Design Website

What''s happening to good web site design? Somehow we creative types at interactive and traditional ad agencies have run amuck - we''re building web sites that may dazzle the senses, but don''t really communicate much about our client''s business or products and services!

1. Somehow I don''t think anyone has a burning desire to spend 30-60 seconds on the Index page of a web site while another fancy Flash animation loads, complete with snazzy graphics, audio, and way cool cutting edge graphics - not!! People want to get real information, not razzle-dazzle graphics showing how great a developer is using the latest whiz bang technology!

2. I thought Frames went out of style like adding a .com to your company''s name. Apparently not, as there are still lots of web sites using Frames - forcing users to see a web site with mix and match (bad) graphics, odd menus and just a plain ugly interface.

3. I some times wonder if some of my fellow design geeks all own Adobe stock, or they are just trying to make sure HTML disappears as a content standard. The last thing many people want is to sit and watch as their 56 kbps dial up struggles with opening a doc in Adobe''s proprietary PDF format - many click off and are gone to the next web site. Content should be offered in HTML or Word format, both of which open instantly - no, I don''t own any Microsoft shares!

4. Another popular time waster appears to be designing web sites that require people to list all of their contact points, including first born children, their dog''s pedigree - etc. Registration forms should be short and no more than 4-5 entries that just require fundamental contact information.

5. What''s the value in running contests, games and other technology-enabled multimedia content on a web site? Recent studies have indicated most of the online user community isn''t interested in a web site that drives branding - they simply want information about a company''s goods and services.

All websites have a homepage. It is the most important page of your site. It acts as the main gateway to the entire site. Most of your prospective customers will enter through it. Its vital to get it right. You dont want them to just turn around and go away again.

Take a moment to clear your mind. Now go and look at your homepage and take a minute to evaluate it. Does it work for your prospective customers?

Most will arrive at your homepage and quickly scan through the content. If they are interested in what they read and see they''ll typically decide to click on a link that takes them to another page where they''ll find more information. As they make that decision they''ll be asking things like:

What do they do?

Do they look professional?

Whats in it for me?

Do i have the problem they describe?

Are they talking directly to me?

How can i get it?

Alternatively, if the homepage hasnt interested them immediately then they''ll leave just as quickly as they arrived, unlikely to return.

Your homepage is the gateway to your website and plays a critical part in the prospects visit. First impressions count. The success of your site depends on your homepage. Now, before we look at what a homepage should be, lets look at what it shouldnt be.

It should not be a false homepage requiring you to click a link to get to the real homepage. It shouldnt be a page that fails to direct the prospect to further action. It shouldnt contain any content that doesnt serve an immediate and clear purpose. It should never read like a dull brochure, that does nothing to motivate prospects to seek more information or buy immediately.

What a homepage should be. It should have a clear message. It should be a dynamic page that instantly conveys a sense of what you do, how you do it, who you are, how you do business, etc. It should start to describe the direct benefits that prospective customers get by buying your product or service. It should create prospect interest and make them eager to find out more. It should provide direction and clearly marked links to get them there. It should focus entirely on serving the needs of your prospective customers and removing their anxieties.

1. Repackage your web site content in to different products to sell. You could create speeches, audio books, classes, and video tapes with your content.

2. Divide your content up and use it for promotional articles. You could submit them to other web sites or ezines for publicity. Just add your resource box.

3. Allow people to link to your web site''s content. This is a fast way to get hundreds of people linking to your web site.

4. Add to your content and create an ebook to sell. You don''t want to sell your free content, but if you add to it you can. It''s an extra profit stream.

5. Compile it into a free ebook. You could submit it to free ebook directories. Use it as a bonus for when people subscribe to your e-zine.

6. Use your free content as a lead in product for your fee based content or private site. Just allow them the option of up grading to the paid version.

7. Place it on follow-up autoresponders from your web site. This is a great way to remind people to come back and revisit your web site.

8. Create a free bonus out of your content for your main product. When you add new content, remove the old content and create a bonus product with it.

9. Use the content to create a press release. This works well if you need extra information for your press release announcement.

As a webmaster you already know how important it is that your web pages download fast. In a nutshell, if your pages are slow, then you''re losing visitors. And if you''re losing visitors, you''re losing money.

To speed up your download times, most web design experts will suggest that you optimize your GIFs and JPGs so that they download faster. They''ll suggest that you make your images smaller or remove them altogether. Or they''ll simply suggest that you put less stuff on your pages.

All of these methods work. The problem, however, is that they all involve doing things that you don''t want to do. You don''t want to squeeze any more quality and color out of your images. The same goes for your content - you put it there because you want it there. Basically, there''s only so far you can go with these approaches before you really start to ruin your page.

Fortunately, there''s one way to get your pages opening faster without having to compromise your images or your content. This is a simple and effective method, but one that is rarely discussed by the web design experts.

To understand this approach, it''s important to recognize the difference between "perceived" download time and "actual" download time. The perceived download time is the time it takes to have enough stuff displayed on your page for the visitor to be able to start studying your content. The actual download time is the time it takes for the entire page and all its contents to be fully downloaded.

The perceived download time is the one that really counts. Why? Because once your visitor has something before his/her eyes to read or look at, then there is much less risk that he/she will click away because your page is taking too long to load.

So how do you improve your perceived download time?

Simple, you break the content of your page down into two or more tables.

You see, web browsers will not start displaying the contents of a table until it has compiled the entire table to the end. Once a table is compiled it will display, and the browser will start compiling the next table.

There are lots of websites out there that do little to encourage their customers to stick around or buy their products from them. In this article i''m going to show you a typical example of where a small company has gone wrong with its website.

Company X is a small family run roofing company. They repair, install and insulate roofs. They spend a lot of time and money advertising in the press and exhibiting at consumer shows and events to attract new customers. They are visibly committed to their customers and their needs. They do it well and reap the rewards. They are succeeding offline.

A potential customer sees them at a show they are exhibiting at. She has a brief but informative conversation about her roof with a company representative and takes away some literature to read. She leaves with a highly positive impression of the company and its employees. When she reads the literature she notices that the company has a web site and visits it. Their site looks professional. She looks deeper into the site by clicking a few links.

It only takes a few clicks for her to realise that the website is very thin on content. There''s little text and the text that is present is incredibly dull and uninformative. The site looks exactly like the brochure she took away. In fact, thats exactly what the web site is - the brochure online.

The site has a few basic features: you can contact the company, request a quote visit or get their phone number. There''s little else of any interest for potential customers. So would she stay and buy from the company? Probably not. At this point she either has to contact the company by phone to get more information or go somewhere else. She''s been abandoned by a company that has clearly made little provision for her visit. At best its a dull visit. She doesnt think very highly of the company now.

What went wrong? Why did the company, which made such a positive impression offline, make such a poor impression online?

Has the company put much effort into the site? No.

• Is the web site poorly thought out? Yes.

• Is there anything on the site to keep the customer there/interested? No.

• Did the web site meet the customers needs? No.

• Did the customer have an overall positive impression of the company? No.

• Did they lose the customers business? Very likely, yes.

What can the company do to turn their website around and present a positive impression?

• Spend some time researching their customers needs and re-focus their site around them.

• Visibly apply their offline customer dedication online.

Its critical that their customers perceive some value from visiting their site. Otherwise why would they stay around long enough to even read about their products let alone buy them?

What if they arrived at the web site again? This time the text on the site sounds more interesting and descriptive. The site doesnt look identical to the brochure anymore. There''s some real case study examples of how previous customers have benefitted and saved money by using the companies products. How they transformed a cold roof space into a bright and warm usable room, or how they saved a fortune on their heating bill after some roof work was done by the company, etc.

There''s also a new quote tool that lets you put in your dimensions and get an immediate quote for the work. There''s also a button to get an expert to call you, a tool for seeing what any project work would look like when finished, a reminder tool which tells you when you are due for a roof inspection, ideas for improving your roof space, etc. The list doesnt necessarily stop here. They can add as many features, tools and resources as the customer wants. Starting with the customers most important ones first. On the new site the company also state their dedication to the customer - they make guarantees to respond quickly to any question or comment and help the customer in any way they can at all times.

The customers experience is very different now. She will be happy with her visit and service and have a positive experience of the company. She''ll feel the company is very attentive to her needs. Ultimately she''ll buy more from the company.

The companies end result is different now too. They''ll have more happy and loyal customers and ultimately therefore more recommendations and sales.

Are you making the same mistakes on your website? What can you do to improve your customers website experience?

Useful tips:

• Respond to your users needs.

• Adopt a creative approach.

• Create some interest around your products.

• Make your customer dedication visible.

Good luck!

About The Author

Need to get your business online? contact me now to find out how you can do it for less mailto:peter@dynamiq.co.uk You can see more of my articles to help you get results online at www.dynamiq.co.uk/ezine.

peter@dynamiq.co.uk', 242, 'How Your Business Can Win Online, Web-Design, Web-Design articles, Web-Design information, about Web-Design, what is Web-Design, Web Design Information', 'How Your Business Can Win Online plus articles and information on Web-Design

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Everything you say and do says something about you. This has never been more true than in a text based environment like the Internet. You only have one chance to put across what you want to say. Use it wisely.

Getting a website right does take work and commitment. If you want it to succeed you must spend time to get it right and present the right impression to your potential customers.

During any conversation you can pick up extra clues from tone of voice, the choice of words used, the way it is said, pauses, etc. They provide emotion and meaning over and above the actual words being spoken. The same is true of text and other website content. There are extra clues of emotion and meaning and what you choose to write and how you say it can say a lot about you, your organisation and your priorities. These priorities are often clearly visible to every potential customer that visits your site and can therefore reveal a great deal about you.

It can reveal:

• your business priorities,

• how your organisation is structured and run,

• whether you focus on your customers,

• how you deal with things,

• if you are easy to deal with,

• your attitudes,

• whether you pay attention to detail

• if you are trustworthy

• and more...

So, what is your website really saying about you? Are you sending out a positive and useful ''message'' to your potential customers or practically posting a great big sign that says something far less desirable?

How do you know? There are some key things to look for on your website or any other website. Bear in mind also that there could be a combination of one or more of these together:

• Weak text/sales copy - text that lacks direction and order. If you decide to buy our products, fine. If you dont buy our products, fine. Big sign would read: "We''re not really serious about this new web thing"

• Text heavily focused on you/your products - The message is clear. You are only interested in yourself and therefore your site is too. Big sign would read: "We are great. Customer? Who?"

• No/wrong website focus - website either not focused on the customers needs or focused on the wrong things. The potential customer doesnt receive a positive and clear message about who you are, how you do business, etc. Big sign would read: "We either dont know or dont care about what our customers want". See also ''Not easy to use''

• Poor layout - poorly organised webpage/website. No clear sense of order. Lack of clear prioritising and decision making, probably a reflection of the organisation. "We cant identify and meet objectives" See also ''Not easy to use''

• Not easy to use - difficult to use website and website functions. Often these technical functions have the most sophisticated software known to man to do a particular function like buying a train ticket. Unfortunately they didnt consider how real people actually want to use the website or website functions. Big sign would read: "Oops! We were so busy enjoying doing the great software bit we love, we forgot the user"

• Too much text - we absolutely love to tell you how great we are/our product is. We''ll try and bore you into buying our products with loads of text. Big sign would read: "Just buy our product you fool, we know best"

• "Brochureware" - existing brochure has been moved online. Token website. Does little for anyone. Looks great doesnt it?... (Not really a question, more a statement). We thought we should get a website because everyone else has one. Big sign would read: "LOOK we''ve got a website too!"

• Too much animation/other - extra stuff that doesnt serve any real purpose apart from distraction. We absolutely love flashing things/gadgets/buttons/scrolls/colours/fonts... the more the better. More an experiment than a business. Big sign would read: "Our web designer is great isnt he/she? or i should have been a programmer"

• Difficult to contact anyone - the online equivalent to an electric fence. Typically employed by big corporations. Theyve gone to great lengths to make sure its very, very difficult to actually email anyone within the organisation. Big sign would read: "We are far too big and rich to speak to ''the little people'' who actually buy and use our products. Go away!"

Did you recognise any of these from your virtual travels on the Internet? They are all present to some degree in businesses of all sizes and industries. Does your site have any of them? If so, the message you are sending out to your potential customers is unlikely to help you succeed online. More likely it will have a harmful affect and direct influence on your image and reputation, customer visits and repeat visits, sales and repeat sales, company results, customer goodwill and contact, etc.

Make your site the best it can be. Work at it. Ask for constructive feedback. Make a commitment to getting your website to say the right things about you. It will still be paying you back long after youve done it.

Good luck!

About The Author

Need to get your business online? contact me now to find out how you can do it for less mailto:peter@dynamiq.co.uk You can see more of my articles to help you get results online at www.dynamiq.co.uk/ezine.

peter@dynamiq.co.uk', 242, 'What Your Website REALLY Says About You And Why It Matters, Web-Design, Web-Design articles, Web-Design information, about Web-Design, what is Web-Design, Web Design Information', 'What Your Website REALLY Says About You And Why It Matters plus articles and information on Web-Design

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Since I''m a web designer, I have a tendency to think everyone understands that having a website is important. Every once in a while, I have to remind myself that some people just haven''t heard yet!

Why is having a website such a big deal? Here are 6 reasons:

Getting a customer is not easy.

Getting a visitor to decide that he or she wants to buy the product or service you''re offering, getting out their credit card and giving you their hard-earned money is not a piece of cake.

Most visitor''s to your Internet site, 97 - 99% of them if you''re lucky, will not buy your product. They turn away from your site, your offer...and they will probably never return. In other words - if you work hard, if you use the right techniques and if you''re talented maybe you''ll get 1 - 3 % of the people who visit your site to buy. But it''s not easy.

First you need to make sure you actually get enough visitors to your site. And if you use paid advertising, like pay-per-click search engines - this will cost you money. If you plan on getting visitors for free, this will take you time.

You need to make sure that your visitor is persuaded to buy. And if he or she won''t buy the very first time they visit your site, you need to get them to come back again later.

Getting a customer ? a "first-time" customer ? takes a bit of effort.

But the efforts are worth it. Because once you have that customer, he will be a valuable asset.. Your customer will become your main income source. Why? Because your already existing customers are much more likely to buy from you again and again.

By calling this "customer life-time value", you''re putting a name to it. And a value. How much will your average customer buy from you over the next 10-15 years? Customer lifetime value. The online businesses that make the most money are the ones that know how to use their existing customer base to maximize profits.

I guess the old saying that you need to take care of your customer, is particularly true on the Internet.

I''ll give you an example.

A guy called John runs a site where he sells a product for $ 100. He gets a small amount of visitors - 100 visitors a day; that''s 3000 visitors a month. He manages to sell to 1% of his visitors, which means he sells for $ 3,000 a month. He gets 30 new customers a month.

After a year he''s earned $ 36,000 from his 360 customers.

It''s been said again and again, when it comes to getting people to visit your site (and stay there for more than 5 seconds), the quality of your content rules supreme. But once you''ve bowed to interest, saluted relevance and kow-towed to originality, who else must you pay homage to for recognition in the court of website stickiness?

The two jewels in the crown of Presentation, for it is of course Presentation who is Queen, are structure and graphical design. Let''s take a very brief look at them both.

Structure We''re interested here in how you order the contents of your site, in how you link the different components and sections together. Your objective is to make the experience of browsing your site as straightforward as possible for your visitors.

So how do you go about achieving a clear, intuitive structure? For larger more complicated sites it helps to draw a chart of all the pages, showing how they connect to each other (this process isn''t such a bad idea for smaller sites either). Try and keep everything logical and stick to the ''3 click rule'' as much as possible. (The ''3 click rule'' - a user shouldn''t have to click more than 3 times to get to a page).

Once you''ve worked out a logical site structure, the basis for your navigation system should pop out. Don''t go and spoil it all by using a fancy (usually Flash) navigation system that''s frustratingly difficult to work out!

Graphical design What you do with your design is generally down to personal taste and branding requirements. Take a look on the Internet and you''ll see successful designs from the extremely detailed to the minimalist.

Note that whilst people will say ''but look at Google'' to justify a plain (ugly!) design, well chosen colour schemes and visual interest will give your site a positive boost.

No matter what style you go for, there are some rules that will always apply:

• Be consistent, the look shouldn''t change across the site
• Busy backgrounds hardly ever work
• Take it easy on the flashing ads and graphics
• Watch out for clashing colours
• Dark text on light backgrounds work best
• The fewer fonts and text colours there are, the better
• Use high quality images and graphics

Logical structure and pleasing design make for intuitive navigation and an easier more enjoyable browsing experience. With just a little thought you''ll be rewarded with visitors who pay more attention to your content and not the pain and effort needed to get to it.

Trevor Lewis has over 10 years in the Software Industry. He is currently a Senior Consultant at EMNM. EMNM offer a range of new media design services including multimedia presentations and website design.', 242, 'If Content is King who is Queen?, Web-Design, Web-Design articles, Web-Design information, about Web-Design, what is Web-Design, Web Design Information', 'If Content is King who is Queen? plus articles and information on Web-Design

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So you''re on the computer, as usual. Your eyes are smarting. Your back hurts. You want to jump in the car and sail down the highway with all the windows down and your hair flapping in the wind. But before you call it quits for the day, you have to look up just one more thing. Maybe it''s web marketing, maybe you want to buy some artwork to hang in your office. Off to Google you go.

You type in the magic words, whatever they are, and watch as a list of websites flows down the page. You click on the first one, and it''s an instant assault on your eyeballs. Ten glaring banners, flashing like Vegas at midnight. One of those annoying hover ads that follows you as you scroll and won''t let you read anything until you click the corner. Some sparkly things "snowing" down the page. Frantic messages screaming things like BUY NOW! LAST CHANCE! INSTANT SUCCESS CAN BE YOURS. A picture of a grinning guy who reminds you of your creepy Uncle Lester.

You click away. Not today, not any day. You don''t care what that guy is selling or even if he''s giving something away, because his presentation is god-awful. Just when you thought you''d escaped the mayhem, a sneaky little window pops up: "WHY DID YOU LEAVE THIS SITE? Please fill out this quick survey!" Are they kidding? You consider typing something offensive in the "Leave Your Comment" box, but figure it will only encourage someone to spam you with unwanted offers.

We''re all familiar with this web-surfing experience. It''s downright unpleasant. What''s your opinion of someone who pitches their company in such a loud and desperate manner? Do you believe all of their pie-in-the-sky promises? Do they strike you as company run by people who are intelligent, honest and reliable? Are you going to whip out your credit card because they tell you to?

Of course you''re not. Being the loudest, the brightest, the busiest and the boldest may attract attention, but it does not bring sales. That''s something to remember when you''re creating your own company website. What DOES attract and keep new customers coming back? A simple, tasteful web design. An easily navigable site. Copy that''s crisp, clean, and interesting.

Novice and professional graphic designers, we are aware that you know the basic principles of graphic philosophy. But then, as workers of art ? though digital and graphic art already borders in commercial arts, there''s no harm in continuously improving our craft through constant study and practice, is there? Really great graphic designers I know have come to their status because of painstaking application and study of their past works.

We''ll review the theoretical concepts of graphics and graphic forms as a foundation on how we have to go about our graphic designs. To begin with, a graphic form is the shape that embodies a certain idea. We can take a tree and use it as an example. How many ways can we depict a tree? We can depict by a photo of a tree, or the silhouette of a tree, or even its outline. By having these forms that represent a tree, we are therefore conveying the idea of a tree.

A word of caution, though, the effectiveness of which the idea is communicated depends upon many levels of context.

The abstraction of an idea into a flat space, to make it a graphic form, is an integral part of Graphic Design. Usually, the goal is to communicate the idea as clearly as possible. So why not depict the apple as close to reality as possible with a photo? This clearly depicts an apple and leaves no room for misinterpretation. So why not use photos of everything?

The idea is usually not as simple as just an apple. The graphic form is merely a component of an entire design. In a design of a poster for example, the existence of multiple forms and large amounts of text can compete with one another for the reader''s attention. To increase readability, graphic forms are usually simplified into basic shapes, and flattened into a limited amount of color. They are made to work with type more harmoniously and further refined to convey the layers of information with clarity.

The concept of contrast also defines the graphic form of an idea. In a field of 10 squares and 1 triangle, the form that will be noticed is the triangle. A design placed on a wall, on a billboard, or on the internet, are usually lost in a field of other designs. In order to help define your idea over the others, forms that contrast those around it are effective. Basic factors such as typeface, color, scale, and form are elements that can easily help get a design noticed.

If you are one of those who wonder how people come up with the cool looking sepia tone prints that you admire so much. If you are doubling up with jealousy over a sepia tone, here, we will give you tips on how you could achieve this sepia tone, too. Ready up your Photoshop software program, your PC and prepare to have fun with sepia! It''s time that they envy you, too.

First of all it is important for you to choose images that have some darks and lights ? it doesn''t matter how colorful they are. Many images could go along with sepia tone, so you won''t take forever finding an image. You can even have a black and white image. However, if you start with images that are in CMYK, there''s no need to convert them to RGB. If you''re going to use them for the web, then convert them to RGB by clicking IMAGE-MODE-RGB. Take the image size down to 72 dpi with about 4 inches in height. Do this by the commands, (IMAGE-IMAGE SIZE). If your image is for print, though, a much higher resolution is needed for it. The dpi needed can be checked with your printer.

You''ll see how big your image is by making sure you are at 100%. Whether you are using the image for the web or planning to print it, make sure that you are aware of the size you have it set at. Scale the size down or repair a choppy image by using the ZOOM TOOL-Hit Z on the keyboard ? hold down your ALT key. On a Mac, open apple key to toggle back and forth between zoom in and out). You''ll see your image smoothing out as you manipulate these commands. We dearly hope that it would work for you!

When you have found the ideal size you want for your images, we go on to the fun part! Begin working on the color first for it is easier and adjust your lights and darks.

Change the Hues of your image by IMAGE-ADJUST-HUE/SATURATION. Check the box that says colorize and preview or check it by default. It''s your choice if you like to adjust the top bar to the color you want for your image, or just type in numbers. Saturation is how much of the hue you chose will be used on your image. For adjusting lightness, the lightness slider does the trick. Try not to go crazy over this last bar (lightness).

We do not always realize that figures are just quantity and can deceive about quality.

In spite of the fact that the net-domain is only the No. 4 in terms of the number of domain names registered, it works as a backbone of the web. The net-domains build the largest Top Level Domain by number of hosts, or machines connected to the Internet. More than 44 percent of name servers use net-domains. We presume, that programmers and other technical experts have a more narrow emotional relationship to .net than to .com. Their sympathy for .net is just greater than for .com.

Historically .net was once reserved for providers. This might have still an influence to the technical use of .net and the importance of this use. Every programmer and hostmaster has an idea of .net, but not every programmer and hostmaster has an idea of .com. In some way .net stands for the web.

Other facts:

-- 31 percent of all page views are dependent on a net-domain for resolution

-- 32 percent of all B2C e-Commerce in 2004 is dependent on a net-domain for resolution. https://www.domainregistry.de/net-domain.html

DENIC, the registry of the German Top Level Domain (TLD) has announced, that it has received the eight millionth application for the registration of a de-domain. The de-domain has the position as the world''s favourite Country Code TLD, ahead of .uk, which has about 3.7 million registrations. The de-domains are also numerically stronger than nearly all the generic Top Level Domains that are used throughout the world, such as .org, .net, .info and .biz. Only one the com-domain with more than 30 million domains is more often registered than the de-domain.

October 2004

.de 7.981.014 (Increment compared to one month ago: 89.793)

.at 367.987 (Increment compared to one month ago: 4.766)

.com 31.017.772 (Increment compared to one month ago: 750.631)

.net 4.999.073 (Increment compared to one month ago: 88.952)

.org 3.138.385 (Increment compared to one month ago: 37.607)

.info 1.919.331 (Increment compared to one month ago: 683.846)

.biz 1.041.432 (Increment compared to one month ago: 13.118)

.us 881.411 (Increment compared to one month ago: 6.395)

Cologne, 12.10. 2004. ICANN accredited registrar Secura announces today,that the company is accepting the registration of za-domains.

The co.za-domains are the domains of South Africa. The co.za-domains belong to the popular domains in Africa.

You cannot register at .za. If your name is not available at co.za, you can also register at org.za.

The com-domain is best for websites that target international markets, while .co.za-domains are best for South African webpages or those with a strong South African reference. This is so because surfer are used to, and you may lose a part of your target group if you deviate from the expected Top Level Domain.

Even if you should own a .com domain, it is advisable to register also a .co.za-domain as well. The za-domains are available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

There are no specific requirements for registering za-domains. A local presence or registered company in South Africa is not a requirement for a co.za name.

ICANN accredited registrar Secura can register a za-domain at once, if the domain name is free.

What is .md?

.md is the web address that identifies you, your company or your organization with the healthcare industry. Thousands of professionals and companies in the healthcare industry are already utilizing .md for their branding and marketing efforts, including some of the world''s largest pharmaceutical companies. .md is a valuable and unique asset that can be used as an intuitive and dynamic communication tool.

• .md is the perfect web address for medical professionals and healthcare companies
• .md is a permanent professional address
• .md is a dynamic communication tool and distribution channel for participants in the healthcare community
• .md may be used to protect your brands and trademarks to prevent international cyber-squatters from purchasing your domain names and using them for other purposes
• .md may be used as a unique, intuitive, and available promotional tool to market prescription and OTC drugs

.md Focus: Healthcare

We are developing an Internet domain for the global healthcare community where participants in the healthcare sector can acquire valuable .md domain names that correlate precisely with the marketing of their core business practices and new products. .md permits corporations and individuals to establish a unique Internet presence that carries an automatic, intuitive association with healthcare and other medical services and applications.

Growth of the .md Registry

Since becoming operational, there has been significant interest in the .md TLD. The wide adoption of .md, prior to launching a formal .md marketing campaign confirms the need and desire for a top level healthcare centric domain. The number of .md registrations continues to grow exponentially with this exposure.

So how do you know when your graphic designer costs you financially and emotionally?

When a file is not prepared correctly? When you go to press and have your media material produced in prints, and find out that the file was built incorrectly, then that''s the time when your graphic designer will cost you money.

Many pre-press operators have complained about having to correct graphic designers work. To have a file prepared incorrectly can have drastic financial and emotional consequences to the owner. The time needed to rectify the problem can cause major delays and additional expense. This is due to the graphic designer''s understanding that his job is done when he produces the design that you require.

It is therefore necessary for a graphic designer to understand the basic principle of what you see on screen may not be the same when it comes off the press. A designer should know how to correctly build a bleed; check that the panels fold correctly; and that color separation is well understood. The list goes on an on. If these issues are not properly addressed, the customer will most likely pay for additional costs because a print house or service provider will definitely charge extra for fixing the problem.

When no press check is done? Not only that the customer would be paying dearly, he or she will also suffer emotionally when no press check is done. The job would definitely come out less or even worse than what the owner is expecting. The customer will be left with the frustration of having no alternative but to accept additional job for the revision of the graphic designer''s output. This is particularly stressful and definitely teeth-grinding when it is a last-minute job for a presentation or a trade show. The customer is left with nothing.

When your graphic designer make more than a few major mistakes? Especially with regards to a website, a designer must be able to understand that it is not just optimizing images or putting text on a page and uploading it to a remote site. The graphic designer must understand how search engine optimization and basic HTML work. If not, well, the website may just be something for the drawing boards. And that would be another expense for the customer because he or she has to go back and re-design another website.

A domain name is an alias for an IP address. Now what is an IP address? An IP address is a numeric code that signifies where to look through the Internet for content. An example of an IP address would be 22.226.141.25. Rather than typing in a long and easily forgotten IP address, a domain name helps you by typing an easily remembered name to access the same site.

For example, www.domainsatretail.com is a domain name that points to a specific IP address. People can remember a domain name such as www.domainsatretail.com much easier than they can a long numeric code.

Domain names are everywhere as many use it everyday. Think of search sites. Google and Yahoo both have corresponding domain names www.google.com and www.yahoo.com. If you have ever sent an email you have used a domain name. For example when sending an email to user@sympatico.ca, sympatico.ca is the domain name.

Now that we have a better understanding of domain names, we need to know which domain name to pick and where can we register it. The domain name chosen for a web site can be a very important decision of marketing your company on the Internet. Its quite easy to just say pick a catchy domain that everyone will remember to use and you are set. In most cases it is that simple and you are set on your way to register the domain. However, at times the domain name you want has already been taken. And then you must think of a secondary name that you wish to use that will be just as catchy as the first.

OK, now you have picked your domain name you want. What is next? You need to choose a registrar for you domain name registration. There are many registrars who sign up and are available for the year, but you get no service from them whatsoever. Here are two domain name registrars that I would recommend for completing your domain name registration.

Choosing a domain name can be daunting. Research the subject (after all, you''re the type of marketer who researches, right?) and you''ll be hit with a landslide of opinions, most contradictory. There is, however, two points that everyone agrees on:

Pick your domain before you launch your business.

This is especially true if your market niche has lots of competition. Research your domain before you commit to a business plan.

Don''t wait too long if you like a domain.

While you''re researching, you''ll likely come across a couple of domains that attract you. You might be tempted to wait, since you haven''t finalized or refined your business plan. Don''t. A handful of domains isn''t going to cost you much at an affordable registrar like GoDaddy, and once they''re gone, they''re gone. Chances are you can even resell the rejects at cost, if not a profit. Or "develop" them with unique content and point them to your main site for extra traffic.

Now that we have the easy part of the way, let''s wade into murkier waters.

Q. Which TLD (top-level domain) is best?

A. If you''re a juggernaut in the business world with a giant ad budget, the answer is dot-com (.com). If you''re a smalltime business struggling for search engine positioning, the answer is still dot-com.

People do disagree on the value of a dot-com TLD. Some assert that dot-coms have no particular value in the search engines, which may be true.

However, the fact is, if you haven''t yet seared your brand on the collective brow of the planet, dot-com makes you easier to remember. If you eschew dot-coms, then in some deep dark place inside, people will remember you as "that hard-to-remember URL with the ending that isn''t dot-com." What''s worse, if you pick an otherwise memorable domain ending in dot-net, -us, or (God forbid) -tv, some of your traffic will end up at that competitor who snagged the dot-com version of your domain. Okay, that''s settled. Now for the controversial stuff. Which is best: the "keyword" domain, or the "creative-genius, snappy and brandable" domain?

Keyword Name vs. Creative-Genius Brandable Name

A Keyword Name is the boring, workhorse kind of domain. You seem them everywhere. They bristle with hyphens: "best-anchovy-pizza-in-siberia.com." Or "super-labrador-accessories-and-golfballs.biz." On the face of it, they''re hard to brand. They''re hard to fit on business cards. They''re really hard to explain over the phone to Aunt Martha.

With the advent of the internet and the ease of which information can readily be downloaded and compiled you would think that more people would realize that the public domain is a source of wonderful wealth that can be tapped into for huge profits.

I have spent the last 4 years "discovering" little known secrets of this information that is readily available to those who know where to look. Or should I say "prospect". That''s exactly what it is. It''s Mining. When you mine the internet, you are not mining little rocks in a quarry or dredging a cold river looking for that elusive nugget of gold. You are searching for the gold of the future, and of the past. Information becomes your ore. You now become an information prospector. A "Millennium-Age Gold Miner."

The tools of your trade are much different today than in the days of old. Your "pick-axe" has evolved into your mouse, and your "gold pan" is your hard drive. Your computer is the dredge and your internet connection is your "claim". In the old days when a prospector found gold he would drive a stake in the ground and this would become his claim. You are doing the same thing when you sign the contract for your internet connection. You are staking a claim to the largest source of wealth in the world. Public Domain Information.

You transcend the boundaries of the physical world by entering a realm in which it is possible to find riches in the deepest recesses and crevices of the web. The public domain is the undiscovered country of the information age. It''s mysteries are deep as oceans and it''s knowledge as expansive as the universe. The public domain now becomes ultimate natural resource.

Information has always reigned king since the beginning of time. There are millions of us who know not the sheer power and value of the information that is freely available to anyone who knows where to look.

To create your own great banner, you only need five (5) simple things:

1. Size according to standards. Always keep to the standards. Having a bold, huge banner would look good and attract more attention than any graphic design ever would. Nevertheless, if everybody is doing it, what would be different about you then? As one designer have said: "I know that if your ad is slightly larger it may get more attention but if we all start doing this where will it stop." Sticking to the standards is quite the norm. Some sites would even require you to create your banner according to the regular standards of. So it is still better to design your banner this way than to revise it later on.

2. Great content equals great banner. Aside from a great graphic design, your banner should also have content that equals your banner. This must be short, simple, and very direct- something that captures your objective and purpose. Most of all, it should be able to catch attention.

Banner ad contents are made to be direct and short because there is simply not much room for a lengthy discussion of the information you want to get across. In addition, not everyone would want to read or try to read what you have written in there. So keep it at a minimum. Don''t over-indulge. Get the help of your friends and family to come up with what it is you want to say, but in a few words. You might even create a special saying that you could use to identify you from the others in your field.

3. Color and animation that match. Your website should have color and animation that match in all the pages. The colors should be eye catching and easy to look at, while graphic design animation should be made simple and short for easy download. No matter how animated and catchy your banner, it would be lost to someone who has already clicked off the page before it could even be started. Just make sure that your ad downloads quickly on an accelerated connection. And always assume that different people have different connections. Some may have DSL; others may have a slower provider. Whatever it is, make sure that your download time is reasonable.

Everyday we hear that another company goes out of business.

When and why does a dot-com become a dot-bomb?

After checking few dozen defunct companies, I think the main reasons for dot-coms failure are:

• Poor business plan. In the last years, a lot of investment capital was spent on poorly planned companies that clearly couldn''t reach profitability.

• Poor company promotion. This applies both offline and online. Two newspaper ads and word of mouth are not enough.

• Poor financial management. Fancy offices, free food, does it ring a bell?

• Poor Human Resources management. With lots of cash in their hands, many start-up companies hired too many people or, even worse, hired unqualified staff. The hiring of friends and relatives often returned no value on investments.

• Errors in the company''s Web site. Sometimes hundreds of errors could be found in one Web page. Yes, those Web site builders should go back to school- if they ever went to school for HTML at all.

I''ll focus my comments on the last reason:

How Errors in the Web Site Can Affect the Company''s Health

It''s clear that you can make money on the Web if you have customers. You have customers if you have viewers- "traffic" in the geek''s language. And you get traffic if your site is easy to find -- near the top -- in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). That''s not so easy to achieve.

First of all your site has to be indexed by the search tools: Search Engines and Web Directories.

Although some Search Engines will eventually find your site by themselves, most of the time this only happens if somebody links to your site. In the case of a NEW site, having existing links is almost impossible. Rather than wait for links to be made, start a submission campaign.

A big no-no is submitting a Web site using submission software. Using software of this type may be quick and easy, but some Web Directories and Search Engines do NOT accept automated submissions.

It''s true that manual submission is a time consuming process -- you''ll have to read AND follow each Search Engines'' submission guidelines, to effectively perform the submission ? but it''s a necessary step.

Most of the defunct sites I''ve checked had only a modest presence and visibility in the Search Engines.

Don''t mess with those links! When you''re designing your site, you should leave your text links in their natural state--blue and underlined. We all want to be creative and not do the bland, expected, normal thing. We want to change our links to red, green, yellow, even black--anything but blue. And we have the urge to take off those underlines.

Resist the temptation. It''s hard. But there''s a good reason to leave them alone.

From the earliest days of the web, text links have been blue. People intuitively recognize that blue, underlined text is a link. They know they can click on it.

The combination of blue and underlines means "If I click on this, it goes somewhere". We''re conditioned to recognize those distinguishing characteristics. We''re like Pavlov''s dogs--we see the link and instantly know what it means. There''s no time wasted in trying to figure out whether or not that particular word or phrase is clickable.

If you mess with the natural appearance of a link, you lose that instant recognition. People have to stop and think (and often click) to figure out what your colors mean. I have watched countless people try to navigate websites and spend half their time figuring out what''s a link and what''s not. They have no way of knowing.

In addition, people scan a page for links. They like to be active on the internet, and they like to know what they can do. When they recognize a link in your copy, it''s a clear signal of someplace to go. Visitors want to know what their options are. It''s not a good idea to make life difficult. They''ll appreciate coming across a site that''s easy to use and doesn''t try to confuse them (for once!).

It is becoming more acceptable to use other colors for your text links, as long as they remain underlined. But if you can, it''s still best to use blue. This is because so many people use underlined, colored text on their sites that is NOT linked. Visitors have a tendency to get confused. They never know what to expect. With blue, it''s obvious.

Never put form over function. Why? Because it''s crucial that visitors actually be able to USE your site. Everything you do must be designed to be as easy for the visitor to understand as possible. Everything should be functional first.

If you put form before function, you sacrifice your visitor''s best interest for your own preferences. By definition, putting form over function means you sacrifice function--you make it harder to perform whatever task is supposed to be performed. You give up ease of use or simplicity in order to make it look nicer. Basically, you wind up with a lot of icing and no cake.

Don''t get me wrong--form often accentuates function, just like icing accentuates a cake. Something that is visually pleasing often increases the usability by making it more attractive or by using visual elements to increase understanding. Creative design can often be used to make a task easier to perform. It can entice the visitor to take whatever action you want them to take.

However, on the web, there are frequently contests between form and function. Designers make choices between whether to make something look nicer or make it simpler and easier to use. For example, these are common ways of sacrificing function:

• Using an uncommon style of links that makes it hard to recognize the links.

• Putting a textured background behind the copy, even though it will make the text harder to read.

• Choosing a font color that doesn''t have enough contrast with the background color.

• Using a font face that is difficult to read.

• Using an uncommon name for a common link. For example, "Talk" instead of "Contact us".

• Placing elements in unexpected places. Like putting the logo on the right side of the page or placing the main navigation along the bottom of the design.

• Using a splash page on the site because it looks neat, even though it keeps visitors from getting to the real information in the site.

• Using a lot of fancy images that make the page load more slowly.

• Opting for a totally graphical design with no copy on the main page. Regardless of the fact that visitors won''t have a clue what the business is all about until they get further into the site.

These are all examples of choosing form over function. Unfortunately, if your design looks great but is hard to figure out, your visitors will be gone. They don''t come to your site to admire the looks; they come to use the site--to find information or to accomplish a task. Anything you do to stand in their way is a no-no.

Most of the time, a visitor''s attention span is about as long as snake fur. They have no patience. If you complicate their lives, they''re outta here. Other sites are ready and waiting to meet their needs, so there is no reason they should struggle through your site. If you opt for form over function, you''re likely to opt yourself right out of sales. Not good.

When you''re designing your website, don''t think about looks first. Always make function a priority. Think about what''s going to be easiest for your visitors to use and understand. Then create an attractive presentation to accentuate it.

About The Author

There are 605.6 million people online. Can they find your business? Jamie Kiley creates powerful and engaging websites that make sure YOUR company gets noticed. Visit www.kianta.com for a free quote.

Get a quick, free web design tip every two weeks--sign up for Jamie''s newsletter: www.kianta.com/newsletter.php

jamiekiley@kianta.com', 242, 'Choosing Form Over Function Kills Your Site, Web-Design, Web-Design articles, Web-Design information, about Web-Design, what is Web-Design, Web Design Information', 'Choosing Form Over Function Kills Your Site plus articles and information on Web-Design

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The great debate: how much copy you should have on your site, particularly on the home page?

Do you subscribe to the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words--and therefore images, not a lot of text, should be the main thrust of your home page? Or do words have more power to capture a visitor''s attention and compel them to buy--meaning you should aim for powerful copy?

As a graphic designer, my natural inclination is to create graphically-rich, light text websites. Since I''m focused on what a site looks like visually, I like using impressive images, bold splashes of color all over the page, and not very much copy. The end result is an attractive, visually-appealing site, with very few words.

However, I''ve learned that I have to balance this inclination with a cold hard reality: what appeals to me as a designer is not necessarily the same as what visitors need.

The main problem with websites that don''t have any copy is that they fail to quickly and effectively communicate the three points that all commercial websites must get across: You must explain what your company does, what the benefits are of using your product or service, and why prospective customers should purchase from you.

These important pieces of information can only be conveyed vaguely, if at all, through images. While pictures are often very useful in reinforcing a message, it''s difficult to succinctly drive home these important points solely through images.

On your website, visitors want specifics, and they want them quickly. They want you to tell them exactly what you can do for them, and they want to know right now. You must specifically state what you do and explain how your product or service is going to make your customers'' lives better. You have to spell out why people should buy from you versus your competitors.

Particularly on a home page, you must catch a visitor''s attention and give them a reason to stay on your site. If you don''t do this immediately, they''ll be gone.

For this purpose, words are far more effective than images. In almost all cases, pictures cannot communicate the message nearly as specifically or quickly as well-chosen words can.

It''s important to remember that the web revolves around information. People use the web to find out what they need to know, to be informed on topics that are important to them. That almost always means they are looking for text. They want explanations, answers, reasons, and motivation.

I firmly believe that pictures and images enhance a website, but they should be used to provide a tasteful, professional frame for your copy, not replace it.

The first immutable law of effective navigation: It''s gotta be readily available.

Visitors should not have to hunt for your navigation or wonder where to find it. If you''ve done your job right, it will be right there when they are ready for it.

The struggle in creating good navigation is to figure out what type of navigation the visitor is going to need, when he is going to need it, and where the most effective placement will be.

Basically, you have to anticipate your visitors needs and have a solution ready.

Here are four key areas where you can squeeze out the most effectiveness:

1. Global navigation.

Global navigation is a set of links to all the main areas of your site that is available on every page of the site in the same place. Global navigation is a must-have, because it gives visitors ready access to the key areas on your site.

If you don''t have this type of navigation, visitors tend to get lost. They lose their ability to easily move around between the main sections.

When you use global navigation, visitors develop a sense of familiarity with your site because the site is consistent. When they need to find something, they know right where to look for it.

Global navigation should be across the top of the page or down the left side, since these two places are where visitors will look first.

Also, it''s crucial that global navigation be in the first fold of the page. This means it needs to be visible in the first window the visitor sees before they scroll down. Since these options represent the most crucial sections of your site, it''s imperative that visitors see them immediately. Never put your main navigation below the fold.

2. Spotlighted navigation.

On many sites, there are a few navigation options that get the spotlight in the center of the main page. The concept is great--hook visitors with the key areas right up front.

Questions to ask when designing a Web Site for your client (s).

"Excerpt from the book: Graphic Artists Guild, Handbook Pricing & Ethical guidelines Written by: Brent Parker

These questions are a great tool to use when trying to develop your clients website. It gets down to the roots of web design, so there is a clear and precise understanding of what needs to be done. You can either make yourself a check list on paper for face to face talks or you can put it into Adobe PDF form, and have them download it from your website and fill it out later. It may seem odd at first, but in the long run it works out perfectly.

GOALS

• What is the client''s business and how will the client''s Web site advance it? What message is the Web site supposed to convey?

• Who is the primary audience for the Web site? The primary age group of the audience? Their professions, disciplines, and interests? (Designers should warn clients that if the target is a broad-based, international audience, with potentially slow modems, old browsers, or expensive service, this might limit the design options.)

• What are the secondary goals of the Web site? Is this an informational site or an avenue for internet-based marketing or revenue?

• What subjects, in order of priority, does the client want to cover on the Web site? Have the client define at least five separate area of subject matter and state what''s unique about their business.

ONLINE EDUCATION

• Does the client understand the difference between the Web and an online email service such as America Online? The answer to this question is an indicator of the clients overall Web knowledge. If the client does not understand the difference, the designer may want to factor in time for basic Internet education

• Does the client require a Web hosting account and/or dial up access? How many users? What user privileges would the client like?

• Is the account only for email or does the price quoted allow for server space to host a Web site? How many megabytes of server space?

• If the client already has an Internet account, is it with a true ISP or with an online service such as America Online? If the account is with an online service rather than a true ISP, extra costs or special arrangements may be needed to host the Web site.

PLANNING

• Who will give final approval of the project? If someone other than the clients'' team will have final approval, then the designer needs to make sure that person has Internet access and understands the Web.

• What domain name would the client like? (.com, org. net etc?) What are two to three alternative domain names in case the first choice is already taken/

• Are the client''s source materials in electronic form, and if so, does the designer need to handle file conversions? The designer may need to educate the client about how to submit materials in as consistent and compatible formats as possible. If necessary, the designer should provide the client with a variety of options and be prepared to do conversion''s

• Does the site required advanced functionality, such as database functionality (Access, Filemaker Pro, Microsoft SQL, Oracle Server)? Does the site need to be coded in a special language such as Microsoft ASP or Allaires Cold Fusion?

• Are there requirements for e-commerce, such as the ability to process credit card transactions, development of Shopping Cart strategies, survey forms, advanced configurator sales selectors, online games and interactive demonstrations, online chat and message boards?

• Is the site to be hosted in-house or with another provider? If in-house, the clients information services department should be included in the planned meetings.

DESIGN

• Is the website to be designed from scratch, or is it a makeover of an existing site? If a makeover, does the client want any additions?

• What look and feel would the client like for he Web site? The client should show the designer examples of Web sites, magazines, publications, or artistic works they like. Does the client have a specific genre, culture, or style in mind?

• Are there any collateral marketing materials (brochures, publications, corporate identity programs, or posters), preproduction sketches, or media (CD-ROM''s, video games, records, or tapes) that the Web site should be consistent with?

• Does the client desire graphics interactivity and/or multimedia (also involving content development and site mapping)? These typically include JavaScript rollovers and effects, animated GIF''s QuickTime or AVI movies, sound files, PDF downloads, Macromedia Flash animations, and interactivity.

• Does the client need a new logo or new collateral marketing materials and media to be consistent with the new Web site? If so, these design services should be quoted in addition to and not as part of the Web site proposal.

• Does the designer wish to negotiate a credit link that targets his or her home URL or email?

FOLLOW UP

• Does the client have the staff to respond to email? If not, the designer may need to explain that the client may develop a bad reputation in the online world if people don''t receive immediate responses.

• Does the client plan to have in-house site maintenance, or does the client want the designer to do it? Designers considering site maintenance arrangements should look carefully at the ability of their own organization to do at least biweekly of monthly changes

About The Author

Brent Parker is the creator and Webmaster of Sprywebsolutions.com. Spry Web Solutions is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. We specialize in web design, corporate identity, business documents and other great design tools. If you are a business start-up or thinking about starting one, we have a Corporate Identity pkg complete with 10-12 pg Website, 1000 Business cards, Letterheads and Envelopes all custom for one great "low" price.', 242, 'Questions to Ask When Designing a Website for Clients, Web-Design, Web-Design articles, Web-Design information, about Web-Design, what is Web-Design, Web Design Information', 'Questions to Ask When Designing a Website for Clients plus articles and information on Web-Design

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Effective navigation stands out. It''s clear, obvious, and highly visible.

You''ll need to have a clear section of the page designated for navigation--one that a visitor will immediately recognize as the navigation area when he arrives at the site. Navigation should not necessarily be the prime focus, but it must be highly visible.

On many sites, the main navigation is overly subdued. It sort of "lurks" on the page, but it''s not the kind of thing that really gets to a visitor''s consciousness. It gets drowned out because there is too much color or excitement in the rest of the page.

Occasionally, this is ok. You may have some navigation options, such as a privacy policy, that need to be available, but don''t need to be emphasized.

However, aside from those few exceptions, you''ll want your navigation to be used. So it will need a voice loud enough to be heard above the excitement of the rest of the site.

Here are 4 tips to make sure your navigation stands out:

1. Put it in a prime spot

It''s all about positioning. Give your main navigation good placement at the top or left of the page.

When visitors arrive at a page, they scan in an orderly pattern from left to right, starting in the top left corner and working down the page. So if your navigation is at the top or on the left, it''s going to be seen fairly quickly. Also, this is where visitors expect to find navigation, so they''ll be primed to notice it there.

2. Use color

Besides size, color is the best way to get something noticed on a page. You can use color very powerfully in drawing out your navigation.

A very common technique is to place navigation options on a colored field, on a horizontal bar or a sidebar. This is effective because it creates a strong contrast with other elements on the page.

Just remember, the brightest, most vivid, most saturated colors will stand out the most. You don''t necessarily need to use a strong color for your navigation, but you do need to look at how your navigation color mixes with the rest of the page.

One of the single most important aspects of effective navigation is consistency. Why? There''s a simple reason.

Visitors want familiarity.

They are more comfortable and more trusting if they know things are going to remain the same from page to page. They have a certain sense of confidence from knowing what to expect.

If a visitor can quickly become familiar with your navigation, it''s much simpler to actually navigate. And of course, that''s the whole purpose of navigation, right?

Besides familiarity, there''s a second reason to be consistent. It helps your credibility.

Consistency in your navigation helps you present a unified, cohesive image to your visitors. In other words, you look polished, well-thought-out, and on top of things. Your visitors get the impression that you "have it together".

On the other hand, if your navigation is inconsistent, it reflects badly on you and your company. You''ll look disorganized and unprofessional.

Here are 3 ways to maintain consistency in your navigation:

1. Use global navigation (which is a set of your main links that appears on every page of your site in the same place).

Global navigation is an absolute necessity. It ensures that visitors can always get to the main sections of your website quickly and easily.

Global navigation options must be the same on every page. Many sites resoundingly fail in this area. Often, the order of the links varies from page to page, or some links are missing on certain pages. This confuses even experienced web users.

2. Keep the appearance and placement of buttons and secondary links the same throughout the site.

I recently ran across a site that used three completely different styles of buttons in as many pages. This variation blew any unified appearance they hoped to have. It also made it hard to recognize which graphics were links and which were not, since there was no consistently-used symbol for "clickability".

Not all links are created equal.

While all of your links may be important, you must sort and prioritize to come up with an effective navigation scheme. Here''s what you should keep in mind:

1. Sort your links

Your links should be organized according to their relationship to each other. Any time you can find a way to divide your links into two or more categories, do so.

If you have more than 5 or 6 links, categorizing becomes very important. Try to find some natural groups. For example, suppose you sell widgets, and your site has this set of links:

• Mini widgets

• Multi-colored widgets

• Discounted widgets

• Contact us

• About the company

• News

Your major categories are:

• Products

• Company info

When you separate the two sets of links according to those major categories, it becomes much easier to sort the available information.

The simple reason is that a choice between two items is less complex than a choice between 6 items. It''s the principle of dividing and conquering.

Take a look at the following site:

www.adobe.com

Notice the four main categories--Products, Resources, Support and Purchase. These four categories help visitors narrow down at a glance which area they need to look in to find the info they want.

Imagine if all of those links were lumped into one long list. How much harder would it be to figure out where to go?

Often, you might not have clear-cut categories. For example, you may have three links that all go together in one category (such as "Products"), plus several more miscellaneous links. Even if the miscellaneous links don''t fit conveniently under one category name, you can still group your links. Put the three product links together, then all the miscellaneous links in a separate place.

2. Prioritize your links

Hopefully, you have some idea of what you want visitors to do on your site. Your site should be designed to drive a specific action--in other words, get visitors to do a specific thing.

New Web sites are springing up online by the millions. However, when they don''t reach a level of success, the Web site owners assume that they can''t make money off the Internet.

Wrong.

The one thing that is important to know, however, is that you do have to work to make money online. Just like having a regular offline business, the online business needs to be taken care of, the Web site continually updated, and the customers made to feel safe and secure when doing business with you.

So, let''s devote this article to simple things you can do to have a successful online business. Remember that books have been written on this subject, so this article won''t be all inclusive by any means.

But, for the average Web site owner, it will give you simple steps to take to turn your online business down the right path toward achieving success.

Future of the Internet --

In January of 2003, Roy H. Williams, who is widely known and respected as the "Wizard of Ads," finally declared, "Now is the time to get in." For years, Roy has been watching and predicting the Internet''s future. Back in 1996, he declared, "The Internet is a baby born premature." He even predicted the great dot com crash that we''re still recovering from.

So what does Roy have to say about the future of the Internet? Roy says that the buying public has finally figured out how to use the Internet and what it''s good for: specifically, "information gathering and features-based comparison-shopping."

What does Roy suggest for Web sites today?

1. Ignore heavy graphic sites and focus on providing information for your visitors.

2. Build confidence by interacting with your Web visitors and anticipating and answering their questions.

3. Don''t think "advertising" ? think information delivery.

4. Focus on Web site architecture (a simply designed site) and exceptional writing.

5. Help your visitors find what they''re looking for within a few minutes of landing on your site. If you make them hunt for information, they''re gone.

For more information such as what was mentioned above, subscribe to Michael Campbell''s newsletter. Michael is one of the most well-known Internet marketers, and his newsletter is exceptional. http://www.internetmarketingsecrets.com

1. Web site File Structure / File Naming

• Most search engines do not recognize beyond two directory levels.

• Make sure to name your files and directories with keywords.

• Don''t separate keywords using the underscore instead use hyphens.

• File names should be not too long.

2. Load Time

• If a page doesn''t load in 8 seconds, Web site will lose 1/3 of the visitors.

• Images and Graphics -Image optimization will help to improve the load time. Images can be optimized using the "GIFBOT" image optimization tool (http://www.netmechanic.com/accelerate.htm)

3. Browser Compatibility / Screen Resolutions

• Make sure the all the web pages are compatible with the latest versions of Internet explore and Netscape. (Eg: IE 4.0 and above, Netscape 4.7 and above)

• Screen resolution is very important. Compatibility in 800 and 1024 resolution is a must.

4. Site Map

• A very important page on a web site.

• Search Engine spider''s prefers Site maps.

• Name the Site Map page-using hyphen (site-map.html).

• Make sure the site map has links to every page of the web site.

• Use key words on the anchor.

• Try to describe the links with two or three lines.

• Give a link o the site map from all the pages of the site.

• Keep the site map simple with no or few images.

5. HTML Validation

• Make sure the coding is done according to the W3C standards. (http://validator.w3.org)

• Search engines are constantly rewarding web sites that utilize clean and validated HTML.

• Validate the HTML coding using the "CSE HTML Validator" before the site goes live. (http://www.htmlvalidator.com/)

6. Custom 404 Error Page

My site is working fine. The links work. Content is added regularly. We have new features. Why does my company need a re-design?

Those are all great things. Sites should be updated regularly, have new features added, and by far have working links. However, as the site grows it soon outgrows its foundation. Leading to an unorganized use of content, poor usability, and eventually chaos. A re-design is a perfect opportunity to take an inventory and put things back on track. It will also allow for a better user experience.

New Foundation

With any re-design it is a great time to do a little rethinking. Looking at the current site a question needs to be asked. What is it that people want when coming to my site? By understanding what it is people are looking for from your site you will be able to better position that information within the architecture of the entire site.

Judging by the Cover

The old adage "Never judge a book by its cover" doesn''t apply to your website. Users to your site make quick and often harsh judgment calls within seconds of viewing your homepage. By making outstanding first impression with a crisp, clean, professional look the user gets a sense of trust from the company behind the site.

Follow the Leader

Your site could have the exact information a specific user is looking for. However, if it takes too long for them to locate it chances are they will go somewhere else to find the information. By making your site as user friendly as possible you will be able to guide the user to specific areas of content. Bringing content that is hidden under multiple clicks to the forefront makes it easy for a user to locate. As well as, leads the user to other areas of your site that they might not have known about.

New Experience

New features can dramatically improve the user experience. Online calendars that allow a user to register for events are a perfect example of how a simple feature increases the value of a site. No longer does the user have to call or mail in an RSVP card. As such, the company doesn''t need a person to answer the phone for every registration.

As a graphic designer, you are sitting on a gold mine. You have a skill other people do not have, and you can use that skill to earn a good living.

But, it''s very sad to see most experts in graphic design work for others.

It''s time for a change!

Let me tell you a secret.

With the power of Internet, you can start an online business, and make as much money as you can, without having to quit your day job.

It doesn''t matter whether you''re a professional designers, or just a normal graphic application user, you can tap into a very lucrative graphic design business you can run from your home.

No, I''m not talking about creating a complicated design for big companies. I''m talking about a very simple design you can do in just 30 minutes and charge business owner between $40 - $90 (or more) per job. You''ll be amazed to discover that you''re going to do a very simple project, which is very high in demand.

What business am I talking about?

Introducing...

How to start an online business in virtual product cover design.

Here are some facts you should know:

1. Internet has enabled many people to start their own online businessess. And among the hottest products & the easiest to sell is information product. Everybody needs information, and people are willing to purchase if it can solve their problem.

2. Besides information product, software is among the hottest products to sell. No wonder the richest man on the earth is selling software!

3. In order for these kinds of products to sell well on the Internet, 3D virtual representations are needed for the customers to see before buying them.

As a graphic designer, you can provide your service to these business owners by creating virtual covers for their products. Examples for these covers are e-book cover, software box cover, CD covers, e-zine cover & newsletter cover.

You can charge between $40 - $90 for 1 design. Imagine how much money can you make simply by designing these covers?

Let''s face it. Buying products and services from the Internet can be a bit intimidating.

You may have no idea where the online merchant is located. You may not know how safe your personal and credit card information will be.

You may be unsure if you''ll even get the product or what to do if the product is broken when it arrives at your door.

These types of concerns are what you are up against when you sell products from a website.

Here some tips to build credibility with potential customers.

1. Include all your contact information on your homepage. Your phone and fax numbers, e-mail address, etc. List the hours you''re available to take customers'' phone calls.

2. Offer a money-back guarantee. This is a must, especially if you''re selling higher price items. Mention your guarantee at least a couple of times in your copy.

The more details you give about your guarantee the more comfortable your prospect will feel. Your guarantee should be valid for at least 30 days after the purchase and it''s best to have a "no-questions-asked" return policy.

Be prompt in refunding the customer''s money

3. Tell your site visitors how their credit card and personal information will be protected if they buy from you.

Do you use a secure,encrypted server to process their transaction? Tell them. I have this info spelled out right below the "Buy Now" button on my website.

If you use a online credit card processing company like PayPal, be sure to include the credit card buyer protection policy and merchant verification process. People want to know how they''ll be protected against credit card fraud.

My credit card processing company, PaySystems (http://www.revecom.com) has a 100% guarantee against credit card fraud. Customers can click on hyperlink to read the guarantee before they actually fill out any credit card and personal information.