What are YOUR top 5 tips for website design?

Hi all

I'm writing a free several-pages-long report to offer to our website visitors. I handle the advertising for our website (see below). We have a link to a "how to advertise" page on our website and last month over 200 folks went there.

Who were they? No idea. So, I'm compiling a report, with a list of "x simple tips to improve the effectiveness of your web-based advertising", which will (I hope) be of value to someone who clicks on that link - ie, someone with at least SOME interest in advertising on the web (that's why they clicked, right?) It will cover tips from both ends of the process - designing an advert as well as "what are you doing with your visitors when they click through to your site?"

They'll get that by autoresponder when they request it. There'll be no selling at the time, just a truly valuable report, which will stand up on its own feet. Then, after a while, I'll be able to drop them a very soft - "did you enjoy the report, did you find it useful?" kind of email.

There are a number of sites which employ this soft approach, which makes a lot of sense to me. No spamming, no bugging them. Just a valuable report followed up with a "did you find it useful" email.

SO, if you were asked the five best simple pieces of advice to make someone's website and web advertising work better, what would they be?

Thanks all

Philip


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