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Home Office Computing, April, 2000 by Marshall F. Lager, Kris Chronister

From hideous to home page: We show how to avoid nine common blunders of Web page design

THE ENTREPRENEUR IN YOU KNOWS THAT A COMPELLING WEB PRESENCE CAN make all the difference between success and failure for your home-based business. The financier in you warns that professional Web design can cost a small fortune. You can save a buck by designing the site yourself, but are you ready to put on your HTML hard hat and code your own home page?

Maybe so, but you'll need more than a Web-editing software package. You'll need to design a site that looks different from the cookie-cutter home pages many Internet service providers offer, yet avoids the mistakes eager beginners often make.

We've created an all-too-typical homegrown business page that shows a number of potential pitfalls. Look (if you can stand it) at our sample page, and learn from our sins as we redesign the page to present a better, more businesslike image.

Proofreader Wanted

You wouldn't print business cards without spell-checking them, and your Web site should be no different. Good grammar is essential if you want respect. Equally important, reassure visitors by placing your contact info and privacy policy right up front.

Fewer Fonts, Please

Consistent use of fonts expresses order on your site and, presumably, in your business. Overuse of different typefaces and colors can be distracting, and serves no purpose. Some fonts don't display well on a Web page at all--use them at your own peril.

Counters

These are usually bush-league add-ons. Consider using one if your site gets tons of traffic and you feel it's important for your business to advertise that fact; otherwise, you'll be calling attention to the fact that nobody visits.

Small and Simple

Yep, your page header definitely catches your visitors' attention. Unfortunately, your visitors all think you're on acid. Your banner tells the world who you are, and a tacky image is always a detriment. Also, big images like this mean long load times.

Be Professional

Leave out personal information, favorite Links, family photos, your kids' drawings, and the Like. Nobody wants to see them. Trust us.

Scroll Bars

There's no reason for your main page to be wider than one screen. If you end up with a horizontal scroll bar, redesign your page until it's gone. And keep in mind, many people have 15-inch screens, so you should design your site to fit within the borders of most surfers' monitors. Similarly, keep pages short in the vertical dimension as well. It's better to have several small pages than one long one.

Don't Waste Space

Using multiple columns allows you to structure your presentation so viewers can quickly find the information they want. Single columns force people to read the entire site from top to bottom, wasting their time.

Photos

If you must have photographic images on your main page, use appropriate ones. A shot of the CEO or company headquarters building isn't appropriate; a picture of your newest or most popular product is. Photos take a long time to load, so save them for important content that visitors have the option not to access.

Leave the Background in the Background

There's no reason for a textured background--it takes time to Load and it makes your text harder to read. Plain white can be hard on the eyes, so consider a single color or a very simple pattern with no solid lines. Ideally, there should be nothing to distract visitors from the content.