A Web page is a combination of text, images and sometimes multimedia elements. A Web page can also be described as a mixture of contents, design and interactivity. But most importantly, the Web is a means of communication. It is thus necessary to use and ration all these elements with only one goal, that is to communicate contents. The images, page-setting and HTML code must all be regarded as means to achieve this goal. It is important that the possibilities and limits of this means of communication be understood and taken into account.

A Web site can give rise to high hopes on the part of an organization's members. Having a presence on an information highway where 50 to 100 million users circulate can indeed lead to great expectations. One often expects thousands of visits, with new customers calling every day, and substantial Internet sales with a considerable profit margin. But sometimes, too often, after a few months, hope is replaced by disappointment. The Web site is found not to have delivered the goods. Why? There are many possible causes, but they are seldom technical. More often than not, they are related to the site's contents and management.