Part 2 : Counters, being clever, and spam

What are your thoughts on counters on Web pages?
Only amateurs use counters. Your Web hosting service should be providing you with log files and these files will show you not only how many visitors have been to your site, but also provide more detailed information about what pages people are and are not visiting. Of course, you'll need software to analyze these files, but many hosting services offer such software as part of their services.

Can a website be both effective and artistic at the same time?
It takes a really great designer to create an effective and artistic site. It's very, very tough.

Are certain types of Web design becoming cliché?
I don't know how much design is a cliché today. For example, movie and music sites have to look a certain way - it's a clichéd look, but they're expected to look that way. Amazon has to look like Amazon and that look is a cliché.

Why are you a sucker for clever? And what does "clever" represent to you?
I think there's something in my genes that makes me a sucker for clever. Clever is best described by LechtersOnline -- you click on the Mystery Meat Navigation icons on the bottom of the page and the middle section scrolls. It's totally useless and worthless, but it's clever. Somebody spent a lot of time trying to create a navigation system that just doesn't work.

Talking about clever, what do you feel about the "spam-marketers" and do you think they will wise up?
You can't print how I feel. Will spammers wise up? Not until the cost of sending spam outweighs the return. I just got some spam that said I could buy 149 million e-mail addresses for US$149. Since it costs about a dollar to send out one direct response mail piece (before the recent postal increase) I could send only 149 pieces of mail versus 149 million pieces of e-mail spam. Hmm. There's no way spam is going to go away when the risk/reward ratio is so out of whack.

Finally, when is Fixing your Website going to be up and running?
Real soon now and basically, it's going to provide suggestions on how to fix your website.