a.Do visitors know which page they are viewing?

The best way to ensure your visitors don't get lost on your website is if you title your pages. Make sure this title is title in your navigation area too. On your home page, or one that is your "index.html" or "index.htm", you don't have to title page "HOME PAGE". It could be titled "About Us" or a page you want your visitors to see as soon as they open your website. If your "index.html" page is your "About Us" page, then put header/title "About Us" at top of page. In other words, every page should have a heading so that your visitors will know what page they are currently viewing.

b.Can your visitor easily get to other pages using your navigational area?

Make sure that if you have 5 main pages in your website, there are 5 links in your navigation area with exact titles as titles on your pages. With this in mind, don't make your titles too long. If you have articles on your website, make one link titled "Articles" in your navigation area. On "Articles" page, list your article titles in body of that particular page because article titles will be longer.

c.Does my background color and text color make a good combination?

You will need to take this into serious consideration. If your color scheme is unappealing, visitors will leave no matter how good your subject matter may be. If combination causes eye strain or headache, your visitors will leave your website and may not return. Examples: blue background with red text, lime green background with yellow text, red background with yellow text, etc. One other background I would like to mention: patterned/tiled backgrounds. These can be overwhelming to eye. No text will be readable on these types of backgrounds - at least not without difficulty. If you must have a patterned/tiled background, make it look like a watermark - full color patterned/tiled backgrounds will send your visitors away quicker than ice cream melts on a hot stove.

* Introduce practitioner, and outline his or her style of treatment; * Provide straightforward content establishing practitioner’s credibility; * Review services and common procedures performed by practitioner; * Inform prospective client of features and value of selecting practitioner as a service provider; * Offer immediate contact options, including a web e-mail form; * Display office locations complete with photos, address, and driving directions.

Style and Navigation

The physical therapist’s web site should be clean, professional, and to point. Avoid loading site with Flash, Java applets, or other features that go beyond basic programming. Keep practitioner’s target market(s) in mind; potential clients are looking for information, not savvy design.

Of course, this shouldn’t take away from web site’s on-screen appeal. Images and text should be easy to review, however this doesn’t have to infer plain web design. Let information stand out; compliment text with images and basic page graphics.

If a logo, font, or color is already in use on printed marketing materials, incorporate this into site so that all marketing materials present practitioner consistently.

Content Elements

Presenting content in a basic, explanatory fashion will ensure web site appeals to greatest target market possible. If site is loaded with concepts or terminology that is beyond traditional understanding, reader will indirectly lose interest. Again, keep target market in mind.