These days, there's no shortage of "how to" guides
and articles out there that purport to explain what
one must do in order to become a successful Web
site owner.
If you want to build a successful site, however, it's
equally important that you also learn what NOT to do
on the Web.
Most experienced Webmasters are aware of a number
of major no-nos to avoid. Examples include having a
welcome page that takes forever to load. Or designing
your site to accommodate only one type of browser.
However, there's a number of lesser-known, but still common,
mistakes that many Webmasters consistently make.
These include:
1. Not paying close attention to your visitors' feedback.
Although many Webmasters don't realize it, feedback from
your visitors is one of the most important sources of
information you have, if you're serious about building
your traffic.
If a visitor has taken the time to E-mail you, you should
carefully consider anything that he or she has to say,
whether it's positive or negative.
True, if you've worked hard on your site, it can be annoying
to have a visitor write in and criticize aspects of your
site.
But rather than feeling slighted, you should make the most
of such feedback. I've found over the years that many of
the most valuable and useful features and changes on my sites
were inspired by visitors' comments and critiques.
2. A second common blunder that a lot of site owners make
is trying to build revenue before they've built a sizable,
loyal audience.
This is a bit like putting a cart before a horse. If you're
trying to build your traffic, you severely damage your prospects
by focusing too much on the revenue side of your operation
at the outset.
If your site isn't established yet, and you don't have a
loyal, growing audience, then it's important to minimize your
focus on making money. For example, you shouldn't be plastering
banner ads all over your siteor pestering your visitors to
sign up for an affiliate program.
In short, forget the revenue: at least at the outset. Instead,
focus exclusively on promoting, developing and fine-tuning
your site. The fact is, once you have built an audience,
the revenue will inevitably follow.
3. Don't just take from the Web: give something back.
I'm not a starry-eyed idealist who pines for the days before
the Web became commercialized.
But I do firmly believe that it's important for any successful
site to give something back to the cyberspace community. I'm not
talking about money here: only effort. This can range from offering
a useful service on your site to lending a hand to a newbie who is
just starting up his site.
If you earn a reputation as someone who's not just a money-grubber
who's out to make a quick buck on the Web, it'll pay you back in
spades for years to come. For one thing, you'll be able to build
lasting, trusting, mutually-beneficial relationships with fellow
Webmasters (and I regard the latter as the single most important
asset that I've built up in my six years on the Web).
4. Don't be a bandwagon jumper.
I've constantly been amazed over the years at how many Webmasters
will embrace the latest fad, whether or not it makes sense for their
sites.
An example is the current fad of placing a Flash animation on one's
welcome page. While I've seen a number of eye-catching and interesting
Flash animations, I have seen very few sites where such content made
any sense.
Too many Webmasters blindly embrace the latest gimmick on the Web, simply
because they've seen it on many other sites. But the fact is, unless
your site specifically focuses on Flash, it doesn't make much sense
to force your visitors to sit through a Flash intro every time they
visit your site.
For all the high-tech, multimedia potential that cutting-edge
Web technology promises for the future, the vast majority of people
on the Web still want one thing: information. And they want it as quickly
and hassle-free as possible.
And the fact is, you don't need Java applets or Flash animations or
multimedia plug-ins to present information (or, for that matter, to
build a successful site).
In summing up, building one's site is an ongoing learning process
for any Webmaster. And just as it is important to learn what to do to
ensure your success, it's equally vital to learn from your mistakes
and to be aware of what NOT to do, if you're going to succeed.
About the Author
Marc McDonald is a former journalist and editor with the Fort
Worth Star-Telegram and the creator of FreebieDirectory.com
as well as several other popular Web sites that have received
extensive media exposure from CNN's "Headline News," the BBC,
Fox News, ZDTV, CBS Radio, the Washington Post, and many more.
Visit the FreebieDirectory at: http://www.freebiedirectory.com
and AAAScreenSavers at: http://www.aaascreensavers.com.