I see my job as a web designer to communicate content in an unobtrusive and complimentary way.

Without interesting content, your site will just be the web equivalent of landfill. If you don't have something to say, don't bother getting a website. The web is just a medium, not an end in itself. So before you even approach a web designer, collect enough content to justify your site's existence.

For a minimal web presence, content may be as basic as contact details and physical location with a few graphics. If all you're after is to widen your existing customer base, then this may be all you need. The thing is, though, that the web can be so much more. You can really add value to your business by providing a little extra. Your customers may be curious about how your business started, who the personalities behind the business are.

Try to get some relevant graphics and photographs (and respect the copyright of others). This isn't radio, so make the most of visuals.

As long as the site is well designed and the customer can easily find the information they are after, adding additional material to the site need not be a distraction - customers with a little more time may want to explore the site more fully, so take the opportunity to tell them more. This isn't TV, where you've only got 30 seconds for you ad - they'll stay as long as they're interested..

And while we're at it, it isn't the print media either. Keep your text short and to the point. People can't read text on a screen as easily as they can on paper, so edit your content ruthlessly. Attention spans are short on the web.

Always ensure that content on your site is up-to-date. Getting a website is not a one-off event, it must be maintained on a regular and ongoing basis. Make sure that someone in your business is responsible for the currency of the website, and that you have access to someone capable of updating the site at all times. Scheduling site updates weekly or monthly may be a good idea.