Outskirts Press offers its Authors a Website Package...

From the Outskirts Blog:
http://outskirtspress.wordpress.com/2008/10/01/professional-author-websites-for-self-publishing-writers/

Now Outskirts is not a Lulu. They are a full service self-publisher and their costs are comparable with others such as Wheatmark etc. I have seen a few books done through them and the quality is no different. Lulu offers a customizable store front to authors but it is not quite as customizable as a professional webpage nor does it have the technical support through a third party vendor that Outskirts is offering.

I am interested to hear from authors if having a webpage has helped or hindered book sales, and by hindered I mean do the book sales generated offset the cost of the webpage?

On a final note: Money is always a concern for self-published authors, and in the beginning, we all know that the balance sheet is usually in the red and it takes a while to recoup start-up costs. Most Internet service providers offer free web-page space to their customers. If one were savvy and had a web publishing program, a website in this fashion would be a very cost effective way to market your name and your books. So check your options thoroughly and understand your specific needs before you incur any additional third party marketing costs.

Disclaimer: This author has no personal experience with Outskirts Press and this post is not an endorsement for or against the services provided.