To XHTML or not: Using valid HTML 4.01 Strict

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Paul

Here's a funny thing....

Some of the most horrible websites in the world (Google?) are the most successful, so sometimes it pays to take a step back from it all and think back to WHY you wanted to start a website in the first place. If you strive to be a web designer then do that, and good on you, but if your mission is simply to get your own website up and running and make money from that then forget the rest and concentrate on the benefits you're going to provide your customers with. Which, ultimately, will come through in your words.

You could have a truly horrible website, but if what you say connects with your customers in the right way then you could do phenomenally well. You could set up a single web page with a terrible design, but if the words are right and your readers connect with your message then you could do 100x times the amount of business than someone else with a grand design and tens of thousands of pages. People miss the obvious sometimes when it comes to this.

It's all about figuring out what people do and where they go when they visit your site. That's what matters when it comes down to it, not all the technical stuff.

Good advice that, I think, even considering it's 3.30am here :)

I would go so far to say it is profound in its simplicity....I need to remember this.

I'm so new to this, and my site will be the central marketing tool, that when I read all this stuff, I get concerned that my site, while looking nice, isn't going to be able to attract the search bots quickly and when they do, I worry they'll get tripped up on all the novice code I've placed. I trust you and feel much better and reassured by your words. I really appreciate them Paul. Thanks so much. No, I have no ideas of becoming a web designer. I just want to build this baby I just birthed into an organization (it's been a 13+ dream of mine) so I'm able to make a difference in as many people's lives as possible. The site is a tool to get me there.

Sometimes it's easier to lose sight of what's important, the forest for the trees so to speak....Thanks again for reminding me of that. :)

3:30AM, huh? Wow....Well, by the time you read this I hope you have had a good night sleep.

Take good care and a joyful day to you!

---Andy