In a Properly Designed and Executed Web project, generally less than 20-30% of the actual work should involve laying out pages, making graphics and writing code. The bulk of the work (70-80%) is completed and approved before the first color or graphic is chosen.

Don’t even think about colors, fonts, appearance and general cosmetics at the beginning of your project. Each "Web page" under development should be little more than an empty rectangle on a piece of paper with a spot for notes and the answers to some critical questions.

In today’s high-tech, computerized and paperless world, the bulk of your site should still be designed on paper rather than a computer. OK, maybe not literally, but I consider a Word Processing Document or Spreadsheet to be ‘virtual paper,’ and that’s where your site should be designed. Yellow pads and 3 x 5 file cards are the initial design medium of choice.

All too often someone will say, "We need a Website!" They immediately start drawing Web pages on a pad. "We need a page about us, and a page about our products and some sort of feedback form. We’ll call it thebestwidgetsintheworldcomefromacmewidgetsincorporated.com. Oh boy, oh boy, we’re gonna have a Website"

Actually, if that’s all you need, you can get it quickly, and at little cost in either time or money. Template based websites, complete with feedback forms and a surprising bunch of bells, whistles and eye-candy may be had for under Twenty dollars per month, with an initial setup cost of less than a hundred bucks. If you’re willing to take the time and make the effort to learn the ins and outs of some of these low-cost services, you can put together a pretty good-looking Website all by yourself.

• "Oh yeah...just one other thing...it should look sort of like this, and be sort of like the Acme Corp site, but we want a splash page that says ‘yadda yadda yadda’ with a big flashing CLICK HERE TO ENTER OUR SITE button. '
• And can you put a waving Flag on the home page and make the National Anthem play when it starts up? People like that because it’s patriotic, and these days – well you know?
• And we want people to be able to order Widgets online too. Oh, and we need a Members Only area and can you make it so my son can maintain it...he’s taking a Web design class in high school next year."

Here is where you may suddenly encounter a multitude of hungry weasels including the incompetent, or just inexperienced Web designer/developer. (No disrespect to anyone's son intended.)

The biggest rodent lurking in this nest, however, is that the public image and reputation of you and/or your business is at stake. Remember, "The Internet never forgets!"

If your Website is a template based, "Here’s who we are, what we do and how to get in touch with us" site, it’s better than no site at all for certain. It is, however, only an ‘online business card.’ It is a great way to end a conversation on a PR note. "I’m in a hurry right now, but drop by our website. You can find out more and contact me there. Ciao!" But you want more don’t you? next