It is straightforward to build a web site and even simpler to make mistakes. Keep away from these 5 pitfalls at all costs and your site is already plenty closer to succeeding.

3 – Design for paper
Not having a dig at graphic designers (as some work very well on websites), but there are also lots that do not get their head around the fact that a piece of paper is totally different to a website. Numerous times I have been handed layouts that work on a widescreen, but would involve horizontal and vertical scrolling on a regular sized screen. Or the layout calls for a variable screen width, but all of the components are fixed width.

You have to allow for the fact that there are a myriad of browsers, operating systems and screens in use and they will all present your site in a different way.

4 – Just test your web site in one browser
Different browsers will display your site in different ways. The formatting between, as for instance, Internet Explorer and Firefox can be slightly different when using certain techniques. A web site that works in one browser does not always look its best in another. It is a difficult and frustrating process, but you have to check your site in different browsers, different operating systems and different screen sizes.

5 – Build a web site and sit back
I am always astonished at the number of people that think that building a web site is the lifeline their business needs. Pay a few hundred for a website and then they will be run off their feet fulfilling orders.

This is not the case. Just because you pay for a site, this does not mean that it will be an overnight runaway success. With every new site you need to market it. That means promoting it to customers and local marketing, promoting it through social media and article writing, pay per click schemes, optimisation and a whole lot more.

Without marketing, your site is as good as non existent.

If you want to keep up with our latest posts, just follow us on our RSS feed, join our weekly newsletter or follow us over at Twitter. Please do join in - it is totally free and only the best posts are passed to you!

Also, leave a comment below. We are a 'DoFollow' blog, so it is well worth your time. Thanks for calling in.