8. Use a sans-serif font (Verdana is your best choice) for body of all your content. You can use a serif font (Times New Roman or Georgia) for headings to provide some contrast. Use no more than 2-3 fonts, in total. Don't bother with fancy fonts. Each visitor's browser will use whatever fonts it has loaded. Often your fancy font ends up as Times New Roman to visitor.

If you want to use fancy fonts in page headings, you must create a graphic for each heading. I don't recommend it unless you only have a few pages. Adding new pages becomes a chore when you have to create a new graphic for heading every time.

If you want to use a fancy font somewhere, make a graphic for your web site's name (include your logo and your USP - Unique Selling Proposition, if you wish) and post this graphic on every page. It will need to be loaded only once so every subsequent page that uses this graphic won't require it to reload. Re-using graphics helps speed-up load time of your web site.

9. Unless you are an advanced HTML programmer, stick to "fixed width" designs. Set your main table size to 650-700 pixels maximum. If you set your table size to 100%, yes it will shrink and grow according to visitor's browser, but you can get some ugly, unexpected results.

10. Learn HTML! When (What You See Is What You Get) HTML editor you're using produces messy code, or an effect that you can't fix or don't like, looking at code and understanding how you can change it will make your site work better, look better and often download faster. Recommended HTML editors: MS FrontPage and Macromedia Dreamweaver (Note: if you can use MS Word, you can use FrontPage).

I remember one time in beginning when I was involved in a discussion with a designer who was using another HTML editor and was completely stuck on coding of how to create a simple table. My first thought at time was, using Front Page, that is such a simple task."

* Many professional SEO’s also like to use FrontPage because it’s a program that’s simple enough for their clients to use. So, when SEO turns site back over to client, client can easily make changes with FrontPage without having to know HTML. As Tom Altman with RSM McGladrey, Inc. (http://www.rsmmcgladrey.com) explains,

"Most of folks already have office suite, so they are used to using Word and like. FrontPage is not that much different, and it lets them maintain their own site."

Make FrontPage Work way YOU Want it to!

At Microsoft FrontPage Server Extensions Resource Kit, you’ll find links to all of possible ways to make FrontPage work for you, instead of default values after installation.

http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/frontpage/wpp/serk/apndx03.htm

Take a Free Course in using FrontPage!

Dave Barry at SmartCertify Direct (http://www.smartcertify.com) created a free course in using FrontPage. Simply register at following URL, and take free course:

http://www.smartcertify.com/seo/register-seo.asp

In Conclusion

As you’ve seen, some very experienced Web designers and search engine optimizers use FrontPage as their "editor of choice." Its ease of use and variety of ready-made templates make it a program that’s easy for beginners yet has functionality that advanced designers need.

It also allows designer or SEO to get a page designed quickly and easily, and time adds up to money for a busy SEO.

As Nancy Nelson with Search by Design! (http://www.search-by- design.com) said,

"Is it a perfect tool? Certainly not, but FrontPage combined with minor HTML knowledge can take you a long way..."

So FrontPage users, don’t be ashamed to admit that you use FrontPage! Some of best Web designers in industry use it, with good reason.

Special Thanks to Dave Barry

Dave Barry with SmartCertify created videos, screen shots, and free tutorial available in this article. Plus, he gave me work arounds for getting rid of extraneous code, and he verified accuracy of content. Thank you Dave ­ there’s no way I could have created this article without your help.