Perhaps your site needs a refresh too. It's not a trivial decision: If your visitors are used to finding information in a certain way or place, reshaping the geography could put them off. The job might take longer than you expect, especially if your site has grown over the years. On the other hand, if the new design makes the site easier to use, the pain may be worth enduring.

If you can't imagine changing your site's look or you need structural ideas, scout the Web. Look for sites that present information in a way that would make sense for you -- and steal the design. If you can't figure out how a particular site works, choose View-Source in Internet Explorer, or View-Page Source in Navigator to see the HTML code that makes it tick.

The Web is also a great place to learn how not to design your site. If you're considering adding Web doodads, take a few minutes to revisit some of the garish, blinking, flashing sites that drive you crazy. More important, observe how frequently designers -- both professional and amateur -- let their enthusiasm get in the way of easy navigation. For the bottom line on what not to do, see Jakob Nielsen's "Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design" at www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html.