Business web pages should NOT have:

(A). SOUND - long download, little or no benefit.

(B). ANIMATION - cute, but again, your customer is long gone before it loads (the exception is small animated GIFs. Emphasis on SMALL). You can search the web for these, or create them yourself with the appropriate software. Also, there is a usenet group that has many resources available, and can even create them for you.

(C). LARGE, BRIGHT-COLORED or MULTI-COLORED backgrounds. A solid grey, beige or tan is recommended. Graphic backgrounds can be used, provided they are small, load quickly, and do not interfere with reading the text. (DO NOT distract the customer from your message. You are trying to sell them something, not decorate their monitor.)

Also, remember that not everyone has the same browser or resolution as you. A page that looks really good on your screen can be hard to read on someone else's. WebTV is especially prone to this. --Stay away from red in the background. It bleeds into the text and can make it nearly impossible to read.

Try to view your page on different computers with different browsers at different resolution. (The library is one place to try. Also, a friend's house.) Remember, this is a business! You are trying to appeal to as many people as possible.

(D). Tiny, hard to read text. I know you have a great message, and wonderful products, but the guy with a small monitor will never know if he can't read it. Keep your description economical. Too many words comes across as a 'hard sell' and turns off many potential customers.