Im going to tell you right now owning a good, fun minecraft server is no easy task.It requires hours of work, good people skills and great ideas. Here are some guidelines that should make your server a fun and good rounded minecraft experience:

1. Respect your players
More than once I have seen owners bully and insult there players. This is a big no-no. If you want a great and respected server, you need to show respect yourself.

2. Make Sure You Have a Good Staff Group (or support group)
This is crucial as your staff keep away griefers and spammers. Make sure you have staff on the server 24/7 or whenever your server is up and running. Your staff should also follow guideline 1. Staff and Owner respecting there players is a great motivation to stay and play on a server.

3. Make sure your server is as lag free as possible.
This is VERY important! Lag is one of the number 1 reasons people leave a server. Too much lag= no fun. Make sure your computer or server host has enough ram to support your server populous.

4. Only Use necessary plugins!
One too many times I log onto a server and get stressed by the amount of plugins and commands there are. Keep it SIMPLE! Stick to the plugins that you need to run your server. Less plugins reduces lag and confusion on your server plus It shows you know how to pick the right plugins to run a server.

5. Don't Give Staff Right Away
This is a very important rule as it leads to the downfall and destruction of many servers. GIving staff to people you don't even know is a VERY bad idea. People who ask for staff when they join a server a giant red flag as they are probably there to grief your server.

6. Have a good set of server Rules (and enforce them!)
If you want to own and maintain a good server please make a good set of server rules. This gives guidlines for your players to follow and sets your server apart from others. It also lets your players know you are a serous owner and won't take any silly business from them.

7. Have a server Website
This is a great way for your players to communicate outside of your server. Plus you can post server rules, have a server shop and a server map!

8. Don't push with donations
Please don't do this. Continually asking players for donations is a big no-no. They will most likely get sick of you and leave your server! Over time they will donate if they have fun and donations bring good prizes in game.

9. Don't Give out Items
Doing this makes players think they are above you and can demand anything from you. Don't give them any items unless they have donated or you have stolen from them(which is a BIG no-no).

10. Make a good spawn
A beautiful and organized spawn makes a player more attracted to your server. Clutter causes confusion and generally players leaving. Make sure your server rules are the first thing the player sees plus a brief description of what your server is about. Also please protect your spawn! If its not protected griefers can get to it and cause massive havoc.

11. Actually Play on Your Server
This is a fun and easy way to gain respect from your players. When an owner actually is playing along side the players it makes them feel special and happy.

I hope you server owners out there can use these guide lines to make a better and more enjoyable server.
Best Regards,
WA1D0