[MorganGrayson]

If the index page can be called "the doorway" to the site, the main page is the "hallway." (I like metaphors.)

The most noticeable things on your main page should be your sponsor banners. They should be in the same color tables (borders and background colors) that you used on the main page. It prevents the "head jerking back" reaction of surfers who are subjected to too much stimulous.

It's tempting to make graphic links to your galleries for some, but don't do it. It draws the eye away from your banners. Also, if you've used a graphic logo on the index page and used keywords for the search engine, you might consider just writing the site title in text on the main page. Remember: the banners should totally POP out at the surfer.

My free sites have a touching sameness about them. This doesn't bother the linkmasters to whom I habitually submit, because my sites are very clean...and well...I'm a nice person who doesn't ever break any rules. This is one of those things where your "reputation" as a webmaster is crucial. If the linkmasters begin to recognize your name when you submit and can think "this person *never* changes their site after submission; never breaks my rules; never uses one sponsor's content to push another; etc. and so on" you don't really have to worry about having 15 different templates waiting. I have two standard ones. On one, the linkback buttons are horizontal. On the other, the linkback buttons are vertical. (Same linkback buttons.) My main page always has a top banner, the title and some text - or not, depending on the mood I'm in; a table with the gallery links on the LEFT and a big sponsor banner in a table on the RIGHT.

The left/right thing is important. The eye goes right, and things on the right get clicked more.

I use some large half-page jpgs that I reduce to 80%, and some half page ads that are an OK size unreduced.

The gallery links are *never* just "gallery #1" and "gallery #2." That's a waste of keywords. For a big boobed blonde site, for example, the gallery links could say "Big Boob Blonde Sex Pics Gallery #1" and "Big Boob Blonde Sex Pics Gallery #2." Or "Free" between "Blonde" and "Sex." The other thing I do is put a table data tag in between the two gallery links with height=50 or something to push the two gallery links apart. (I put title tags on just about everything, including gallery and entrance links, just in case the ever-observant spider is reading them.)

Also remember that just because you are allowed three sponsor links per page doesn't mean you have to use three. You can only use two. I've always thought that if you overload the surfer with options his eyes cloud over and he sees nothing.

One animated gif on a page is sufficient. More than that and it seems as if the entire page is zipping around and it's too much.

A word about content:

Don't give the farm away. Most linksites require a minimum of 20 pics, and 20 pics is certainly enough, especially if you're making a hardcore site. I occasionally use 30, 3 galleries, if the pics are softcore. (If they are my own content, I can use any sponsors that I want on the site. If it's sponsor content, think it through. Does the sponsor have *enough* sites for you to promote with that content to justify three galleries? Or...do they have sufficient banners - different banners, allowing you to make your gallery pages look different and interesting - to promote a couple of sites?

I've always prefered making softcore sites. My reasoning is simple: the site is to titilate the surfer, NOT get him off. The whole point of this is to make the sufer get the hell off your site and go to your sponsor, NOT have a merry ol' time with your work.

Always, always remember you're not here to amuse the surfer. The surfer is NOT your "customer." He's NOT your "client." Your sponsor is. When you look at your site, ask yourself "have I done the absolute best that I can for my SPONSOR?"

Up next...how to make interesting, clickable text links to go above and below those banners in the colored tables.