The Basic Elements of a Website

Over and over again I see these 5 page website offers and packages. The question is, is that enough? What elements do you actually need for a website?

The truth is, there is no right or wrong. Every website is its own entity and every website can make money or have traffic.

There is no formula for success or how to build a page. This is very contray to what all the SEO "EXPERTS" have to say.

But the fact is, that if your page is absolutely unique, it will almost 100% be guaranteed to be listed by all the search engines. If you follow a formula or build for the searches, you will lose that identity and have less chance of succes.

There are of course certain elements that make a website more user friendly. But every website has its own reasons for its design and layout.

It is normally the standard to have a navigation menu throughout the website. That allows any visitor that found an internal page in a search engine to get to all the features on the website. But in some cases, the site builder may not want the user to navigate the website.

For example, some people will use a page to collect e-mail addresses from the visitors. An offer for entering the information may be the way to get to a pot of gold or at least the instructions on how to spin straw into gold. In this case, allowing the user to leave the page would mean you did not get what you wanted.

The same is true of many affiliate based sites. Since the site is not directly selling a product, then the goal is to get the visitor to click over to the merchats website. Giving the visitor several options will decrease productivity of the page.

On the other hand, if you want the user to stay on the website to generate ad revenue, you want to have enticing options for the visitor to click.

Every website will require its own elements. Every website will be unique and that is what makes the internet so interesting. If every website was the same, very few websites would actually have viewers.

When you build your website, don't let anyone tell you how to do it. The fact that it is different, will make it better no matter what anyone tells you.

You will want to follow some basic rules.

1. Have at least 250 words on every page more if possible.

2. Build lots of pages!

3. Keep the total page size under 100kb including all the images on the page. This makes the page load time accessible to everyone.

4. Make the site interesting. If you only have contact information and prices, the site will never get repete visitors.

If you do landscaping, have lots of pictures and examples. People will spend time on your website getting ideas and enjoying your work. Although it may not directly generate business, it is the only way you can maintain traffic.

Don't forget the search engies are text based, so having 500 photos is like having 500 blank pages. Make sure you have wordy descriptions for each photo. This will insure your place in google, yahoo and msn.

5. Have fun! That is the most important rule. If you like what you are doing, it will show in your work. People like humor and honesty. If you build a page, make it fun and friendly. Of course there are exceptions to every rule as always. Sites that deal in leagal matters will lack humor. But for the most part, it's ok to have a joke or two as long as they are not offensive.

The rest is up to you. I am sure you were looking for a detailed outline of what a page should have. But, there isn't one. If you follow someone elses plan, your site will not be able to compete. If you just wing it, then you will likely have a winner.