Without both of these your website will not be fulfilling its optimal purpose, which is to attract visitors and keep them entertained. Bear in mind, that while people are browsing your website their hand is on their mouse and the moment that any degree of boredom sets in, with one click they are gone.
Take Your Time on Your Logo
Of course, your front page logo will be important. This is what people will first see when they visit your site and first impressions do count. Always consider a number of logo options and don't be afraid to ask friends and colleagues for their input. Narrow it down to a few and then make a thoughtful decision as to which one is the best.
Avoid Large Chunks of Complex Text
Always make your text readable to skimmers if at all possible. This means that it doesn't hurt to break your text up into information chunks or small paragraphs. Website browser are notorious skimmers and can be easily turned off by the sight of large mass of complex printed text.
Size Does Matter for Older Readers
Another thing to consider is the size of your text. You may be a young spry 20 something individual but if your targeted market is the 40-50 something crowd, they might need larger text to read your content comfortably. Also, consider headlining key points in your text with large captioning as well.
Confused Visitors Won't Stick Around
Definitely make your website easy to manouver through. Sometimes it is better to leave something out for the sake of simplicity. If someone encounters any confusion or difficulty navigating through your website, they aren't going to stick around to figure it out because they are most likely to hit their mouse and leave.
Nice Clear Uncluttered Photographs
Only use good clear photographs in your website. You may have some photos that you like but they may be too complex. Just as with your text, make your photographs easy to ?take in? and devoid of as much background clutter as possible.
Go Easy on the Personal Information Questions
If at all possible, try not to hit people up immediately for personal information right off the bat. There is nothing worse than a website that asks you for your name address and and email address when all that you want to do is have a nice visit to check things out.
Offer a Freebie in Exchange for Personal Information
Consider offering something free in exchange for personal information. For instance, write a nice e-book on something that pertains to the subject of your website and then throw that in in exchange for visitors personal information.
See What is Already Working
Lastly, don't try to reinvent the wheel. Take some time to look at other peoples websites and don't be afraid to mimic what you like. Setting out to be the great new artistic designer can be a hit and miss affair that can leave you wasting a bunch of time.
