If you are thinking about having a web site developed, these resources will be of interest to you. They will help you determine how prepared you are for development of your web site, and they will provide criteria to help you get the best work from your web site designer.

• The Web Site Development Process. If you are in the market for web site for your business or in getting an existing site updated, this will help you get ready for the process. It provides guidelines for selecting the right web designer for your needs.

• Web Site Questionnaire (for Adobe Acrobat Reader). Download and fill out this questionnaire to help you define your web site objectives. Regardless of whom you do business with, the form will help bring focus to your web site project. (Web Site Questionnaire in MS Word format.)

• Search Engines. Search engines are essential to the success of almost all websites, so Dray Design provides some background information and pointers to some useful tools.

• Websites for Artists. Visual artists have under-utilized the Internet as a means of furthering - and deepening - communication with their audience. In part, this is because a lot of the talk about websites is couched in terms meant to intimidate, not communicate. This article strips away the technobabble, and provides down-to-earth, practical guidelines for artists who are considering a web presence. It also provides a look at some artists websites designed by Dray Design.

Useful Books

Don't Make Me Think, by Steve Krug. The book is subtitled "A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability" and it lives up that promise on all counts. Your web site won't be much use to you if your prospective customers can't use it with ease - or won't because it is ambiguous, confusing or badly organized. Clearly written with lots of pertinent illustrations, this is must-read material for web designers, and will be a great help to you in assessing the quality of your web site.