for e-commerce.

The site also has examples of some of the free or lower-cost services mentioned in the book, including free chat and discussion groups, free forms and low-cost software.

"Poor Richard's' Web Site" is published by Top Floor Publishing. Kent has authored 34 books but is best known for "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Internet."