Getting a Business web site up on the Net doesn't have to be a difficult thing. In fact, just about any wordprocessor on the market today can build web pages for you. There's also a massive amount of Web Page design programs on the market, including Front Page 98, Adobe Pagemill, and more. But you have to treat your web site as if it was any other document you create, or have created, to promote your business. Making your site second rate means your customers think your business just might be second rate. If you have good design skills, by all means, take on the process of building your own site, maybe taking a few courses in HTML, or by buying a book or two on the subject, and then buying a good quality Page Designer. If you don't have the design skills, or normally get your advertisements, brochures, business cards and the like done by an outside professional, your web site should be no different. Most small (5-15 page) web sites generally cost around $800 to $2,000 when done by a Web Developer professional. Add income-generating components such as a virtual storefront, or interactive feedback, cutting edge technology such as Real Audio, Real Video, Shockwaved pages and the like, and the price goes up, but is still very reasonable. Below, we've written just a few tips and tricks to use when building your web pages, and also how to promote them properly. Building your site When building your pages on your own, keep in mind that still many people surf the web using a 640 x 480 pixel resolution, and only a 256 color depth. Design your pages accordingly. Most professionals take this into account when designing your site. If they don't, they aren't the people you want to hire. Keep your page download times to a minimum. 45KB or less is the maximum acceptable for a front page, and most interior pages should be less than 40kb. Again, professionals know how to tweak images to their smallest possible byte sizes. A good rule of thumb to remember is, use the jpeg (.jpg) format for photos, and the .gif format for graphics and text effects. Build a good navigation system into all your pages, and make it consistent. Nothing frustrates a visitor more than going to a page that doesn't allow them to hop on to the next page, or back. A simple navigation system is displayed on this page, at the bottom. Keep your images and page lengths to a minimum. For a front page, try to keep the page within a 640 x 480 pixel size if possible. For sub pages, try to keep the content to 2 full screens at most - use a continue hyperlink to encourage the visitor to click on to the next page. Remember, the web is interactive, and one of it's strongest points - people love clicking things. ...Continue on page 2