Just because you are offering something for free (no money), it doesn't mean that you can't ask for something in return - like their email address. This is how some very successful ezines build their lists. They offer something that is valuable for FREE, but insist that visitor joins their opt-in list. This really is a win - win situation for visitor, because they can unsubscribe two minutes later (if they really want to), but by staying on list they will likely be exposed to more information that is of interest to them. The theory is that if they are interested in FREE site information, they will absolutely love current material in ezine.

4) Internal Banner Exchanger.

This tool was an afterthought that has paid huge dividends. We all know that Banners and Banner Exchangers are quickly losing their effectiveness, yet a large part of advertising on Internet still revolves around them. So we thought 'why not use them in a way that keeps traffic within site, but allows us to test various banners' If we discover that one particular banner design or word arrangement is working especially well, then perhaps some funds can be devoted to using it on outside sites.

The banners also reinforced image of pages that they were aimed at, without losing one single click through.

There are of course many other considerations for designing your main page. These are just ones that were most pertinent to us.

To summarize; make sure that you have a very appealing and professional look to your page that is consistent throughout site, use high impact, value oriented words in your copy, reduce number of outgoing links and increase number of internal site links. And most important of all... create a work of art that you are proud of, but not afraid to improve upon (change)

3. Unify your site. Use REPETITION. Keep same background color/image from page to page. Put your logo on each page in same place. Use same text color from page to page. If you have those billowing begonias on your index page, use a begonia flower for all your navigation buttons. Whatever you choose as navigation buttons, use same ones on each page. If you use a text graphic for navigation, repeat that from page to page. Whatever. Repetition is comfortable. It holds site together.

4. Of course, same thing all time could be boring to viewer. So you do need some VARIETY. Back to nursery business. Perhaps all bulbs pages would have a green background, while all herbs pages could have a blue background, and annuals a yellow background. But they might all have same basic layout otherwise. When you introduce variety into your design, make it logical. Have a reason for it. All of your navigation buttons could be flowers, different for each section. Balance out repetition and variety so that your site is unified, but interesting.

5. Be kind to your viewer. Restrain yourself from obnoxious animation. Use it sparingly and carefully, if at all. Keep music minima, if at all. Make font big enough to read easily. Contrast colors of font and of background so that text shows up clearly. If you use a splash page, tell viewer what to do to get into your site.

Good visual design keeps a viewer at your site. It inspires confidence in your product. Go to a search engine and bring up sites similar to yours and critique them. Get ideas. Then use them. Be a designer. Make your site a Presence on web.

And while you're surfing around net, check out my website at http://www.clovenstone.com, just for fun of it. Maybe it'll give you an idea.