Always consider providing your visitor with a glossary of words and phrases. And remember anyone, anywhere in entire World can and will look at your site. They all need to be able to understand what you mean, and they must feel comfortable reading words.

And if you're considering having your web site translated/presented into one or more foreign languages; reviewing words on your site takes on a special significance. Poor translations are highly likely to occur if we haven't made a careful review of our text, taking account of points discussed above. What are potential pitfalls and what can you do to ensure a trouble free translation project?

The first step is to define exactly what you want translation to achieve; terms of reference. Think about whom your audience is and what type of language they want to read. There are many ways to write a sentence. As we've discussed, you can use simple language, formal or informal language, technical or difficult.

Language translation isn't just taking one language and rewriting it into another language. The translation needs to convey not only meaning and substance of source text, but also convey message in same theme and at same reader level. Thus a good translation will be at a level equivalent to source language in complexity and formality. Put another way, translation must use same register.

The reading level, for example, can be checked using either Flesch or Flesch-Kincaid readability measures. These measures can be displayed at end of a spell check automatically in Microsoft Word.

No one style of vocabulary and grammar is superior to another; it is there appropriateness to occasion that matters. But read text of your web site carefully, and consider language you are using. Are you using technical language that only specialists in field will understand? If your site is aimed to sell goods or inform ordinary people, will they understand words and is level of formality appropriate? Are there confusing words? Are you using slang that no one outside your locality would understand?

A good quality translation agency will provide a thorough language site review before they perform any translation. Both client and agency benefits because results of translation project will be of a far higher quality.

I hope this has given you something to consider so that you can ensure your web site is as good as quality of your products, services and information your organisation provides.

Most hosts support Microsoft Frontpage design and most people already have it on their desktops. Go to your start menu. Click on programs. Click on internet Express. It will show you three options. One will be Frontpage Express that is a free download that comes with IE.

People have free or low cost hosting to them available and usually don't know it. It's with your ISP. If you have a regular dial-up, you'll only find out about free hosting usually by reading teeny, tiny print. If you have a more expensive plan, your ISP will plaster this all over as an incentive to get you to buy.

OK, now you know this, who are you going to sell for? There are several programs available to find legitimate businesses that won't charge you to sell for them. I use Commission Junction and Linkshare. However, these aren't only ones available.

If you want step-by-step instructions on doing all of these things, I have developed a package called NetSteals. It is available to purchase for $39.95 at mailto:pooka@frognet.net I provide ongoing support for all of my customers, along with all of my resources. NetSteals was developed after months of my own personal research. However, you can do this for free if you're willing to invest time.

Cheryl A. Crossan is author of NetSteals News, dedicated to web design, hosting, marketing and advertising. For free membership with free ads mailto:pooka@frognet.net