5 - TEST, TEST, TEST with every browser!

Take a look at your site in every type of browser, because there are no standards on Internet yet. That means that every web browser interprets code differently than next, and can display a page horrendously when another makes it look perfect. Without testing, you might never discover that you're running off a large percentage of your visitors just because your site looks terrible in their browser.

6 - Proofread your ENTIRE site.

Poor grammar or spelling is end-all, be-all of presenting yourself unprofessionally online. After all, if you can't spell correctly, you probably won't pay attention to details or those "small things" that make a product or service great, right? Well, that's what your visitors will think. So run your pages through a spell check once or twice, and have someone else proofread them.

7 - Keep your design consistent.

Ever visit a site that changes designs, backgrounds, and navigation systems completely whenever you click a link? Kind of makes you feel lost, doesn't it? You feel as though you're at another site. So, keep your web site's design consistent, and make it clear to visitor where they are on Internet and on your site. (Note: Consistent does NOT have to mean boring!)

8 - Stay away from backgrounds, for most part.

Backgrounds have a tendency to make a site feel very unprofessional. If you don't know what you're doing, stick with a plain white background with well contrasting text. It's simple, and it's very clean and easy to read.

9 - Use small images.

I don't mean that you should use visually small images. I mean that you should use images that are small in terms of file size. The best way to go about doing this is to compress your images to a more reasonable size. Try something like Ulead's SmartSaver Pro - http://www.ulead.com

10 - Be Careful With Your Fonts.

Perhaps biggest indicator of someone who doesn't have a clue what they're doing online is a web site with lots of different (and conflicting) font types, colors, and sizes. Keep your fonts consistent, and only use one or two, or, if you really have to, three. And please, keep size down, will ya?

First of all most free web hosts have ads all over them. It takes a good deal of effort to find a qualified prospect. Do you want your prospect to click on free web host banner and never return to your website? They should pay you for those banners and ads!

Also it is very unprofessional not to have your own domain name. Are you going to do business with someone whose website is http://www.geocybercities.com/members/community/id23989?/homebiz.html? Probalby not.

5. Not following up with your customers.

If you do not have a follow up autoresponder system on your website your are losing most of your sales.

It has been absolutely proven that most people must hear a message at least seven times before buying.

A good autoresponder service will capture names and email (even phone numbers) of those who visit your website. The autoresponder will then send out a series of 10 timed messages to your prospects about your business.

The messages are personalized with prospect's name so they are more likely to be read.

After 6th or 7th message your prospect will begin developping a relationship with you. You might even get a call from someone saying " Hi this is Bill I am ready to buy!"

Bill thinks you have been hand writing individual messages to him and he feels like he knows you personally but you have no idea who he is!

An autoresponder turns what would have been just one quick visit to your website into 7-10 exposures to your site.

A quality autoresponder system will also serve as a mailing list manager. After your prospects have received all your messages they will be put into an archive list in your autoresponder control panel.

If you have any specials or announcements you can just type one email message in your control panel and send a message to everyone in your list.

In many ways a good autoresponder system can be more important than website itself.

You may find such an autorepsonder service here. http://www.realreply.com