Use links sparingly, if at all. Links can draw people away from your site. If you include links to other sites, program your site to open them in a new browser window. That way, your web site will stay on the screen. Be sure the design contract establishes ownership of the files that make up your web site.
Designers often retain ownership of their work, as do programmers.
That could complicate future changes in the web site. Visit other web sites to find design ideas. Once you settle on a design, lay it out on a wall. Use string for links. The Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers sometimes use different standards.