Website design is a tricky business and some things work, while others simply don't. Here is a list of website design do's and don'ts that need to be considered before designing a website. 

Website Design Do's

• Keep your website simple!
• Make sure that your website is friendly and visible on a variety of different browsers.
• Keep the structure of your web pages consistent throughout the website.
• Use standard styles for navigating around your website. Remember to keep it simple.
• Site map pages are crucial for all websites.
• It is very important that your titles, company name and logo are clear and easily visible.
• Ensure that your website is user friendly.
• Make sure that the text on the website is relevant.
• Ensure that the website is free from viruses and hackers.
• Make sure that the text on your website is in a printable colour, in other words don't use white.
• Use a familiar location for the navigation tools. This is often on the left and bottom of the screen.
• Remember to use white space when designing a website.
• Text should be justified, as this makes it easier to read.
• When designing a website, remember the "Three Click Rule". This means that your viewers should never be more than three clicks away from what they are looking for.
• Menus and the site structure should enhance the user's search through your site, making it easier for them to find exactly what they are looking for.
• Use good quality images.
• Keep all file sizes small to ensure a quick download time.
• Put the most important information on the first page of your website i.e. the homepage.
• Group together similar information or elements by using the same design. This makes it easier to see that all the content in this group are similar.
• Make the more important information stand out. This can be done by using bigger and bolder headings.
• Break your content into small paragraphs
• It is important that you know your visitors and target market before designing a website.
• Make your site visually pleasing.
• Contact information must be clearly visible.
• Make sure your logo and name show up right away.
• Ensure that there is a call to action. "Call Now", "Buy These" or "Read This".

Website Design Don'ts

• Don't use page counters, they are very amateurish.
• Avoid flashing and spinning text and images. They are old fashioned, distracting to the reader and cause your website to load slower.
• Don't use background music on your website, this makes your page too big to load, causing an increased download time.
• Automatic pop-up windows irritate and annoy your reader. Never use them!
• Don't automatically resize your viewer's browser window.
• Don't use busy background on your website. Ensure that the colour of the background and text compliment each other and don't clash. It can make it very difficult to read if the background and text are either too dark or too light.
• Don't make all your text all or one of the following; bold, upper case or italics.
• Avoid using too many colours on your website.
• Don't fill your website with useless links and irrelevant text.
• Don't underline or make text blue, this should only be used for links. Viewers will become frustrated if they think something is a link when it is not.
• Avoid glitzy and flashy introductions to your website. Most people don't have time for this, and generally click on the "Skip Intro" button.
• Don't use too many images on pages you want people to read.
• Don't use 'under construction" pages rather wait for your website to be ready before posting anything.
• Don't make graphics look like buttons that don't link to anything.
• Don't centre everything on the page.
• Don't mix alignments throughout your page. The best alignment is usually justified.
• Don't get too technical.
• Don't repeat the same information on every page.
• Don't use multiple fonts.
• Don't take control away from the viewer.
• Don't bunch up the text.
• Don't make your pages too wide, so that people have to scroll from left to right.
• Don't go "Link" crazy in your paragraphs.
• Don't say or link to the words "Click Here" rather link to the place they are going to. Link to "About Us" or "Contact Us".