The Ten Web Page "Commandments"

(c) Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved

http://www.thenetreporter.com

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"What makes a great web page?"



People ask me this all the time, though they often encounter

difficulty boiling the question down to so few words.



Every serious website operator wants to know how to create

and maintain the best possible website that makes them the

most money and builds the largest subscriber base!



The following "commandments" represent the ideals towards

which every new or existing website should strive.



1. Thou shalt have a Purpose



Clearly define the site's purpose and ensure all content

(pages, graphics and text) tightly focus on that purpose.

Discard all extraneous material... only give people exactly

what they came for!



2. Thou shalt be Lightweight



Use only small, fast loading graphics. If you must use large

graphics use thumbnails and image slicing to diminish the

size of every file to less than 12-15kb. Use standard

optimized gif's and jpg's and avoid anything that requires

the user to download a "plug-in" to view your content.



3. Thou shalt Load Fast



Each and every page on your site should weigh in under

30-60KB total, including graphics and navigation.



If your pages must be larger, such as the case with long,

1-page sales letters, make sure the top part of the page

loads fast so surfers can read your headline and

introduction while the rest of your sales letter loads

further down and out of site.



4. Thou shalt not use False Code



Use only html. Never use java, xml, dhtml or other forms of

code that require a surfer to keep their browser set up

"correctly" to accommodate your page. This is especially

true when using "cloaked" pages that require the use of

javascript in order to work correctly.



5. Thou shalt respect the Search Engines



If you want search engine traffic, use whole web pages that

don't incorporate frames. Search engines get confused trying

to read content from most frames pages because the designers

don't set them up with the proper information in the

correct frame.



6. Love thy Surfers and Visitors



Design for "last year's" technology so surfers using 56K

modems can download and use the site quickly and easily. If

you design only for people with high-speed Internet

connections (DSL and cable) you have eliminated 85%+ of your

potential market.



7. Thou shalt not Annoy



Use only stationary text and graphical layout elements. No

Scrolling text, marquees, or animations of any kind,

including rollover buttons.



This "eye candy" steals valuable bandwidth and adds little

to a site's main purpose, especially for returning visitors

who just want information, not a carnival sideshow.



8. Thou shalt Not Scroll Left or Right



Design your pages so they never force a visitor to scroll

left or right, no matter what the resolution settings on

their monitor. Sites that read "best viewed at 800 x 600"

really say "look at it my way because I don't care about

your preferences or limitations."



9. Thou shalt stay Consistent



Include a standard navigational structure on every page.

Though it may mean a serious challenge for the designer,

users should only need to click once to find every major

section of a site.



Also, this includes using standard link colors in all text

links. Blue: hyperlink; Purple: visited hyperlink; Red:

active hyperlink.



10. Thou shalt Know Thy Traffic



Use a site-wide statistics program that enables you to

determine what brings someone to the site, where they go

once they arrive, and when and where they leave.



This critical information helps with marketing efforts as

well as identifying parts of the site that need tweaking or

adjustment to help you increase sales. If everybody bails

from your site at the same page, knowing this can help you

change the page so people go from "bail mode" to "buy mode"!



About The Author:



Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the

co-author of an amazing new ebook that will teach you how to

use fr^e articles to quickly drive thousands of targeted

visitors to your website or affiliate links...



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