Website design is something that should you should take seriously for a few reasons. A clean and well-designed website will give visitors a positive impression of your company and the services or products that you have to offer. If a customer walks into a traditional retail store only to find that it’s cluttered and dirty, they probably won’t be back any time soon, and they’ll tell all their friends to stay away from there too. The same is true of a website. If your website is poorly set up or is confusing to use it is not likely to see many return visitors. On the other hand, if a website is easy to use and understand and is set up in a way that makes sense, it’s likely to become a favorite stop for Internet shoppers.

The design of the website should be representative of your business philosophy. If your business is of the no-nonsense variety, then the webpage should reflect that; if your business is fun and festive, unleash your inner creative ingénue and queue up those Flash animations. It’s important not to overdo it since this can cause a website to be slow to load which can discourage visitors from sticking around. Staring at the hourglass icon isn’t exactly anyone’s idea of a good time on the internet. Websites for retail businesses should also have clear links to contact information or policies that are important to customers such as returns and exchanges.

It’s important for you to consider what message you are trying to convey with your website. It is possible for your company to market itself based solely on the design of the website. You can be seen as all business, or show a more home-style attitude. Your website can also be designed to showcase a sense of humor if you’re trying to come across as fun loving. Throw in a joke or two if you’d like, but stay away from chicken-crossing-the-road stuff. Regardless of the style, simplicity is the key. Trying to get everything on one page creates clutter, and clutter is bound to prompt visitors to go elsewhere, and you can’t make money off of "elsewhere."

Pop-up windows can be an excellent way for you to direct visitors to a special promotion or product, but too many pop-ups can be aggravating to visitors. Pop-up windows that are difficult to close or that block large portions of the page are a great way to drive customers to a competitor’s website, and they’ll gladly thank you for the business you’ve sent their way. Maybe you’ll even get a gift basket! Although a website should be designed to represent the company or individual behind it, is important to look at it from a user’s perspective. If a visitor has never visited your site before, will they be able to easily navigate to the area they are interested in? If the answer is no, you may want to rethink the design.