Whether you are designing a web site yourself or paying someone to do it for you, it's critical that you know at least the basics of web design. Creating the best web site for your company or personal use takes time and a little know-how.

To start, the best advice I can give you is to, "keep it simple." Don't overload your visitors with useless information or graphics that will end up giving someone a headache. Stick to one niche idea or product that you want to give information on or sell. Otherwise, visitors will get confused about your purpose and will end up going to another site.

Though keeping it simple is the best advise I can give you, it is not the only advise I can offer you when it comes to designing a good web site. Rules of web design have been outlined below with a simple description with them. Hope these help you along the way and good luck!

Content is King

When you ask a good web designer the most important rule of design, they will always answer with, "Content is King." Content is always king when it comes to web sites rankings. The more information on one subject and the way it is presented to viewers, the better. Anyone can put together a page or two of useless information, links, photos and/or movies. The sites which truly stand out have useful information or offer a valid opinion using proper or unique presentations with fulfilling content.

Size Does Matter.

The size of the site does matter. Now this doesn't mean you should create pages upon pages of useless information. A minimal web site has 5 pages. Why? This has a lot to do with SEO (Search Engine Optimization) as well as being able to draw your visitors to your site with information. The more information you give to visitors while visiting your site, the better.

Use Photos and Graphics Wisely.

Every web designer will tell you (or should tell you) to include photos into your web site. People browsing the internet today have become bored with just seeing information on a web site. The majority of people viewing web sites want to see a face with name, graphics that navigate through a web site, or movies to support information on subjects you are trying to present your viewers.

However, if you use too many photos or graphics within a web site this can actually hurt you in the long-run. You still need to have information, type, within your web site to let your viewers know what you are selling or expressing your opinions about.

Domain Names.

Deciding which domain name (URL) to use for a web site is a point many people overlook until it's too late. The key to deciding a good domain name is picking a short but direct name. Abbreviations work well too. Honestly, who wants to type a domain name into an address bar that is 20 characters or more, let alone remember one? Choosing a short and direct domain name which describes your company or personal web site can help get visitors to your web site because it will be easy to remember.

Now if it is already too late and you have selected a domain with a long name, don't worry. There are some ways to correct this problem. If you are working with a designer, simply ask your designer if you can choose a shorter name that he or she recommends and have your designer re-direct your current site to your new domain. You can still keep your old domain name for people who have already bookmarked your site. This will cost you some money, but the results of more visitors to your site is well worth it.

Search Engine Optimization.

Search Optimization (SEO) services are crucial to being successful on the internet. Otherwise, no one can find you in search engines. To have the best SEO it will cost some money, but definitely worth it.

Top 4 Search Engines By Ranking:

• Google
• Yahoo! Search
• Bing (Previously MSN Live Search)
• Ask

Test Your Site.

So you have designed a great looking site with plenty of information, so now what. Test your site. Ask friends, family and colleagues to take some time to navigate through your site to make sure it's working correctly. They may find something that you missed such as a broken link or spelling. Then after you have tested the web site, test it again and again and again and again. The point is to make sure the web site actually works, and works in all the major browsers. After all, the look and feel of a good web site reflects the quality of your company.