Website Design Guidelines
Keeping it Simple Improves Communication and Conversions
There’s an enormous gap between what you CAN do on the web, and what you SHOULD do. These website design guidelines will help you do it RIGHT.
Use small and simple graphics — don't overdo animation — use Flash sparingly.
Be Consistent — logo and navigation should be in the same place throughout site.
Stay away from frames — users like to print pages and search engines may have problems indexing framed pages.
Include HTML title on each page — use subheads — search engines need titles
Limit page length — 500 words of text or 2 "screens" per page is tops
Use white or light backgrounds past the homepage
Avoid horizontal scrolling — page should not exceed 770 pixels
Include a link to your homepage and high-priority pages on every page
Add a site search engine for sites beyond 25 pages.
Add a Site Map for complex sites
Make the site as flat as possible — search engine robots like this!
Provide multiple paths to move around the site
A recent study by Stanford University found that when evaluating the credibility of a website, participants commented on the website design more often than any other feature. They interpreted “looking good” as “being good”.
