I am not going to sit here and write out a formal post about what is really important to have on a site, or what you should focus on. There are a million articles out there that go into great detail, with all the fancy lingo and correct grammar.

For me, there are a few key things that every website owner should know, whether they like it or not.
More often than not, I see website owners fixated on the most insignificant elements… that should be an after thought. Stop. If this is you, reconsider even running a website.

You should be focused on the essentials that promote a great website, FIRST. Then worry about the minor details and personal details.

1. Content is KING. Bottomline. Doesn’t matter the content, as long as it’s targeted content and your audience does not get lost in what it is you’re offering. Take this blog for instance, sure, it’s a personal site, sure it doesn’t really offer the most award-winning, thought-provoking content. What this blog DOES do, is serve its purpose. It is strictly for entertainment for some, insults for others and every now and then ya get a great tutorial or article.  Usually an article about a technique that I figured out after a ridiculous amount of trial and error… along with googling.

2. No one gives a shit about flashing widgets.   Or, pointless gadgets and features that you’ve manage to find by googling “site widgets.” For the love of god, I thought the whole flashy gadget/image thing would have dwindled out YEARS ago.  Take for instance my widget:  GeekyBitch Widget. Sure, it’s great if you want to serve up some additional content on your personal blog. I am telling you right now, my widget is NOT idea for any sort of business site. One, I have a horrible potty mouth, and I am not afraid to use it on this blog. But my point is, for personal use, it’s fine. Damnit, it’s your personal site, do what you want. Right?  For business use however, LAY OFF THE STUPID WIDGETS.  No scrolling ticklers, or whatever they are called… just clean, organized and professional content.

3. Yes SEO is important. No doubt. But that doesn’t mean you need to “geek out” and demand Web 2.0. In fact, I HATE that term “web 2.0.”  First of all, no one really knows the true definition of what exactly Web 2.0 means.  I have heard a hundered different definitions from “professionals.” Just strike the term from your brain.  Bottom-line: keep structure reserved for XHTML and CSS reserved for design. Think about usability and flexibility. Don’t paint yourself into a wall and don’t opt for the easy way out. If you know what you’re doing, or your Web designer knows what the hell they are doing, then the term “Web 2.0″ won’t even be in your vocab…. since “standards” are already a gimme.

4. Great sites take time. Don’t think for a second you can build out a complete site in a weekend. I think people put the horse before the cart. It does not matter what kind of site you are building, some take more planning than others — but YOU MUST have planning. Period. Plan, plan and fix your plan, then plan again.

That is just a few off the top of my brain, considering it’s been a long week, a long day… and I have no idea why I am not enjoying a night off, rather than rambling. Probably because I have had a long week and a long day — as a result provoking me to rant about a few points. I am sure more will come…

Oh, and here is my disclaimer:  remember, this is my personal blog. A place to rant. A place that I do not have a lot of time to put into practice what I preach.  There is a saying, that escapes memory at the moment, but essentially it translates to this: I am too busy fixing other people’s sites, to fix my own.

Happy publishing. I’ll edit this post later.