Your website is nothing without content – that is, the actual information and services you’re trying to provide. Never skimp on this information in favor of flashy images or layout! While the visuals are very important, your website still won’t be good for your users if it’s all surface and no substance. For this reason you also want to avoid having too many advertisements – or advertisements that are obnoxious.

If you do advertise on your website, not all ads are created equal. No one likes clicking on gaudy, flashing banner ads or pop-up windows – they may be eye-catching, but they’re also aggravating, and could keep users from coming back to your site. You should only use still images and unobtrusive text. That means no moving images, no music that plays by itself, and no invasive advertisements that will bog down your site. This will also help your website load faster for people who have slow connections.

Don’t use splash pages, or other fancy-but-useless gimmicks – all that you’re really doing is making an obstacle that your users need to get past in order to get to the real meat of your site. Ahead of programming any pages, try to “plan out” what it will look like; write down all the information you’re trying to convey before you start building the content (or before you hand it to your writers!) Never take shortcuts for your own convenience if they could inconvenience your customers. You’re organizing for them, not yourself.

Also make it easy for users to navigate throughout your site. This means you should have a convenient menu, like a sidebar, or a set of links at the top of your page, that links to every other page on the site. Make sure this menu also includes a link to your homepage. You can’t rely on a user being able to return with the “back” button; they could end up in the middle of your website from a link or a search engine.

Keeping your site readable is simple. Make sure the color of your text is very different from the color of your background. White backgrounds are best, and if you’re using an image, the text needs to be on a solid-colored portion or it may be unreadable. It’s also important to have your text in a column that isn’t as wide as the page, as it makes it easier for readers to move to the next line. Try reading your site in several different screen resolutions to check that it works in all of them.

Make a page with all of your easy-to-read, up-to-date and accurate contact information. This way, visitors to your website can contact you with questions, concerns, or even corrections. Never forget the contact page if you’re trying to sell something (how else will anyone buy it?), or even if all you’re offering on your site is information – that way, users will sometimes be able to bring you more up-to-date or be a source you never knew you had. Avoid being unaccessible.

Of course, even after you’ve designed a website with all these tips, it will need testing. This is often easiest if you ask someone else to look over your site; what may seem just perfect to you could be confusing for someone else. Get a group with different browsers, operating systems, and computer processors to look over your website! You won’t regret it.

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