Though clipart can be fun, I still encourage you to hunt down a scanner. A small, basic scanner runs at about $70 (and remember, you can write that off on your taxes), or you may have access to one at your local library or university. My favorite method of scaring up web graphics is to lurk though used bookstores and find old pamphlets, maps, magazines and photos and slap them on scanner. This may be a little too arty for some people, but remember, if you can access a scanner, you don't need a digital camera. It will allow you to digitize product photos or pamphlets for your site. If you want to make one big trip of it and are prepared to pay through nose, Kinko's will also scan things for you (though I think buying a scanner is probably a more cost- efficient choice here.)

The whole key is to find interesting images that relate to your product, have a crisp, clean appearance, dowload quickly, and give your site a unique look. Try to find images that speak to your audience, but use images they've never seen before. Images can become as cliche as phrases, and a cliched graphic is just as weak as a worn-out saying--poor old Garfield being a fine example.

If you have questions about how to shrink your images and make your graphics fast and snappy, here's an article from archives to help you with *that* particular ball of wax!

Practical Graphics: http://www.fixmywebsite.com/article07.htm

5. The other extreme would be sites that are so graphics’ intensive that we spend several minutes waiting for last picture to load. While it may be a very entertaining site, epoch it takes to show us how fantastic those photos/graphics really are may be too long for impatient surfers. Balance pictures with text. Find a way to make photos into thumbnails, or at least decrease size so they don’t take as long to unfold into their full glory.

6. Broken links don’t increase your popularity. Who likes seeing that ‘404 File Not Found’ on their screen? CHECK YOUR LINKS before launching your site.

7. If you need to add music to your site, please have an off switch. That someone will share your taste in music isn’t always going to be case. During weeks before Christmas how many sites did we come upon that played various versions of "Jingle Bells" and other carols? While music can enhance a site, it can also detract from it. I came upon most appalling example of what a web site shouldn’t contain some months ago. The blaring techno music was so relentless that I immediately searched for off button. I never found it. I was next visually assaulted with a growing font that looked like it was going to jump out of my computer. Instead, it froze. The screen, now almost completely lime green with font, had just enough space for me to read words: "...will design a site like this for you." As my speakers were SQUEALING from stuck music and monitor displaying that parody, I shut my computer off. Enough said?

8. Update your site periodically. Signs like ‘last updated 1998’ give clues to surfer that this is a cobweb. The more you freshen your contents, more likely your site is to remain fresh in people’s minds. Plus it helps your rankings in search engines.

Hope you have fun designing your web page. It’s your way to show off what you know.