Good layout and design are the most essential elements for a good website after good content. Bad design can lead visitors to neglect even the greatest content. Some websites with excellent content sadly just get a few hits because the design turns off people. If viewers can’t get interested to stay long enough, then the website loses its purpose. Good design can’t be neglected in website development. In terms of website design, good can be a very subjective term. However, a few ground rules do exist for a fundamentally good website design:
Observe simplicity in design. Stuffing a page with so much images, links or columns can make your layout an eyesore (and slower to load,too.) Cramming too much content and features can also confuse the viewer. Make the design simple enough for viewers to easily find and access what they need.
Pick good colours. Poor colour selection can destroy a site making it painful to the eyes. Observe consistency when choosing colours and make sure the colour combinations don’t clash. Text colour and background colour must have a strong contrast.
Be consistent. Every page should share a similar layout theme. Having different layouts in each page doesn’t impress visitors; it only confuses them. Navigating through the site is much easier if the pages have familiar layouts within the site.
Shun Flash intros. Flash intros, also called splash pages, are distractions that only serve to “welcome” visitors. Having to click on flash intros to enter the main page might even turn back visitors. Show visitors some courtesy and lead them to your main content right away.
Avoid background music. Visitors are often irritated by background music. Visitors often close the window rather than having to read content with looping music blaring in the background. If you are insistent on imbedding background music, at least offer visitors volume controls over it.
Provide easy navigation. Easy-to-use navigation is necessary for good website development. Menus and links should be easy enough for an 8-year old to follow. If visitors have trouble navigating, they often never come back to the website.
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