| Webmasters deal with a myriad of complex | | | | site. |
| design challenges every day. This article | | | | |
| will discuss the top ten challenges and | | | | 5. Driving Traffic |
| provide solutions and tips for solving each | | | | |
| problem. | | | | Webmasters shouldn't forget to announce your |
| | | | Web site. Accomplishing this is easy for Web |
| 1. Browser Compatibility You must design your | | | | sites that already have a lot of traffic, but |
| Web site so that it is viewable on both | | | | even sites that are starting out with 5 or 10 |
| browsers: Netscape Navigator and Microsoft | | | | members can benefit from the viral marketing |
| Internet Explorer (IE). Netscape Navigator is | | | | of online recommendation software. Services |
| very strict when it comes to HTML tag | | | | include and |
| completion, but IE isn't. You need to view | | | | |
| your site first using Macromedia Dreamweaver | | | | 6. Dealing with Spammers Unfortunately, the |
| before publishing to the Web. Make sure | | | | reality of the Internet is that people will |
| you've run the command convert to ensure your | | | | spam and flame on a daily basis. Web-based |
| site is version 3.0 browser compatible. If | | | | email addresses like the ones set up by are |
| you're using Netobjects Fusion to create the | | | | spam-proof. You can set up your account so |
| layout of your site, make sure that all layer | | | | that any emails sent without your address in |
| objects are converted into tables. This is | | | | the "to" box can be directed automatically to |
| highly recommended if you want to reach a | | | | the trash or spam folder. However, flames and |
| broader and wider audience. | | | | hate emails are a different field. You |
| | | | shouldn't try to get even or retaliate. These |
| Online resources: | | | | people are not a joke. It might cost you your |
| | | | ISP or your e-life. Instead, check out It |
| A) Dr. HTML, located at www2.imagiware.com | | | | does the nitty-gritty work of automatically |
| RxHTML/ | | | | reporting misbehaving people to their |
| | | | postmasters. Usually, it's helpful to get the |
| B) Web Site Garage to check your links, | | | | ISP, or at least the IP address of the |
| located at 2. Graphics Optimization | | | | suspected person. |
| | | | |
| Web graphics play an essential part in your | | | | 7. Stickiness! |
| Web design, because it conveys the emotion | | | | |
| and impact of your site. Always make sure | | | | Webmasters are also faced with the challenge |
| that all of your graphics are in .gif and | | | | of keeping their site sticky. is a good |
| .jpg format. Unless your site deals with | | | | example of a sticky site. This stock |
| photography, minimize the use of the .jpg | | | | investment related site contains timely news |
| format. You can use Macromedia Fireworks to | | | | and excellent company data. The vast amount |
| minimize the file size, especially the slicer | | | | of information results in a good number of |
| feature if you need to place a large photo on | | | | page views per visitor. Plus, visitors return |
| your site. Another option is the export | | | | on a daily basis to get the |
| preview of Macromedia Fireworks. This allows | | | | latest-and-greatest market news and stock |
| you to remove unwanted colors in your | | | | data. Lots of page views per visitor AND |
| graphics, thus decreasing file size. | | | | repeat visits. now that's what you could call |
| | | | really sticky. |
| You can also do this online by using one of | | | | |
| these online utilities: | | | | Here are some additional suggestions: |
| | | | |
| A) GIF Optimizer by Media Builder, | | | | A) Make your site a portal of information. It |
| | | | encourages your visitors to return and stay. |
| B) JPEG Cruncher and GIF Cruncher, | | | | is one example of a one-page portal. |
| | | | |
| C) Windows-based graphics optimizer, | | | | B) Add games to your site. You can get some |
| CyberView Image Lite (JPEG Compressor), | | | | here: or at |
| | | | |
| D) Advanced GIF Optimizer, | | | | C) Make your site interactive with a guest |
| | | | book, forum, tell-a-friend link, webring, |
| E) Photo Crunch (JPEG Compressor), | | | | customizable news, contests, polls, e-card, |
| | | | and free for all links. allows you to sign up |
| F) JPEG image compression FAQ, | | | | for an account and place the code on your |
| | | | site. |
| 3. Keeping the Site Fresh | | | | |
| | | | D) Provide links to freebies, |
| I think this is the bulk of a webmaster's | | | | get-paid-to-surf sites, contests, incentives, |
| work, if you want your site frequently | | | | jokes, quotes, mp3, and gnutella. Just don't |
| visited. You can keep your site fresh by | | | | forget to opt in for at least their email |
| really working on new content on a daily or | | | | address before they can actually download |
| regular basis and by making it interactive. | | | | stuff from your site. |
| As with content, you can make use of and | | | | |
| other content syndication sites to provide | | | | 8. Find Your Web Host |
| the content for your site automatically. Let | | | | |
| them do the hard work for you! If you place a | | | | It's critical to find the right Web host. |
| tag, they will email you with new content. As | | | | Although you may need to get your own server |
| for the interactivity, offer your visitors | | | | when your site gets one million page views |
| web-based email accounts, a message board | | | | per month, most sites that are starting out |
| with a chat room, a search engine crawler, | | | | do not require the complex and expensive task |
| and banner ad rotation. This is easy, and | | | | of managing your own servers. There are many |
| provided by Everyone.net. Searching your site | | | | Web hosting providers that are willing to |
| is another way to easily provide information | | | | provide starting at 40gb of Web space. You |
| to your visitors. You can get a site search | | | | can also look and compare different Web |
| engine from and | | | | hosting providers on these sites: and I |
| | | | always recommend the advanced search, which |
| 4. Pushing Information to Your Visitors | | | | allows you to specify your budget and the |
| | | | specific features you will need. |
| A Web site is a "pull" promotion, but as a | | | | |
| webmaster, you also need to be thinking about | | | | 9. Think Globally |
| how you can "push" information to your | | | | |
| visitors, users, or subscribers. You can | | | | Keep the site international in its appeal. |
| publish an ezine on a weekly or monthly basis | | | | allows you to place snippets of code into |
| just to let your users be informed about the | | | | your site that will automatically translate |
| latest technology you've added to your site. | | | | your English site to a different language, |
| As for the mailing list, you can get a free | | | | such as Spanish, Italian, German, or Polish. |
| mailing list from or you can choose a paid | | | | As webmasters, we must remember that we |
| service such as or As for the content, you | | | | cannot filter countries on our site. We must |
| can get lots of articles from | | | | be able to communicate with them. |
| bbs.weblord2000.com, or try one or more of my | | | | |
| articles that can be found on the same Web | | | | 10. |