Components of a Great Web Site
So you've finally decided it's time to create your own Web Site.
After all, your friends and business associates have one and
you don't want to be left behind on the Information Super Highway. Great Web Sites all have a few common elements about them, and
that's what I'll be discussing here. It's usually a good idea
to plan the site out on paper before even touching your PC.
It can be difficult to come up with content when staring at a blank
computer screen, so get out an old fashioned pen and paper and
let those creative juices flow. You want to be sure to include
all there is to know about your products and/or services. Once you decide on the main topics you'll be using, it's time to
plan out the navigation. You need to make it simple and easy for
visitors to find their way around your site, otherwise they'll
get frustrated and leave. Keep the navigation consistent on all
pages so your guests don't have to re-learn the menus from page
to page. Graphic links are usually more effective than plain
text, but make sure you use something readable and easy on
the eyes. Make sure the color of the hyperlinks coordinate with the rest
of your site. You should include your contact information at
the bottom of every page - at the very least, an email address.
Businesses should also include phone, FAX, and company name.
Not everyone enters a site through the front door and if you
fail to include this information, they won't know where they
are or how to get in touch with you with comments and/or
suggestions. If you surf the Net for any length of time, you'll
be amazed at just how many sites fail to include this vital
information. Including a FeedBack form is a good way to add some interactivity
and makes it easy for people to ask questions without having to
pick up the phone. Graphics make a site visually appealing, but if you use the
wrong ones you can leave a bad impression. If you must use
a background, make sure it's not so busy that text cannot
be easily read. Surfers
are an impatient bunch, so make sure the graphics are compressed
as much as possible so they download quickly. There are many
online utilities that will perform this service for Free.
One is located at http://www.webutilities.com/services/index.htm
This Free compression service offers support for Gif, JPG, and
PNG. You should save simple graphics in a 16 color format rather
than 256. If your site is large you might want to include a search
mechanism to help visitors find what they are looking for.
The more information you include, the harder it gets for
visitors to find exactly what they want. A search form makes
this simple. HTML editors like MS Front Page make it easy
to insert search tools into your site that will automatically
update when new pages are added. Having a Web Site means making constant updates. People want
to know that the information they are reading is fresh and new.
That being said, you should include the last date the page
was updated on all of the pages in your site. This lets
the public know when changes were last made or you can
include a "what’s new" page that is specifically used for
this purpose. Adding a page of related links is another great idea. You can
contact other site owners and ask to exchange links or just
add other sites that you like which complement yours. By asking
to exchange links, you help generate traffic for each other's
sites. The best sites on the Net usually offer links to
related Web Sites where more information can be found on
the same topic. If you can write up a brief description next
to each link, all the better. If you do include a link page
check it from time to time to get rid of any dead links.
It's annoying to click on a link and get an error. If you take all of these tips and implement them on your
Web Site, you'll have an interesting, well-designed site
that people will want to return to again and again. Anyone can get on the Information Super Highway, it's up to
you what kind of car you want to be seen in.
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