Forget your website... just imagine your customers. Sketch an idea of the type of people who will be looking at your website then design it to please them. Some respond better to statistical tables while others find graphics more compelling. You can't please everyone but if your thought process begins with your customers you'll attract more of them.

Accessibility: Not all web browsers are equal! Avoid using 'special effects' (eg Flash) to form your core website. Ensure that your website is built using well crafted HTML which even the most lowly web browser can see.

Your website design will win or lose your customers attention... ...and their business! Speed: Load in 3-5 seconds. Building a beautiful graphic rich site may win art awards but will it win your audience's hearts? or their business? If you have a site that relies on graphics to make it useable then you will lose anyone who has to wait more than 3 to 5 seconds to begin using your site. Accessibility: Not all web browsers are equal! Avoid using 'special effects' (eg Flash) to form your core website. Ensure that your website is built using well crafted HTML which even the most lowly web browser can see. Layout: Yours is a business site, not an entertainment zone. Your visitors will know roughly what they want; so keep your website easy to navigate. Main menus should normally be on the left or on the top, or if you have a lot of pages, both.

Three clicks. The 3 click rule is golden! Everything your potential customer could want to access should be within absolutely no more than 3 clicks from your home page. Less is better.

Don't keep your website secret! Unless your prospective clients know you have a website they cannot use it. Make certain you have your web address on everything you produce that people might see eg: -Letterheads & Business cards, -Invoices, -Emails (easy to overlook!) -local ads, coffee cups etc...

Search engines. Can the search robot see your site? You must arrange for: -Well written Meta Data -Careful submissions to appropriate search engines and directories -Correct timing of re-submissions

Get intimate with your visitors! Every page should carry a means of contacting you, preferably by telephone and email, rather than simply by post.

Speed: Load in 3-5 seconds. Building a beautiful graphic rich site may win art awards but will it win your audience's hearts? or their business? If you have a site that relies on graphics to make it useable then you will lose anyone who has to wait more than 3 to 5 seconds to begin using your site.

Do a spell check. Your visitors will expect your website to reflect the care you put into their business and spelling is one of the greatest giveaways. A single spelling mistake will be visible to people who are unaware of the sentance in which it habbend. See?

Be ready to review and change. A website is for business, not for life. You should take the trouble to make a routine visit to your site yourself and see that it still reflects your business. Keep it fresh with an annual tidy up.