The only thing more annoying than a company not having a website is a website that is virtually useless. We have all seen them, websites that are created in extremely bad taste whether it is the colors, navigation, or copy. Some simple tips when putting thought into what you want for a website:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">To Flash or Not to Flash?</span><br />One thing about using flash for a website, think about using it as an element or enhancement instead of a fancy light show. Sometimes you can only take so many opening animations to a site, and God-forbid they don’t have a “skip intro” button. Who decided that websites need an intro anyway, I mean, I got there, I want something you have, now let me at it! Another thing about movement, the sites with the drop-down lists that move as you mouse over, can be a death threat to a site. If I can’t get the menu to stay still as I try to access something that is 4 levels deep on the menu, I only take a few tries before getting frustrated. At that point it is only how bad I want what they have that keeps me there, I didn’t just pay a carnival game booth to take a few shots, I want to hit my target.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Break out the Decoder Ring</span><br />I think that site navigation is one of the most important things to a website. It is your own personal “you are here” map that tells you that you are going in the right direction. Some sites have guessing-game navigation, meaning that they use unfamiliar words that mean something to the company, but not to the general public. This is great for tactic for keeping to your brand while confusing your customers (bad idea). As for me if I navigate to a site, and I don’t find what I want in the first 3 minutes or less, you may have just lost a customer. Lesson learned: meet people at their level and make your navigation a “no guesses” map to your site.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">If I wanted to read a book, I would read a book</span><br />Another thing to remember is concerning the content of your site. While most people go to a site to get information about the company and their products, some people visit in search of something very specific. This is where navigation comes in, but also where copy plays a big role. If you can keep copy short and sweet, perhaps bulleting the main information that would be ideal for most everyone. I understand that for some companies, there is no way to get around the amount of copy, but most sites can keep it short and still educate the public on their products and services.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Don’t Get Caught</span><br />A website that is a bad idea to be seen on is websitesthatsuck.com. This is a site that is dedicated to finding and pointing out random websites that have shortcomings. This is a great resource for what not to do with your website. Each critique is spelled out, and states why the sample site has landed on the ‘websites that suck’ site. <br /><br />The internet is basically free game. There are so many inexpensive and downright simple ways to get “published” on the internet. Make sure your site stands out and looks professional, not templated or gimmicky. Brand Iron can help you get a stand-out site that speaks volumes for you and about you, and has the potential to reach millions. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">written by Natasha Martinez</span>