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For many businesses today, the difference between having a good web site and a bad one can also mean the difference between making a sale or losing one. Some may think that having some kind of presence on the Internet is better than no presence at all; this is rarely true if the web site is poorly constructed. Knowing how to create a good web site is an important skill for anyone wishing to promote a business or organisation.

The best way to understand what will make your web site a good one, is to spend a while looking at other people's sites. Do this with a pen a paper handy so that you can jot down ideas, but also to make notes on why you like or dislike certain features that you see. If you have a particular business that you want to promote, look at other businesses offering similar goods or services. Then look at a completely different business area and see if those companies are using different styles or techniques. Again, make notes about the things you like or dislike, or that you find easy or difficult to navigate.

A good web site will have a home page that is clear and concise, with a short description about the main topic, business or individual. The text size should be easy to read, and in colours that stand out from the background. Keep in mind that even if you have access to the latest software and high speed broadband connection, your target audience may not. A bad web site will have huge animated picture files that take 10 minutes to load properly, masses of tiny red text on a black background, and no clear way of navigating to any other pages on the site.

The golden rule with web site building is that information should be accessed within 3 clicks from the home page. Studies have shown that users are unlikely to follow a trail of links to find the information they require; they will simply return to their main search and move on to the next web site. A good web site has a clearly displayed menu on the home page that allows the user to see how the information they need is held on the site. Using single tabs or buttons on the menu that jump to other sections of the web site is good. Using an expanding menu for larger web sites is even better. Trying to second-guess the user and embed links to other parts of the web site in the main text on the home page is not as effective.

Good web sites have contact details for the business or organisation that are very easy to find. Many people assume that just because all the information is available

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