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How about your font? Do you use any old font or have you a favourite that you always use. Have you considered, however, the pros and cons of each? You have two basic types of font: serif and sans serif. Serif is the name given to these little tails that you see at the bottom of some letters, most commonly seen in newspapers, with such fonts such as Times New Roman and Georgia. Sans serif is simply the French for ‘without serif’ and such fonts are those without the tails, such as Ariel and Verdana. Serif fonts are not the best for online writing, except perhaps Georgia, that was designed specifically for online use.

Sans serif fonts are easier to read online and Ariel is popular, but tends to look a bit boring and can be very difficult to read when small. The characters tend to get too near to one another and are not spaced properly. Verdana was designed for online ease of reading and looks crisp and stylish. Definitely the best font for a website. If you must have serif, then use Georgia.

The html you put in your Font html tags should look like this:

<font face: Verdana, Arial, Sans>. The computer will first try to load the Verdana font, and if this is not provided it will load Arial. The font you use can make a big difference, and if the visitor finds it difficult to read will leave your site.

While on fonts, you must have a good contrast between the type and the background. I get exasperated when I come across a site that I know can provide me with useful information but is in a dark type on a dark background, and virtually unreadable to me. I also sometimes find yellow on white that can’t be read unless by the color blind. Perhaps the designer was color blind - it is, after all, a very common condition.

That’s another reason for having somebody check out your website for you. Which takes us back to the beginning, and what I should have started with. You site should look uncluttered, just like a tidy offline shop, and the various items on offer should be orderly arranged with some form of plan, and not just placed anywhere in a haphazard fashion.

If you understand that website design is important to your online business, and you don’t overlook the obvious faults, then your visitors should have a pleasant experience and will likely return, especially if you succeed in getting their address!