When building your website I recommend that you use a top header with a horizontal menu underneath - preferably not made from images as user may have selected not to view images. If you must use images for navigation remember to add alt tags. If your content area uses columns be sure that main contents are on left. The “fit to screen” function will move text to left hand side saving visitor from having to scroll. The footer should contain a link to top of page in form of an anchor tag. A link to your sitemap is important as it allows visitors to reach information they want quickly.

Optimize your images as usual in GIF/JPEG formats. Testing your website is vital before you fully launch to public, try viewing your site with a number of different devices. If browser is able, use "fit to screen" and view page without images. It doesn't have to be perfect just as long as you can easily navigate all your pages and view content without scrolling.

When one has reached a page rank status they will usually not welcome newcomers which is what someone with a new web site is – a 0 page rank. But all sites begin that way and here you’re learning what Google looks for when it ranks pages so your PR can start moving up. PR is determined by many factors including links coming from other sites to yours, longevity of site, quality of information and keywords found within site, and number of pages your site contains. In other words, Google’s search engine [or any major or minor search engine or directory] will spot a 100-page site sooner than it will a single web page.

Many web masters create a links page and add anything that comes along. That’s not always best idea and Google doesn’t list more than 100 links per page anyway. Others will separate their links page into subjects so that a gardening web site is grouped in an appropriate category, as would a financial site being with others within same category.

A better way to add links is to have them on appropriate pages that can be reached from your main page. For example, if you’re designing an eCommerce site that caters to cat care products and have an entire page devoted to selling vitamins, it would be a good idea to add links to that page for such related items as vitamins for children, vitamins for dogs, pet shampoo, health care products, and other topics that are both closely and somewhat-closely related. This would be helpful for both you and other company’ site you are linking with. It will also ensure that your vitamins page will get more visitors than if there were no links listed there.

While it’s more advantageous to have others linking to you, this is more difficult to do when you’re an unestablished online presence.

Announce Your Web Site When you have a new web site that you’ve spent a long time working on and think it’s a significant addition to WWW, you want others to know it’s out there. First, have it analyzed at http://www.sitereportcard.com Keep statistics on a weekly or monthly basis to monitor your web site’s progress. 1. Press Release - Writing a press release is a great way to increase your web site traffic and generate more interest in your web site and any products or services you might be selling. Below you’ll find four links to major free press release sites. Additionally, they provide information on how to write effective press releases. Your press release will be seen by more people, get put into search engines faster, and you can follow statistics and upload photos if you pay for service. Here are four places where you can send out your information for free. http://OpenPress.Com http://PRBot.Com http://express-press-release.com http://www.prweb.com

2. Write Articles - Getting your web site noticed by writing articles is another effective method for announcing your web site’s arrival. Of course you must be able to write well, or be able to hire someone, about your chosen topic. Another candlemaking company online will not provide tons of enthusiastic response, but if you have been handcrafting candles for 20 years and can provide some helpful tips for those just starting out, you will increase your audience and hopefully your customer base. Additionally, writing articles establishes your online credibility.

3. Submit to Search Engines & Directories - This is a way to make sure more than your immediate family and friends see your site. When providing information about your site to these directories, you will oftentimes have to include a reciprocal link on your site. There are paid search engines and directories that will get your web site indexed within a matter of days, but many of them will also do same service, only taking weeks or month, for no charge.

The efforts you make to get your web site designed in a professional manner and put onto web, whether it’s to show your business as an online catalogue or your personal site as an inspiration to others. For those of you launching an eCommerce site, following above steps will get you more traffic and sales.