Keep the page short but be sure that the subject of your website is clearly evident. Also, provide at least 300 words of text for the search engines to digest.

Don't make the images on your index page any larger than necessary. Use graphic software to optimize images to a reasonable size.
Don't include background music, it creates a distraction. Most visitors will have the audio turned off anyway.
Don't include videos on your index page. They can be presented much better deeper in your website.
Define the width and height of all image tags. Most browsers will load an image much faster if the image dimensions are given.
If you need to use a large graphic, cut it into smaller parts and put them into a table.
Use nested tables to separate text from graphics. Use the same images for several of your pages. Once these images are downloaded they remain in the browsers cache and appear instantly.

Ten Steps to a Winning Home Page

Resize images

Most images can be resized, in a website graphics program, to a smaller file size without loss of quality or impact. Make your images only as large as they absolutely need to be to be for visual clarity.

If you really want to include music and/or videos on your website, place them on interior pages deeper in your website. Do not put them on the index page (homepage).

Give Your Graphics A Professional Look without the Price

Navigation

When creating your individual web pages, be sure to include a Back and Next link (when appropriate) plus a Home link on each page. Don't make your visitors return to an index page to move around your website.

Website Navigation

Make sure that your navigation images/text are prominently located when you implement your website so that users won't have to search the page looking for them. Your navigation links should all be in the same general location on every page.

Tips for Improving Website Navigation

If you use buttons, an image map, or other graphic navigation methods, include duplicate text links somewhere on the page for those with text-based browsers.

A large website structure should contain a site index with website sections, subsections and topics listed.

Website Navigation and Theme

Website Traffic and Maintenance
Zeroing in on Your Target Audience	A few simple principles, when properly applied, can make all the difference in the world in how your website is perceived by your visitors. Zeroing in on Your Target Audience is the subject of this page.
Website Traffic Analysis for Beginners	Who is visiting your website and what do they do when they get there? Understanding your website's log files can help clear up the mystery.
15 Fixes For A Failing Website	If your website's not performing, here's what you can do to improve search engine rankings, engage visitors and convert more sales.
8 Easy Ways to Optimize Your Website	8 simple steps that you can take to optimize your web pages. By following these, you will improve your chances of increasing your rankings.
Why You're Losing Traffic and How to Make Them Stay	Have you ever wondered why you seem to have a large percentage of your visitors leaving your site so quickly? There are 7 common reasons why browsers leave websites. Are you making any of these web mistakes?
7 Steps for Creating Jump Pages that Drive Sales	Your jump page is an essential tool for generating online revenue. These tips will help you improve your jump page click-through rate and conversions.
Effective Communication for Webmasters	The primary purpose of any website is communicating ideas and emotions that lead the visitor toward a specific goal or action. Your website will be appraised, by your visitor, on its ability to present your ideas concisely, clearly and effectively.
The Search Engine Optimization Process

Website Designing Advanced
10 Tips To Design The Most Creative Website	The craze of World Wide Web is continuously increasing currently. At present, the benefit of the website is realized by business.
All About Design Principles and Elements	A truly shocking number of web designers are unfamiliar with the basic principles and elements of design. Having never been through any formal design education, many just go with what they think 'looks good', with very mixed results.
An Issue of Width - The Resolution Problem	There is a problem that has plagued the web ever since graphical designs for web pages started to become common, and yet it's a problem that's never been solved. You see, different sized monitors can handle different widths of page, and yet HTML doesn't really let you take width into consideration when you're designing.
Critical Web Design Rules	Content is King! If you want a website to generate back-links and have quality content the search engines love, be sure to make it readable by both people and search engines. Search engines are working to give people quality results. Thus, they are looking for sites with quality content.
An Easy Way to Choose Attractive Color Combinations	Lots of people struggle to come up with attractive color combinations when designing logos, banners or web sites. So, here's an easy technique that only takes a few minutes.
Designing your Homepage	Believe me, you want your visitors to stay as long as possible. This is the only way your site is going to succeed. Your site must be interesting, persuading, and easy to navigate.
Designing Your Website - The Top Ten Pages to Include	There are 10 important items that need to be integrated into any website you design.

Check out the webmasters article archive.

Rocketface® Workshop

Analyze

Organize

Develop

Implement

Maintain

Site Map

Index

How to Implement a Website

Index: Website Implementation

Designing a Website Homepage/Index Page

Resize images

Navigation

Website Traffic and Maintenance

Website Designing Advanced