Outline

A good site divides the information into bite-sized pieces instead of putting everything on one long page. Then, a navigation system allows the visitor to zero in on exactly what he wants without wading through everything you have to say.

The primary navigation on most of my sites consists of a "sidebar" on the left side of the page, just as on this page. (Yes, there are reasons for putting it on the left, but it could be put at the top if you prefer.) When designing your site, one of the first things I want to know is what you want over there. Check out a few of my other sites to get some ideas.

Some of the larger sites are outlined to another level with main points being subdivided into sub-points. Some examples of this can be found at stanslaughter.com and kansasacoustic.com.

Once the main outline has been developed, we can build some cross-links to help the visitor who "took a wrong turn" on the way to the information he seeks.

When starting, it's best to plan for expansion. If there's something you'll want to add to the site later, it's easier to plan for it now and then hide it until you're ready to make it "live".