What makes a good webpage? How do you promote it? Interesting questions. I once had a Sailor Moon site all about creating SMoon webpages, but not anymore. Still, I want to share some general tips for your webpages. Remember that these are opinions, but I'm sure many surfers share the same ones.
The Ten Commandments
(Revised for the Internet age)
1. Fast Loading Pages
Don't cram one page full of images and java scripts. The more images on a page, the longer it takes to load, and the closer a surfer gets to leaving. Java scripts are nice, but keep them practical. If I needed to know the time of day, I'd look at a clock, not your webpage. Too many java scripts can really slow down a page, so be careful.
2. Be Organized
If you've got something to say, say it! But don't but a bunch of junk all on one page. Create separate links, and make sure every page has access to other pages.
3. Watch for Broken Links
Don't you hate it when you finally think you've found something, but the link is broken and you can't get into it? Check your site to make sure links work, and ask a friend to check around too.
4. Ah! My Eyes!
Don't, don't, DON'T choose background/text colors that clash! Try to avoid bright colors, stick with light on dark or dark on light. Remember that background images shouldn't be very bright or very large...don't let the background take away from the page.
5. Mind Your Manners
Nobody likes to deal with a sour puss. Don't be egotistical (IE "Welcome to the coolest Tenchi page EVER!!!"). Be polite and act professional, especially when requesting things like link exchanges or to borrow images. Speaking of that...
6. Don't Steal Images!
Always ask before taking images from a site. Most people, if they're following rule #5, will be happy to let you. When they do, download the images, and upload them to your own server. DON'T LINK DIRECTLY TO THE IMAGE! This is considered very rude, and it slows down both of your pages. DON'T DO IT!
7. Be Original
It's no fun to read the same character bios over and over again. Unfortunately, that is what's happening now with anime pages. DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! If you didn't write it, it has no right to be on your webpage. Write your own info, but be sure to include the important facts.
8. Check Your Spelling/Grammar
The number one way to sound like a real idiot is to not use correct English. If you start reading a page with tons of errors on it, you begin to get the impression that this person is kinda stupid and doesn't have a very worthwhile page. Have a buddy you trust proofread your work.
9. Is That Source Reliable?
You can't believe everything you hear. The best way to get info on any anime is to watch it! If you must get info online, check multiple sources who seem to know what they're talking about.
10. Be Original!
People won't stay very long at your page if there's only the same old stuff on every other page! Get your visitors involved...there's tons of creative things you can think of!
Promotional Tips
Join Webrings/Banner Exchanges
A webring links together a bunch of similar web sites. Banner exchanges display a random banner from a rotation. You can see some anime rings on the links page.
Search Engines
Where do you go when you want info? Search engines are a great place. Add yourself to some, but before you do....
Meta Tags
Meta tags are tags in your "head" tag that describe your site and set the keywords so that search engines can find your site easier. You can find directions for Meta tags on any HTML site.
Exchanging Links with Other Anime Web Owners
Most of my traffic comes from links on other anime sites. All you have to do is e-mail the webmaster nicely and request to exchange links.
Signing Guestbooks
Most guestbooks ask for a homepage URL...and anyone who views that guestbook can have access to your homepage URL!
Winning An Award
Some sites offer webpage awards for recognizing a good site. Now don't apply with a site that's hardly even there...it's for recognizing a good site, remember.
An Extremely Short List of Resources
BeSeen (Free Site Goodies)
Link Exchange
HTML Goodies
Java Goodies
Freeservers (Hosting)
Angelfire (Hosting)
Anime Web (Web Graphics)
