Here's a cheap magic trick for you - I bet you I can guess the answer you will give to the following question:

What do you usually do when you click on a link or button and get the classic "404 File Not Found" page?

1. You click on the "Back" button of your browser (with disgust) and go somewhere else?

2. You look at the address field and erase the text right until the next "slash" and try again?

3. You look at the address field and try the domain name, hoping to get to a home page and navigate your way to ....

Author: Manas Tungare.

Web Designing is as easy as 1-2-3, claim some of the software tools on the market that "generate" your pages for you. Unfortunately, many web designers today have fallen prey to this marketing gimmick - and the results are obvious. Every now and then, one comes across a website that looks good with a particular browser and a particular screen-resolution; but view it with a different browser, and you can't even read the plain text on the page. Worse still, given the number of operating systems that are used by netizens worldwide, these pages will never be seen ....

Author: Teri Tucker

So, you've decided that your company needs a web site. Now what? Since we are ultimately talking about your "online business image", unless you yourself have web design experience, finding that perfect web designer to create your company site is a very important next step. If you've never had a web site created before, you will find that there is quite a lot to consider if you want your site to be successful, and you may have to do a bit of homework to find the right person for you.

Regardless of the type of site you want, to ....

Author: Damien Kettle

There has been a big craze lately, everybody wants their site as a database driven site or Content Management System (CMS). There are many advantages to using a CMS over ordinary static page site, the main on is site structure. You can change the structure and the hierarchy of the site instantly.

A Content Management System could be best described as integrating elements of a web site such as design, content, media and database into one easy to use package. The System is normally controlled by using a web interface (a form) which will capture the data and store ....

Author: Rudi Ashdown

To succeed at your online business (whether you are selling your own product/service or are selling for other merchants as an affiliate), you need a Web design must be just for that - a simple, focused site. One that is easy to build, maintenance-free, low cost, credible, and a powerful traffic-builder and customer-converter.

Having the right tool and the right product alone doesn’t insure the success of your website. There are many factors to be considered in effective website design. Unfortunately, most of these are overlooked by offline business owners using the internet to promote their business.

Web Design Rule ....

Author: Halstatt Pires

When creating a web site design, it is easy to fall into the trap of trying to be all things to all people. In reality, the key to a good web site design is focus, focus, focus.

We Don’t Need No Stink’n Distractions

It happens ever few weeks or so. I am sitting in front of the computer contemplating the meaning of life, i.e., why my numbers aren’t being picked in the California lottery. A frustrated person calls and wants to know why their site isn’t converting. Shaking myself from my revelry, I valiantly pull up their site and here ....

Author: Amanda

The most basic type of web page is a static one – a page that rests
docilely within your browser window. It doesn’t do anything. You can
view it, then hit your browser back button and go away again. This is
not the sort of page one normally sets out to create (I hope), but
rather a minor but important lesson in what to avoid. Web pages exist so
that the visitor can interact with them. There is an exciting quid pro
quo between a site and its viewer that simply doesn’t exist in any other
medium. It’s important to take advantage of that. So, what ....

Author: Alvin Apple

Margaret spent a lot of time and money to get her web site just
right. The big photo of a professional at work beckoned visitors
to stay and learn how they, too, could be as successful.

Links to her main pages flashed when a vistor's mouse passed over
them. She even featured a classy animated mailbox at the bottom
of the page to encourage visitors to send her email.

But something went wrong. When Margaret checked her web site
visitor statistics after one week, she noticed most people
clicked to her site, then clicked away after just a few seconds.
No sales.

Like many sites, Margaret's takes too ....

Author: Angela Barbeisch

As a working mother of two, I must admit that sometimes my house isn’t ready for
company. Yes, you might trip over a few pairs of shoes when you walk in and you
might have to wait for dinner while I dig around for some frozen pot pies and some
clean dishes to serve them in.

However, as Web Mistress of http://www.allparody.com, I’m always prepared to
have company come into my “home. Here I can easily hide all the dirty socks under
the bed but the only thing you’ll see is is my best foot forward. When you present a
website for your readers, you ....

Author: Bob McElwain

Say you're at a party. One of those Hollywood extravaganzas.
Four hundred people wandering contentedly about a five acre
estate complete with mansion, guest houses, and pools.

Joe, the fellow you're talking with, says, "Here's a guy you
should meet." As you approach, you notice the Gucci shoes and
Armani suit right off.

"Hi, Jeffery," Joe says. As the man turns, Joe continues.
"Want you to meet Bill Cathers."

The handshake is firm. The smile is gracious and it somehow
shows in his eyes. You clearly have his full attention.

Joe has wandered off as you chat. "Have you a card?" Jeffery
asks, offering one of his own.

"Sure," you ....

Author: Bob McElwain

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is on the tip of
a lot
of tongues these days, of those hoping to break through
into a
new and better way of doing business. But the real
strength of
this idea isn't new at all. In plain English it simply
means
putting your customers first. Many successful merchants
have
utilized this approach for years. They even know it's far
better
to refer a customer to a competitor who can provide what
they
need, than to seek to sell something in stock that isn't
going
to make it in the long run. This is not fancy theory. It
works.
Likely the best hardware store in your neighborhood is run
with
customer support as ....

Author: Bob McElwain

Picture a pink elephant dancing the two-step in a bright blue
skirt. Got it? Are you sure? If not, reread this paragraph.

If you really have it, you won't be able to forget it if
asked to do so. Pictures in our minds are simply too powerful
to be erased on command.

We Think In Pictures

If I ask you what you had for breakfast, you'll bring up a
memory of your plate, then tell me what you ate as you "watch"
yourself doing so. While some think in the abstract, just sort
of rattle off a list, most of us will picture ourselves eating
breakfast, then hold ....

Author: Angela Wu

I remember my very first website. I thought it was the most
amazing thing ever created; it had Flash, Javascript, an
animated graphic I designed all on my own, plus various
bits of 'artwork' placed at strategic locations throughout
the site. Plus it used frames, something I thought would
ease navigation for my visitors. What an astonishing
display of talent!

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 the
lure of 'technology'. Instead of designing my site
according to what my *visitors* wanted, I designed it
around what *I* wanted ....

Author: Ben McClure

Think you have a successful site? Maybe you really do, but chances are it might need
a little mending. Here's some simple ideas to remember when trying to create a
friendly, worthy site.

1. Looks aren't everything.

Most sites can be categorized in two ways. Informative but lacking the helpful and
pretty interface, or completely useless, but good-looking. Though I can't tell you how
to make a great looking and informative site, because then they'd all look the same,
what I can say is first, avoid the single-page web site, and the black-on-white, all
blotched together default look. Add your own creativity to the looks. If ....

Author: Bill Quimby

We all put keywords in the title and then the meta tags, but
we often forget or skip the next most important place, in a
headline
tags
. We know that they are important
but we try to design attractive pages and use nice graphics
that look better and can't work in a good way to use big
headlines reasonably.

Well, I'll let you in on a valuable secret. Big headlines
don't actually have to be as big as you might think. There
are two parts to this trick. The first is to shrink the
size of your big headline by using the font tags inside the
headline. Don't shrink ....

Author: Bob Osgoodby

First impressions are extremely important if you hope to do
business on the Web. After you refine your ads, and if you make
your pitch to a targeted group, you will start to get visitors to
your web site. Here is where many would be entrepreneurs drop
the ball.

Putting up a web site is not a difficult task, but designing a
good one is, and if you don't pay attention, it might be working
against you. Think about it, the web site is not only the first
impression of you and your business, it is crucial to your
success or failure.

People don't waste a whole lot ....

Author: Brian Terry

I'm sure you've experienced this before... you visit
a website and a small window pops up out of nowhere
asking you to subscribe to an E-zine, or maybe
something similar.

You might be wondering where it came from? Or think
how do I get rid of this annoying window that won't
go away!

It's a love, hate thing...

Visit any Internet Marketing web forum and you'll
find someone talking about the virtues and pitfalls
of pop-up windows. In short no matter what some might
say, love them or hate them they get the results you
need.

There was one article I read recently where someone
received 78% of their subscribers from the ....

Author: Candice Pardue

If you update your website often, you may wish to express
to your visitors that your website is up-to-date, and
not "deserted".

One way to do this is by placing a small statement which
includes a "Last Updated" date that changes each time you
update your site.

Your choice - you can place the "Last Updated" date
on each web page of your site, or you may wish to
place it on the homepage only.

To add this feature to your web page, simply paste
the simply java code below into your HTML where you
wish the "Last Updated" date to appear.

But first, you may wish to view a ....

Author: Candice Pardue

As you're designing your new web site, you'll be tempted with web design
ideas that could turn into fatal mistakes. This is especially true if
your web site represents your business. Below are five of the most
common mistakes to avoid at all costs...

1. Too Many Graphics

Having too many graphics (particularly large graphics), can cause your
site to load entirely too slow. Visitors will get impatient and often
times click out of your site -- never to return.

SOLUTION: When possible save your graphics as GIF files (gif.htm)
rather than JPEG (jpg.htm). Also, reduce your graphic in actual size as
much as you can without distorting ....

Authors: Cheryl Carnright and Joann Marsili

Have you heard yourself saying, "I don't understand? I have
a gorgeous site, a really cutting-edge splash page with a
flash introduction, up-to-date technology, I paid a small
fortune for this site, and I'm getting plenty of hits but
no one is buying or staying in the site."

Well, you may be one of a growing number of businesses,
both large and small, who believed all the hype about the
latest in new technology. Many business owners want their
website to have that cutting-edge look, and so will ask for
things such as animation, music, flash, and other "bells
and whistles" that would be detrimental ....

Author: Cheryl R Cowtan

First impressions count and the first impression a visitor receives when
they arrive at a site is the look or visual appeal of the design. The
visual design of a site is referred to as the interface. Judging a Web
site by it's interface design is similar to judging a book by its cover
or judging a person by their looks. It may not be logical but it is
typical human nature.

Outward appearance presents the image and professionalism of the site
company or owner and it can affect the comfort level of the visitor.
Interface design consists of specific elements, all or some of ....

Author: Candice Pardue

Your website's navigation ability is extremely
important to your success online. Your visitors
will only turn into paying customers if your site is
easy and fun to navigate.

Believe me, you want your visitors to stay as long as
possible. This is the only way your site is going to
succeed. Your site must be interesting, persuading, and
easy to navigate.

First let me tell you a couple of misconceptions about how
to design websites.

1. Many people assume that because the internet is so "big"
and covers such a vast amount of areas around the world, their
website has to be everything to everybody. They design their
website for "everybody" ....

Author: Candice Pardue

Unlike creating a horizontal vertical line by inserting an
tag, a simple html code is not available to insert a
vertical divider line into your web page.

However, there are two simple ways to insert a vertical
divider line...

1. Create a "Graphic" Vertical Divider Line

You may insert a graphic image (.gif) as your divider
line and align it next to your paragraph. Although
you'll be forced to use this method if you need a
divider line that has an odd shape or color, this
is not the most efficient method.

By using a graphic as a divider line, you'll risk the
graphic line not being lined up correctly ....

Author: Craig Hardee

1) Get your own domain name. Having your site on a freebie site says that you're
not serious about being in business online.

2) Plan out your site. What do you want to accomplish? What are your goals? Who
are you trying to reach with your site?

3) Structure your site. This means do more than slapping all the copy and banners
on the home page. Add depth to your website.

4) Take a long range view of your site. What will it look like in a year, 5 years,
10 years (a lifetime in Internet time)?

5) Keep your site updated. That involves making sure ....

Author: Dianne Reuby

There are a few essential checks that you must make before
uploading your pages.

Check the basics - spelling, grammar, terminology. I've seen
a lot of arguments for and against using only US spelling on
web sites - I think this is a personal choice, but having
made your decision, be consistent! Terminology - don't use
words or phrases that aren't common around the world. I read
a software review recently - sadly, I didn't understand the
phrase used to describe the program, so I don't know if the
reviewer was recommending it or condemning it!

Check your coding. It's easy for little mistakes to creep
into your HTML ....

Author: Dianne Reuby

Coding your HTML by hand gives much better results than
using a WYSIWYG program. You can get the layout that you
want, and make small adjustments easily.

NotePad comes free with Windows - but a much better text
editor is NoteTab Light. This has a sidebar with HTML tags -
double-click to enter the tag you want, with a dialog box
for those that have options or preferences, such as size,
colour, placement, etc. Download it from
http://www.notetab.com/ . There is also a NoteTab mailing
list, where you can ask questions, and exchange tips and
tricks - subscribe to the basic list by sending a blank
e-mail to mailto:NoteTab-Subscribe@eGroups.com

When ....

Author: Dom Moreci

Don't rely on technology alone to create a great Website for you or
your company. It's great to have cool technology but you need to
leave a favorable impression on your user. Instill confidence and
create an engaging and memorable experience for your user. Do that,
and they will stick around, buy something and come back another time.
Use good design to bolster the great content and cool technology of
your site. The user will remember the way all three elements work (or
fail to work) together.

When designing your Website, be sure to look to established design
elements for inspiration. Your Website needs to function as ....

Author: Julie Martin

One of the most commonly overlooked elements of an effective E-Business is the very thing that is essential to your success. Something as simple as the design of your website can make or break your business. Each consumer has their own set preferences of what they find appealing, and it’s impossible to please everyone. However, there are some simple rules to follow to ensure that your website will appeal to the vast majority of Internet surfers.

1. Toss Out The Clutter

Does your website bear an even passing resemblance to the junk drawer in your kitchen? In an effort to ....

Author: Michael Turner

Designing your own successful web page can seem difficult and nearly impossible if you do not do a little research first. The reason you need to know the basics of web page design is because the design of your website will actually influence whether or not people continue to visit your site and ultimately, whether they will buy from you or not. Obviously, a lot is riding on your website design so it is worthwhile to take this seriously and put some effort into doing it right the first time.

Design #1 Color

Any important aspect of your design process ....

Author: Florie Lyn Masarate

Brochures are not created just to have your company or business displayed. Like other print jobs, they have a deeper intent that is in favor of you. By giving people your brochures; you display what you have to make them want to have them themselves. If they get it, you get yours. That is, in terms of sales and not to mention, money. Your brochures should have the proper presentation that can make it readable, intriguing and interesting. It should catch the attention of the people and make an impact. These are the things that your brochure ....

Author: Dr. Jeffrey Lant

Terrific Design Tip # 1

Place the most important offer, feature or product of your
site closer to the top of the page. Give it prominence so
visitors will not miss it. Having a big logo taking all the
valuable space at the top of your web pages will not help your
bank account. The upper section of your page is the first thing
that your prospective clients will see as soon as they enter
your site and this will be the area that will determine if
they stay to see what else you have to offer or they proceed
to the next website. To get ....

Author: Jody Hatton

Flash design? Is it all it's cracked up to be?
In this article, we'll be confronting all the questions head on:
What is Flash? What's good about it? What's bad about it? And,
most importantly, what will it do for your online business?

INTRODUCTION

When Flash was first introduced by FutureWave Inc. in August 1996,
it was known as "FutureSplash Animator." Macromedia acquired
FutureWave in December and renamed the application to "Flash."
What made FutureSplash unique was the fact that FutureSplash's
images were created in "vector format."

As you may know, most images you see on the Web (such as the logo
that appears on http://www.worlddesignservices.com/), are drawn
by thousands, ....

Author: Michael Turner

CSS is a new option for website designers that have been using HTML and tables for most of their web designing careers. Of course, it is a huge change and requires learning a new language and skill, however most people are saying CSS is worth it and it will give you more control, options, and is easier to edit. Consider the following 7 reasons why using CSS is a must and see if it convinces you to change your method of web design.

Reason #1 Present Data Logically

When you use CSS in the layout of your website you can ....

Author: Kay Zetkin

With the Macromedia’s release of the new version of Dreamweaver, the Dreamweaver MX 2004, creating data – driven pages have several requirements before you can begin making them. Unlike Dreamweaver 4, a previous version of Dreamweaver, wherein you can just dive in and everything you need are there in the application already, Dreamweaver MX requires some bits and bobs that should be in order and set up your environment.

There are three things you need. Here are they:

1. A Web Server – now, don’t panic with this! You can run some free web server software in your computer, for ....

Author: Rick Hunter

We've heard it over and over again - adding graphics to a
website is a GOOD thing. They can generally make your site
more appealing, illustrate points or products, and provide
creative icons for people to click through for more
information.

So you are developing a website, and you really want
to add cool graphics. But how?

Well, you can run out and buy a bunch of expensive graphics
programs and 'dummies' books to learn how to use them.

Or you can sign up for courses, on or off-line, for various
amounts of money. But you'll probably be old and gray by the
time you sort through all the ....

Author: Linda Sedmera

So you have a product that you want to market, and now
you want to start promoting it through your own web page.

You have all the information your audience might need,
so all you have to do is put it on the page, right?

Well, you probably also want to find some ways to make
sure your web site stands out from all the millions of
others that are out there. Just as with any other type
of advertising, you want your web site to be easy to
access (in terms of finding it), easy to process (in
terms of understanding it), and easy to respond ....

Author: Gunter Gerdenitsch

Time and again I come across a web site with ages of load time,
nearly illegible copy and a lack of content but full of
irritating gimmicks. Often I cannot help wondering: "Horrible!
Didn't they see how their Internet appearance does them a
disservice? If their web site is looking like that - however
will their core business be ... ?" Then, upon second thought, I
have to say to myself: "Well, there's only one reasonable
explanation: They *really* didn't see it."

Indeed, when you are developing your web site, you do it
strictly LOCALLY on your computer. That's a great difference to
how it will come out ....

Author: Maricon Williams

Many designers are overlooking the vitality of colors in creating a web site. Why is it vital? It is because it creates a mood – it can annoy, irritate or interest and uplift the spirit of the visitors. Your site can end up plain and boring or chaotic if you don’t take a look at your colors minutest details.

If you are not an expert in colors, you can consult the color wheel to achieve safe colors. You can opt for complementary colors, those that are found across another color, for safe choices. Orange and blue implies excitement. Green ....