You may have noticed that the web is obsessed with lists. This is either something to do with ordering content logically or the autistic genius of its early creators.

But I too now feel the need to make my own list, which I’m grandly calling the Eight Golden Rules of Online Marketing, as I have become weary of seeing them broken.

The reason there are only eight, is mostly because I couldn’t think of anymore, or none at least of a great enough magnitude. Although eight is of course a round number in a binary world.

Rule 1. The Internet is not television. In fact even television is not television anymore with the new breed of digital on-demand services, but the addition of a red button, can’t come close to the control the on-line audience has over what it consumes. TV viewers are still, largely, a captive passive audience, web users are not.

Rule 2. Self-indulgence won’t be tolerated. Cut to the chase fast when delivery your proposition. Unless you are actually called Norman Foster or Saatchi, leave pretentious stuff out, or confine it to the 'About Us’ page. And for those that still thing quirky logo animation and long winded splash introductory pages are still cool please see rule 1.

Rule 3. Trust is essential and easily lost. To transact with someone you’ve never met, potentially in another country, takes a lot of faith. Brands need to build faith with every interaction, being open and transparent about what is going to happen to a user before every click.

Rule 4. Don’t get in the way of content. Content is king and the sites with the best content attract the most traffic, which makes them worth advertising on. Don’t bugger this up. Any form of interruptive advertising such as pop-ups, overlays, or interstitial ads will damage your brand. See rule 1.

Rule 5. Not everyone is using IE6 on a PC. Your online experience is determined by the kit you’re using to surf. Assume a lowest common denominator approach when choosing sexy technology platforms to deliver brand messages. A good percentage of the world is now free from Microsoft and your brand will look stupid if you’ve not realised this.

Rule 6. Don’t trick anyone into visiting your website. Always give people what they were expecting. Banners that carry fake buttons to gain click-throughs by mistake or AdWord ads that bear no relation to the search term serve only to break rule 3.

Rule 7. Usability is the brand experience. If your site annoys or frustrates its visitors they will tell their friend or blog about how useless your site is. Good usability is a good brand experience.

Rule 8. Offline marketing rules apply too. People have been selling stuff to other people for years; even before the internet! Many of their offline brand marketing theories are still valid, even in a digital world.