10 Tips for Building A Website
1) Get to the Point!
Web surfers hunt for quick answers. They want to know who you are, what you do
and what you have to offer. Avoid extraneous graphics or information.
2) Appearance Counts.
Homemade smatterings of graphics or overused pre-fab templates are the hallmarks
of amateurs and businesses not serious about their web operation. Use a clean,
professionally designed motif throughout your website.
3) Content is Key!
The more useful your information, the more likely visitors will return. Use your
website to share your professional knowledge. Always thoroughly describe your
products. And be ready to answer questions.
4) Smaller is Faster.
Every graphic, page and script file must be downloaded to be viewed. With the
predominance of slow modem connections, that can mean a substantial time to
display the page. Keep your first page under 50-75k roughly equal to a 30-60
second download time.
5) Economize Graphics
Reusing graphics throughout your site not only save design money but also
dramatically reduces subsequent download times.
6) Contact, Contact, Contact!
Anyone can write or link a web page, so make sure your pages are branded
properly. Contact information should be on every page with copyright notices and
e-mail links.
7) Be A Good Navigator!
Navigation should be logical and consistent throughout the site. More than three
clicks to content and most users click away.
8) Keep the Lights On!
Websites with out of date information resemble a store with no lights on. If it
looks like nobody's minding the storefront, most customers keep on walking.
9) Remember Anyone Can Surf!
Some people use text readers to surf the web, others use translators, and then
there are search engines. None can "read" a picture unless you give it
a description. Use ALT tags that say more than "file.jpg_37k".
10) Talk to the Spiders!
agents of search engines, these little programs scour the web looking for
interesting pages to link. Using a properly constructed META tag tell the
arachnoid not only who and where you are, but what valuable resource you have to
offer.
|
