1. Help visitors stay oriented Make sure that every page on your site includes links that take return to your home page, the previous page or to another page. If visitors get sidetracked while browsing your site, you want them to quickly be able to return to something familiar or move forward to something that will bring them value. The HTML frames feature is perfect for this because you can reserve a portion of the screen for a menu of links to your content.
2. Make it User-centered The number one factor in a successful Web site is to focus on the needs of others. Create a site that is sure to be on your most desired visitors' Bookmarks by giving weighted substance back to them. And, make sure that your most valuable information has the most direct access with the fewest graphics.
3. Preview regularly scheduled updates The movie theaters do it. Television stations do it. Even magazines do it. Try to include on your site a preview listing of upcoming topics and planned changes. You never know when a visitor might find nothing at your site today, but see something in the preview that will bring him or her back next week.
4. Crosslink with other sites Get your link on as many other pages as possible by linking your site with related sites. Links to other sites make your site more valuable because your visitors will know that you are a source for fresh, valuable, related sites from all over the Web.
5. Submit it to indexers and directories Contact every Web indexer and make sure they've got your URL. And, if you want your site to receive maximum exposure, use the title and the first 100 words for keywords and a description that will be picked up by Web search engines. Don't waste your valuable title space on something generic like, "Welcome to my Home Page," be specific.
6. Test it personally Test your site personally to see how it looks and feels to your clients and visitors. Check it out using different settings (toolbars and directory buttons on and off); try it at different hours; use different modems (try slow and fast); different browsers (Netscape for Windows, Microsoft Explorer and Macintosh, for example); and different screen resolutions. Your site may look very different on an older, slower PC compared to a new top-of-the-line one. Periodically, try clicking on the links you have on your Web site to make sure that they all still connect to working sites.
7. Include multiple contact links What a waste of your time and resources if a visitor decides to contact you directly and can't locate the necessary information. People want direct, personal contact and cyberspace hasn't changed that. In fact, a personal touch on your site may heighten people's interest. Your site should contain frequent and obvious links that point visitors to business contact information within your organization--email, fax, snail mail address and phone numbers, if appropriate. If yours is a family Web site, however, personal information is not recommended, except for your email address.
8. Go easy on the graphics Thousands of Web sites truly are works of art by master graphic artists. But during peak business hours, bandwidth limitations might make it impossible for some people to access your site. Millions of home-based business owners use telephone modems and may rely upon your site to keep them in touch with their industry. At a minimum, use interlaced graphics and offer a "text-only" hyperlink at the top of the document so visitors quickly can select a faster option if they are not willing to wait.
© Copyrights Debbie Johnson
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