How To Design a Great Website

 1. Don't use free hosting space, even with a redirect. You wouldn't put your business in a cardboard box on the street just because it was free.

2. Don't forget to check your email - check it and answer your emails daily. If your email address is on the website, potential clients expect prompt answers. If you can't give them, they'll find someone else.

3. Don't design your website for yourself or your circle of friends and family. Design the website for your potential clients. Unless your circle of friends are also your target demographic they won't be able to objectively evaluate how effective your site's design is.

4. Don't assume that you'll have thousands of visitors. You have to attract and keep them. Put the same effort into your website that you do your other promotional materials. You have to get the site to your potential clients, give them something to hook them and make it easy for them to take action.

5. Don't build the site in frames or flash - neither are appropriate for commercial websites. Use current website standards not 10 year old cool stuff.

6. Don't forget to ask for the sale - make conversions EASY. Sublty is for watercolors and poetry. If you've got a product or service to sell then SELL it! How visible is your phone number? How easy is your shopping cart to complete the sale? How many hoops do I have to go through to make my reservation?

7. Don't be shy - tell the world (at least everyone you know) about your website (over and over again). After you send out your initial email to your ENTIRE email address list, your URL should be on every bit of print and electronic advertising and promotional material. Business cards, TV and radio ads, letter head, press releases, email signature and so on.

9. Don't fall for promises that can't be kept. "Guaranteed top ten placement", "Your website in thousands of search engines and directories", These are not only a waste of money they can actually harm your legitimate search engine optimization. Spend your web development dollars on keeping your site current and effective.

10. Don't use crappy photos or web art. Your sales WILL go up with quality professional photographs. Spend less on your website and more on your photos if necessary. A smaller better website is more effective than a gigantic site with flashing buttons and fuzzy photos. Be careful using stock photos that EVERYONE uses. Collections available at Best Buy are not the way to go.

11. Know your competition and do it better.