Tutorials

So, you want to have an award winning website? How do I get there from here? There is no manual to read, that I am aware of, that will tell you how to do it. Like building a house you must have a good foundation. Correct coding without broken links would be a good start. HTML or XHTML is the latest and greatest. Not a coding Einstein? There are lots of folks that will help.

The theme of your website is up to you. But, keep these thoughts in mind. Will your site be of general interest to a wide audience? Pictures of you and Spot are nice but it will not win awards (unless, of course, you and Spot are really cute!). Seriously, pick a topic that will be of interest to a wide range of guests drawing folks in for a visit. Take a look at some of the top sites on the award rating services. You will find the best the web has to offer.

All award programs expect to see the basics. Have an interesting home page - brief but with enough content to grab the curiosity of your visitor. (You only have one chance to make a first impression!) You will need more than a single form of navigation. A site map that can be accessed on every page is a necessity. A navigation bar with links to all your pages will allow a visitor to maneuver your site with ease. Everything should flow smoothly. Navigation buttons should be used throughout the site, including at the bottom of each page indicating whether to go back, forward or next. Your visitor should never require the use of the back button. Ever mindful of long pages, place top of page buttons for every three scrolls. Using graphics gives the reader a break. But, do so sparingly with each graphic complementing your theme. Animations, Flash presentations and even music are nice features. These features should make a meaningful contribution to your site without being an unnecessary distraction. You must maintain the interest and attention of your visitor, to insure return visits.

Page updates or an area showing recent additions lets your visitors know that your site is updated regularly and encourages a return visit. Put yourself in the place of a first time visitor. What does “This site is updated frequently”, mean to the visitor? Often I complete a page and then return to the page days later with a totally new and different perspective. Starting over can be a good thing! Put much thought and effort into the story you are writing or the image you want to portray. Don’t hesitate to ask the opinion of others!

Take heed of the legal matters with well-written statements about Copyright, Privacy, and Disclaimers. Please, don’t forget about the Children’s On Line Protection Act. (COPPA) Be sure and give credit where credit is due. Contrary to popular belief, everything on the Internet is NOT “public domain”. If you use material not belonging to you give credit to the rightful owner of the material. If it is copyrighted obtain written permission or don’t use the item. Obey others permissions of use. If a site offering free graphics stipulates a link back, then provide the link back as well as an acknowledgment of who provided the material. Just a simple “Thanks to ABC Graphics” is fine. Show permissions on the page where the material resides. This is a good idea on copyrighted as well as non-copyrighted material.

Content is the very heart of your site. You want to keep the attention of your visitor by telling an interesting story. The tribute of every great writer is a balance between the story you seek to tell, the amount of material it takes to accomplish this goal and then the art of weaving all of this together in an interesting and unique manner. This is what will set your site apart from the rest. You will want your visitors to feel safe with your content by adding an ICRA tag, Safe Surf or other family friendly designation. Your site should welcome those with disabilities by making your site Bobby compliant, adding text versions, grey scale or adding other helpful means of access.

Create a positive interaction with your visitors. A guest book allows you to receive feedback on what your visitors are thinking. Free items, helpful links, and informative steps in performing certain tasks will add value to your site. If you are brave enough you might want to consider adding an awards program. Although this is a tremendous amount of work, it can be fun and fulfilling when done correctly.

Incorrect spelling and bad grammar will stand out like a sore thumb to your visitor. Colors that clash, flashing signs, pop ups or irregular text are all signs of a poorly designed site. Horizontal scrolls, password protections, “Under construction”, “Vote for me” and forced downloads are all negatives to a visitor. Themes that wander, collections of totally non-related topics or graphics not relating to your site are additional turn offs to your visitor.

I hope that in some small way this has been helpful. The best advice I can offer is to take your time and visit many other sites before you begin and as you build your site. Decipher what makes a particular site more beautiful, more informative or entertaining than other sites.