12 Steps to a Successful Website - OurChurch.Com

Do:

Do keep your homepage simple. You want your site visitors to focus on three main elements: your company (or site's) name and/or logo, your introductory text, and your navigation menu. If you have too much other "stuff" going on, these elements could get lost.

Do use color wisely. Ever tried to read yellow text on a white background? It's not easy. And people who are color blind will not be able to read certain text at all unless you use good contrast. You should also use colors that complement each other well. If you're not sure, then find a tutorial online and learn about the use of color.

Do focus on your site visitor. Any time you add an element to your site, you should ask yourself why you're adding it. If it will add to, and not detract from, your site visitor's experience, then by all means consider adding it. Otherwise "when in doubt, leave it out."

Do start with the content, then create the design. If you know what your site is all about, you can add design elements that work with the content instead of trying to adapt the content to fit a certain design. Content is more important than design so it should logically be considered first.

Do keep your message fresh. When Christmas is over, remove the holiday decorations and best wishes for the season. Update your calendar. Add something new or make a change at least once every three months. (Search engines give preference to sites that are updated often.)

Do learn how to resize and optimize graphics. Often the time it takes for a site to load can be reduced 50%-90% by selecting the optimal format and quality level. Do you want to add digital photos to your site? Make sure you resize them so they fit on the page, and consider creating small thumbnails that link to the full-size pictures.

Do check your links often. Dead links are a sure sign of a neglected site. Visit your links often and remove any that are no longer active. This one detail alone could keep your site from being listed in search engine directories.

Do be consistent. Make your design scheme flow throughout your site. Every page should have the same look and feel. It's a good idea to have your logo or name on each page, too.

Do create a separate links page. This is preferable to offering a list of links on your homepage. Remember, links are important but they take people away from your site. Let them finish visiting your own site before you invite them to move on.

Do proofread your site for common spelling, grammar and punctuation errors. Better yet, have a few trusted friends or colleagues help you proof it.

Do beware of clichés and meaningless content. "Feel free to browse our site." (Why wouldn't they feel free?)

Don't:

Don't annoy your site visitors with lots of distractions. Scrolling text (marquees) and animations should be used carefully if at all. Think about it: do you find it easier to read static text, or text that scrolls across the page? If you force your site visitor to use a cursor with trailing words (which they have no control over), and to download a lot of large or animated graphics, and to read text with non-contrasting background colors, and to follow blinking marquees…well, many people will find it annoying.

Don't put a lot of awards or banners on your homepage. It's okay to lend credibility to your website by putting one or two awards on your homepage, and those should be static (not animated) graphics from well-known, reputable sites. If you have lots of awards you want to show off, put them on a separate page.

Don't make your pages too long. Break up your content so site visitors don't have to scroll through ten pages worth of content on one page. As a rule of thumb, try not to make your page longer than it would take to scroll down three screens.

Don't over-use images. If you add an image, make it count for something. Don't add large images just to decorate your page, because they only make your page slow to download. You can lose a site visitor that way. Be especially careful with animated gifs. They may look small but the animation adds kilobytes.

Don't mix fonts. One or two font styles is all you should ever need on one web page, and three is overkill.

Don't use lots of exclamation points!!! It makes your site look unprofessional!!! In fact, the fewer exclamation points you use, the better!!!

Don't TYPE IN ALL CAPS. USE UPPER and lowercase instead. Although you don't mean to come across this way, many people consider all uppercase type to be rude because it signifies shouting. If you feel that your site visitors need a larger font due to vision problems, try using a larger font size instead.

Don't link to every site that comes along. If you're going to offer site links, be choosy and make sure they are relevant. Link to high-quality sites with strong search engine rankings.

Don't let HTML tags show. If you are using HTML, check it carefully and correct any errors that might make nonsensical HTML tags appear on your site.

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