I agree....be patient and as UW said, expect quality from the start and don't put too much demanding rules in place, but don't make sacrifices either. You're going to be doing some long hours at times and this is definitely not a short-term success, so be prepared. I've designed a few link sites for clients and its been interesting to see how they go with their sites...I've been doing this for many years but its still a learning process even for the experienced. I've tried a few ideas but still need to make adjustments to make things easier for the surfer (many prefer's click and you're there kind of thing). IF it's a link list you are after, it should be a simple design and when a surfer comes in to your site, they should have it easy to find everything.
SEO is (as mentioned by UW) is an absolute must have and again, this is not a one time job, its an ongoing battle...especially when dealing with Google. The best traffic will always be from the Search Engines.
Another good thing is plan your link list well in layout but mostly for the categories and sections....I agree, "you don't want to have to make big structure changes later" in time...its a pain in the royal ass and if you focus on SEO, you will have screwed yourself for a long time, only to rebuild yet again. I've learned that one myself in the past.
Good luck and be creative!
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