A good designer should be a facilitator to help you showcase what you're all about. If you're going it alone, this is where I'll store some 'how-to' missives. Telling your story in a fun or attractive way is the goal. Beware of cheesy little animal drawings and big blinking buttons.

If something I write here strikes a chord and I find fewer dancing kittens or burping mailboxes out there, my contribution has been worthwhile. When in doubt, ask for help! I'm serious here.

Bottom line: my ideas won't really matter when it comes to your website. Just avoid thinking of your web pages as 'buckets for information.' That school of thought goes into most newspaper, radio and direct mail ads you see. You want the most out of your budget, so you're tempted to cram everything you can in there. Tell them everything. If they really want to do business with you, they'll find the information they need if they look hard enough. If it doesn't help tell your story, leave it off the page.

As a small business owner, you are best prepared to tell your story. But unless your business is a lot like mine, ask for help when you need it. I'll be here when you're ready.