A WEBSITE lets you swim with the sharks. Nobody knows from looking at your website just how big --- or not--- your company is.

A website can bring you work from all over the world.

A website showcases your work for prospects - without you ever leaving your home/office.

I have more work than I can handle right now, you say. What would a Website do for me? Lucky you! However, you may still benefit form developing a Website:

You can use your site to show customers their proofs.

You can use your site to exchange files with your customers.

You can place a FAQ (frequently asked questions) on your site so that you don't have to answer the same questions over and over.

So now you want a Website. What should go on it?

Contact Information. On every page, because you never know how someone will enter your site.

Mission Statement or USP (Unique Selling Point). You have to tell them why they should buy from you, not the ten million other businesses on the Web.

Your Services. Don't leave them guessing, tell them what you can do.

Your Portfolio. Whether it's print or Web work, show them what you can do.

Pricing. This is up to you. Often, pricing depends on what the project involves or what the clients need.

FAQ. What does your pricing include? How will your products be delivered? When is payment expected? What experience does your company have? How long will it take? Posting your answers on your website may save you some time.

Newsletter. This is optional, but it's a good marketing tool. And it's much cheaper to put it on a website than to get it printed.

News. Whether it's that new project you just finished or what's new at your site, give them a reason to keep coming back.

Links. Why should you link to other sites? Because the more sites you're linked to or linked to you, the better your ranking on search engines may be.

Site map. When Web pages start to grow, it's easy to get lost. Help people find the information they need.

Your resume. If you're a sole proprietor, let them know your experience and education. If there's several people at your shop, then tell them about the staff.

10 Tips To A Great Web page Know your audience, and keep them in mind when you write. If your Web pages are frequented by people with slower modems then designing a page that looks best over a T1 is not a successful strategy. Keep your pages short. If you minimize the scrolling, chances are, your readers will get your message. A good screen size is 640 pixels wide by 480 tall. Use tables of contents. According to Jakob Nielsen only 10 percent of users will scroll beyond the first screen of text. If that first screen has a table of contents viewers will click on the links to the explanatory text. Keep images small. Large images annoy people. If it takes too long to download, many people will never see it, as they will have browsed somewhere else. Use Web colors. The browser-safe color palette will ensure that most people will see your page and images in the color you intended. Avoid lots of text. People don't read the Web, they skim it. Check your spelling. Use a spell checker, either in your editor or on-line. Keep links current. Check your links often to make sure they are still valid. Using a link checker speeds up pages with many links. Annotate your links. If a page is good enough to link to, then it's good enough to explain why you like it. Put contact information on your pages. The Web is interactive and dynamic, and you should welcome comments on your pages. Also, if there is a broken link or other problem, your readers can let you know, easily.