The field of Web-site design has exploded over the last two years. There are so many new designers around that cataloging them is nearly as difficult as cataloging the resultant Web sites. Companies are generally at a complete loss to know who in the ever-expanding ranks of the designing field is, and isn't, worth their time and money. With Web development, the technology and marketing intricacies are both too new for managers to have a clear set of criteria for choosing one site developer over another. I've spoken to several company decision-makers who simply throw up their hands and choose the first designer who makes a pitch.
Nepotism is rampant.
Companies seem to rush headlong toward the abyss, refusing to acknowledge the damage a bad site can do to their corporate reputations. The Big Ten For fledgling Web developers and decision-makers alike, I offer the following list of rules of site design. Admittedly, these rules are my opinions and based on my experience, but I think you'll find plenty of others who agree with them. Use actual HTML content if you want your pages indexed by search engines. In fact, one of the major search engines, Excite, ignores all but basic text.