How to create a great website

This one is straight from Seth Godin - and I can't think of a single way to improve upon it.

Here are principles I think you can’t avoid:

1. Fire the committee. No great website in history has been conceived of by more than three people. Not one. This is a dealbreaker.

2. Change the interaction. What makes great websites great is that they are simultaneously effortless and new at the same time. That means that the site teaches you a new thing or new interaction or new connection, but you know how to use it right away. (Hey, if doing this were easy, everyone would do it.)

3. Less. Fewer words, fewer pages, less fine print.

4. What works, works. Theory is irrelevant.

5. Patience. Some sites test great and work great from the start. (Great if you can find one). Others need people to use them and adjust to them. At some point, your gut tells you to launch. Then stick with it, despite the critics, as you gain traction.

6. Measure. If you’re not improving, if the yield is negative... kill it.

7. Insight is good, clever is bad. Many websites say, “look at me.” Your goal ought to be to say, “here’s what you were looking for.”

8. If you hire a professional: hire a great one. The best one. Let her do her job. 10 mediocre website consultants working in perfect harmony can’t do the work of one rock star.

9. One voice, one vision.

10. Don’t settle.

Trip to Eureka Springs

I just got back from visiting Becky Cooper, a client in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Aside from the long drive, the trip was a great opportunity to visit a place I've never been and learn more about my client's local competition and value proposition.

Becky has a very nice, comfortable get-away with custom cabins and cottages. One of the first things that you notice when checking in is the lack of commercialization. There is no glaring sign advertising HBO, no neon vacancy, just cozy looking cabins and lodge. It's also obvious that Becky wants you to enjoy your stay because she takes the time to give restaurant recommendations down to what dishes are best. No wonder that the many comments she receives are not just about the accommodations, which are extremely comfortable, but also about her as a person.

After a great stay we came up with some new ideas for the site that will better cement her unique approach to the business and set her apart from every other competitor on the strip.

One curious thought about the visit however, it was surprising how many merchants, restaurants, and attractions were "cash only." Eureka Springs is a tourist town - that much is very clear. So wouldn't you think you would want to offer your customers every possible way to spend more money?

In particular, there was a really good BBQ place I ate at and it was cash only. I got to thinking how many more people would order dessert if the place took credit cards. How much business was missed? How much would the average sale increase?