people talk about good web design, what is good web design?

Good design is the difference between a site succeeding or failing. Good web design is part of the overall online success.

Is good web design when people like a website because the colours are pretty and the pictures are nice? Of course not.

Too many people believe that all it takes to make a living online is to throw a website together and success is ensured and the big money comes rolling in. Nothing can be further from the truth. Just one look at many of the real success stories on the internet will show a different picture. Take a look at Amazon or eBay and see for yourself how well organized their sites are how much thought has gone into their design, layout and structure and you see that putting a website together requires a little bit more than a few pages and a few haphazard illustrations. 

Of course, a good website design won’t automatically guarantee your success online – for that to happen you will still need a good business idea and a solid foundation on which to build your website in the first place - it will certainly push you further towards the success you seek if your website is a fair representation of your business as a whole. Websites, where so called Web Designers have used a lot of Flash technology and other blinking and moving buttons and pictures don’t make the grade.

Why don’t the really big and successful marketers and website owners use Flash on their sites? If Google or Amazon or Yahoo choose to ignore Flash why should it be good for your website? If your web designer tries to get you to agree to use Flash for your website ask for your money back and find a different company who will make you a website which will work.

Therein is the key to why good design matters. Your website is a reflection of your whole business. If people discover your website and it’s badly put together, unprofessional looking and a mix of ideas that just don’t make the grade, they aren’t likely to get a very good impression of what the business behind the website is like. Your business might be one of the best in its field - but if your site doesn’t show that fact to people, it won’t be a success.

A well designed website also has the ability to make people stay on it for much longer. If it’s easy to browse round then people are likely to do so, and that can mean more sales for you. Good navigation is crucial to a good website - if you don’t have it even the best website can fall down as people get frustrated and go elsewhere instead of struggling to find what they’re looking for.

In short, good design reflects on you and your business. It’s not too hard to obey some simple rules about layout and good design, and by doing so you could increase your business significantly.