Suggestions for a Successful Web Site

I have compiled a list of things to help you create and maintain a successful web site. I am only an old farmer that taught myself html and tried to teach the basics to anyone that asked me along the way. The basics are the only thing (and sometimes the best thing) needed to convey your site's message to the world.

With that in mind, here's a few things I have discovered over the decades, in no particular order. I hope they are helpful to other web masters as well:

• INFORMATION: The information contained on your pages should be accurate and current. Update it with new info frequently, whenever available, and as soon as possible. To your viewers, the information is old as soon as it changes, or the day the event is over. If you have a calendar or list of events (which almost every site should have), and you want to keep past events on the list for "bragging rights", by all means go ahead. People do like to look over your past. But, make sure that your coming events are on the top of the list. And don't list a past event as if it was still upcoming. Whether it's two months, two weeks, two days, or even two hours past, it's still old news. Let it slip into the archive as quickly as possible and list your next upcoming event at the top.
• WHO, WHAT, AND WHERE: Be sure you have some kind of contact shown on your home page, a description of your site's purpose, and where you are located, if applicable.
• PICTURES: People love to look at pictures. But, only a few at a time. Don't display more than a dozen or so pictures on each page. If you want to have more pages, great, but bear in mind my statistics have shown over the years people will look at the first page of pictures, the second page of pictures to a lesser extent, and rarely ever any picture pages beyond that. If you have unlimited web space, go ahead and keep your old pictures posted to the last pages and put your new pictures on the first page. If you are limited to the amount of storage space you have, keep the first page or two updated often and delete all the older pictures. By the way, I have CDs full of pictures from many, many events and of just about anything in general. $50 each.
• SEARCH ENGINES: You control your own listing. Make sure people can find you the way you want them to. Send me $200 and I'll tell you how!
• YOU: Yes, you. You, as web master, are the single most important thing to your web site. If you depend on your viewers to tell you what to do and how to do it, forget it. If you're getting paid to do a web site, you better damn well sure be able to do a good job without anyone's help, and seek out the information you need on your own. If you aren't getting paid, then do what you want and tell everyone to piss off. But if you don't take care of your site and show some enthusiasm, don't wonder why your hit counter isn't climbing.
• THE BASICS: Start with a basic html document. It's guaranteed to display properly in every browser. The more people that can view your web pages, the better. Work up from there, but always keep in mind that the fancier you get, the fewer viewers you are limiting yourself to. If your web site doesn't display legibly in someone's browser, begs for the downloading of a plug in, or especially if it crashes their machine, they won't be back. Frequently check your pages in as many browsers, with as many different display properties, and on as many different machines as possible. And remember, it's never a server problem. The server doesn't care, it only passes the data through it to your viewer's browser.
• DON'T CREATE A HIDDEN PASSWORD SECTION: It gives the impression that you have something to hide, and most of your viewers will frown on it. Some web masters do it to try to generate money, or increase registered members, or to feel powerful, and some even really do have something to hide. No matter what reason they create a password protected section (or some whole web sites), it always has the opposite effect. If you have something to hide, that's what e-mail and private messages are for. Do not advertise the fact that you have something to hide by stating it publicly on your web site. Bad for business. If you have a forum, blog, calendar, or whatever, your web site's traffic will increase if you allow anonymous guest posting - guaranteed. You may have to watch your site more for trouble makers, but frequenting your own web pages is something you should be doing anyway.