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Old 05-15-2007, 06:38 AM   #10 (permalink)
Inquisitive Raven
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Join Date: Jan 2007
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As has been noted, if your layout doesn't allow people to get to the content, then it doesn't matter how good the content is.

That site has a lot of layout problems. Since I suspect that you don't have a lot of funds available to hire a professional web designer or web design product, I suggest that you try finding a copy of Web Pages That Suck and Son of Web Pages that Suck by Vincent Flanders. They're both out of print, but used copies are available through Amazon. You should also check out Flanders' web site called, you guessed it, Web Pages That Suck: learn usability and good Web design by looking at bad Web design. Another book that a web designer friend of mine likes is called Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (2nd Edition) by Steve Krug. This one is still in print and available from Amazon.

A quick search on "web site design" on Amazon turns up several books on the subject including the inevitable "For Dummies" books. Some of them could be useful for a beginner; others require some technical knowledge.

As far as the content itself goes, I strongly recommend that you figure out who your target audience is first, and write to appeal to them. For a professional site, it needs to be grammatically correct with good spelling. A personal blog can be more relaxed. May I suggest a grammar book, and Strunk & White's The Elements of Style? These are not medium specific, but Amazon lists a number of books that are specific to the Web. Check the customer reviews.

I hope this helps.

Inquisitive Raven
Raven's Roost
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