Web design, when done properly, is a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, when it’s done really well, it goes practically unnoticed by users of the site or industry outsiders. But it is noticed by the people who matter -- namely those business owners who love seeing increases in web traffic and decreases in bounce rates.

Want to see happy clients? Focus on these three key elements of website design before and during the entire process:

#1 - Usability

Making a website easy for a person to navigate should be the number one goal of any web designer. If a page isn’t user friendly, potential readers or customers will leave -- it’s as simple as that. The page has to make sense immediately because most users are looking for something specific -- if they can’t find it, why stick around when there are a million other options for them out there?

Consider usability when designing your website at all times, and focus on it intently when creating the main navigation.

#2 - Establish the Client’s Brand

Branding is critical in every component of marketing and so it is in website design, too. Good page design supports the brand through usage of logos, colors, fonts and more -- the overall look of the site should reflect who the company is, and what they do, with absolute clarity.

If you’re concerned that the site design doesn’t achieve this goal, have a friend or coworker who is unfamiliar with the client try to give a general overview of the website, but only let them look at the homepage for five seconds.

If they can’t tell you what the company does, you need to make serious changes to the overall design. If they can, you’re probably on the right track.

#3 - A Unified Look

When a web page perfectly marries of all of the design elements, from the font to the logos, it’s a match made in heaven -- when it doesn’t, the page is headed for divorce. A good designer will use the established branding of a company and combine it with logical stylistic elements that support it through and through.

Keep in mind, there must be a reason for everything on the page or else it probably shouldn’t be there.