First impressions are lasting impressions.

My friend, Doug Emerson, writes a weekly newsletter and a blog! (How do you do it, Doug!?) This week's main article is entitled, "Love at First Sight." The message is that whatever business you are in, first impressions are important and managing first impressions is a business philosophy adopted by the best companies.

It struck me that this is also true for Web sites. Visitors truly are lightning-like in their judgment of you and your business. As I pointed out in my April newsletter, it takes only ten seconds or less for most first- time visitors to your Web site to decide if it is worth their attention.

When I come to a Web site that has five different fonts and colors, makes me scroll down to the core of the Earth, uses big fat blocks of text and pointless animation, makes me work to contact them or traps me in a flash intro, I can't wait to leave. If your Web site does these things, your visitors will be scratching their heads with one hand and clicking away from your site with the other.

Instead - impress them with:

• Intuitive navigation
• Consistent look and feel for each page
• Quick load time
• Up-to-date, useful content
• Text broken up with titles, small paragraphs, bullet points
• Obvious ways to contact your company

If you do this, your visitors will be clicking with one hand and buying with the other.

Do You Think They Are Still in Business?

Here is another little tidbit courtesy of my Mom. If she keeps this up, I'm going to have to put her on the payroll!

While looking at a Web site, Mom noticed the words, "Last updated November, 2003." She asked, "Do you think they are still in business?"

I'll never understand why people put that notation on their Web sites. If your "last update" is out of date, your site gives the impression that your business is no longer active.

Unless there is a specialized reason to do so, why even bring it to their attention in the first place? No one ever assumes that you're too busy to make updates - they just assume the site has no value for them. I have also seen sites where the content is current - for example, event listings - but the "update" date was not changed.

In most cases, it is confusing to the visitor. My advice it to leave it off.

Ker-plunk! An easy way to become an art collector.

I have a passion for all things "retro." I also have a passion for Art and the idea that Art is for everyone to enjoy. This web site takes these ideas to the extreme.

Art*o*mats are retired "retro" cigarette vending machines that have been converted to vend art. There are 76 active machines in various locations throughout the country. Artists from around the world contribute high-quality, small art works which sell for only $5.00 .

This project, which has been going on since 1997, is way beyond cool! Check it out!