One of the biggest problems with “web design” is that website owners put too much importance on a website’s graphic layout. While the aesthetic appeal of a website is certainly important, focusing on “cool” graphics and “flashy” animation instead of the website’s content is commonly the reason why a website’s effectiveness is diminished. When starting a new website, the first question that should be asked is “what percentage of the focus of this project should be dedicated to the graphic layout?” Far too often, the answer to this question ends up being 80% or higher. As a result, you have a pretty site that is launched, but does not have any appeal.

Effective website design takes the entire project into consideration and asks questions such as:

• What is the primary message that this website should convey?
• Does this website require any unique functionality?
• How can this website be customized so as to attract its target audience?
• How can this website be customized so as to be indexed by search engines most effectively?

Although many of these concerns are often overlooked during the design phase of a website development project.