A successful web site design however, should contain some of the following:

• A layout that attracts visitors. This isn’t saying that you should use loud colours or too many graphics. In fact, the simpler, the better. Consider using black or dark blue for your text colour. Avoid using red or yellow as these strain the eyes. Also use colours that can easily be distinguished from the background colour scheme. And use fonts that are easy to read even while scanning. Font size must also be large enough to be read on a “fast clip”.

Ensure that your website can be viewed on different kinds of browsers as well as screen sizes and resolutions.

• Fast loading times make all the difference. There are still a lot of people using dial up internet connections. While the connection speed is beyond your control, you can at least see to it that your site will load as quickly as possible. Consider things like graphics and multimedia content. Are there too many graphics? Are they too large? Do you really need to use Flash?

• Make it easy for people to navigate around the site. Even if people are attracted to your site because of your attractive homepage, this isn’t enough. They should also be able to find their way around the site. Menus that are easy to find and read are a must. Try using both graphics and text links to give visitors an option on how they can reach certain information. For text links, design these in a colour that's distinct from the other text. Remember that different people surf in different ways. Some like to use graphics to retrieve information since these are usually easier to see. Some use texts links as this suits them better. It would be best to have text links as backup, just in case.

• One very important aspect of web site design is having useful information on your site. Since most people will be visiting your site to get information on a product or service for example, make as much information as possible available to them. Write your content in a straightforward, comprehensive manner. Arrange them logically throughout the site. And try to use as many keywords or key phrases as possible as these are what search engines look for. And being easily found by search engines is a big plus.

So do your homework and know what successful web site design involves. This is your ticket to more visitors and hopefully, more sales.