Now when I look back on that first website, I'm forced to come to an inescapable conclusion:

It sucked.

You see, like so many beginners, I had succumbed to lure of 'technology'. Instead of designing my site according to what my *visitors* wanted, I designed it around what *I* wanted to show off.

Don't make these common website blunders! Visitors come to your site for a reason - make it easy for them to get what they want. Here are a few tips ...

__1. Don't Use Flash Frivolously.

Flash movies are all rage these days. Sure, it's new and cool and can do all sorts of neat things - but just because you CAN use it doesn't mean you SHOULD.

This is particularly true of content-rich websites. Visitors come to your site looking for information, not for an in-your-face Flash movie. Annoy them and it only takes a simple click of mouse before they're gone forever.

Flash requires users to download a plug-in, if they don't already have it. It can chew up your machine's resources and make it darn near impossible to get out - even a 'Skip Intro' link is hard to click on if your computer is too involved with Flash! And it takes too long to load. Not everyone has a high-speed modem!

Of course there are legitimate reasons to use Flash. For example, graphic artists or web designers who sell their Flash talents will want to showcase it. If you use it make sure you give people OPTION of viewing it or not. A couple of suggestions are:

* Put two links on your entry page: one to view site using Flash, other to view it without Flash.

* Move your Flash movies deeper within your site. If your visitor wants to view them, they can simply click on a link.

__2. Use Graphics Sparingly.

Many people in business really are "nice guys", but some aren't. How can someone tell which group you're in? The web is a cold, seemingly uncaring place, and many people will not respond in a positive manner unless they develop a rapport with someone.

When someone meets you "face to face" they form an opinion of you. Good, bad or indifferent, at least it is an opinion. If someone visits a web site, whether they know it or not, they are forming an opinion. The majority of web sites engender an "indifferent" opinion. "Blah" comes to mind.

Some web pages are offered by telephone companies as an add-on to advertising they sell. These sites are hyped as free, but they really aren't, as you have to take out a certain size ad to get one. For most part, in our opinion, they look as if they were created from a template. The only thing that appears to change is business name, and limited copy they allow. This is definite fit in "Blah" category. Many people see a "lack luster" site, and since there is nothing to hold their interest, they click away. Why bother?