SITE MAP or INDEX is necessary on every page. Link every page in some way to every other page in your site. Failing that, use a frames format and make sure that you preserve your margins on all sides of the frames. Place your site map in the right frame. I suggest that you provide a way for the person to determine where they just came from and a helper to get them back to the very last page presentation they visited on your site. The fewer times a visitor needs the back button on their browser, the less likely they will leave your site till they have seen it all.
It is not advisable to provide invitations to leave your site on the top of your index page. If you advertise or provide links to another site, you might want to make sure there is a way for a visitor who left your site to return from THAT link. This is called a reciprocal link. You do not need to hide your links. Just do not leave invitations to leave where a person is really tempted to do so.
When making lists with graphical bullets (such as picture of a globe, a diamond or ball), if possible make them into radio buttons or links to the area in your web page that illustrates your point. When using graphics, remember that many people will click on a graphic for a description, or expansion of the information that picture represents. Some websites use this to their advantage to create pleasant surprises for their visitor. Some visitors search for those surprises. Perhaps you should consider providing those surprises.
The more often you change your web page, the more often a person may visit. There are services of which you may subscribe that informs the subscribers when a member site has changed.
You may also create a guest register. Many people will sign the guest register, thus providing you leads for future activities. You may also notify the resulting mailing list when your web page has changed. If you are so inclined, a newsletter will provide you with a further opportunity to present your views or products.
Once you have created your site, view it with as many browsers as you can. Read your site with an IBM and a Macintosh. I have been told that 62% of all web sites are created on a Mac and about 35% of the readers are on Macs.
If you are friendly to a Mac User, you have a great chance to gain his loyalty. He may even advertise your site to other Mac Users. If you want a lot of positive hits on your page, create reasons for a Macintosh user to visit and ask for his referral to your page.
These are only nine of the many suggestions I have made when visiting a web site. I visit only 20 minutes. That is as long as I expect any visitor to remain interested in any site. If they need the bottom scroll bar to read your text, I expect them to leave immediately. Your visitor is your guest. Do not make them work to enjoy your site.
Daniel Deane
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Presented by Daniel Deane, P.O.Box 3548, Chattanooga TN 37404 /Publisher of Daniel's InfoZene, a general interest/public service ezine Internet tips, Humor, Recipes, PSAs, disability advocacy, and more. Copyright 1997 Daniel Deane