In 1996, Flash (originally known as FutureSplash) was developed. At the time, the Flash content development tool was relatively simple compared to now, using basic layout and drawing tools, a limited precursor to ActionScript, and a timeline, but it enabled web designers to go beyond the point of HTML, animated GIFs and JavaScript. However, because Flash required a plug-in, many web developers avoided using it for fear of limiting their market share due to lack of compatibility. Instead, designers reverted to gif animations (if they didn't forego using motion graphics altogether) and JavaScript for widgets. But the benefits of Flash made it popular enough among specific target markets to eventually work its way to the vast majority of browsers, and powerful enough to be used to develop entire sites.

3. RELEVANT AND ORIGINAL CONTENT. Your site should show content that’s relevant to your target market and original. Plagiarism is illegal and penalized by Google. Besides, it’s better to be a first-rate version of yourself than a second-rate version of someone else.

4. CLEAR SITE NAVIGATION. I’ll discuss this further in section two on technical aspects, but know that navigation matters. Any page on your site should be within three clicks of any other page on your site. Your navigation should be intuitive and simple. This helps both Google for SEO and your visitors for navigation.

LAYOUT: This is the way the graphics, ads and text are arranged. In the web world, a key goal is to help the view find the information they seek at a glance. This includes maintaining the balance, consistency, and integrity of the design.

COLOUR: The choice of colours depends on the purpose and clientele; it could be simple black-and-white to multi-coloured design, conveying the personality of a person or the brand of an organization, using web-safe colours.

GRAPHICS: Graphics can include logos, photos, clipart or icons, all of which enhance the web design. For user friendliness, these need to be placed appropriately, working with the colour and content of the web page, while not making it too congested or slow to load.

FONTS:  The use of various fonts can enhance a website design. Most web browsers can only read a select number of fonts, known as "web-safe fonts", so your designer will generally work within this widely accepted group.

CONTENT: Content and design can work together to enhance the message of the site through visuals and text. Written text should always be relevant and useful, so as not to confuse the reader and to give them what they want so they will remain on the site. Content should be optimized for search engines and be of a suitable length, incorporating relevant keywords.

NAVIGATION: Site architecture, menus and other navigation tools in the web design must be created with consideration of how users browse and search. The goal is to help the user to move around the site with ease, efficiently finding the information they require.

MULTIMEDIA: Relevant video and audio stimuli in the design can help users to grasp the information, developing understanding in an easy and quick manner. This can encourage visitors to spend more time on the webpage.

COMPATIBILITY: Design the webpage, to perform equally well on different browsers and operating systems, to increase its viewing.

TECHNOLOGY: Advancements in technology give designers the freedom to add movement and innovation, allowing for web design that is always fresh, dynamic and professional.

INTERACTIVE: Increase active user participation and involvement, by adding comment boxes and opinion polls in the design. Convert users from visitors to clients with email forms and newsletter sign-ups.

Always keep your target audience in mind. Your point-of-view, as a professional, might be very different from that of the user. Pretend you're visiting your website with fresh eyes. Walk through the user's journey as they explore different pages. Focusing on this experience will help you create a user-friendly website.

Websites that don't rank well on Google and other search engines have very little chance of breaking through the noise. As you update your website and add new pages, make sure you're following the most recent SEO guidelines. Your page titles, meta descriptions, and content are all important players in driving better search signals.

2. LAYOUT

Have you seen websites that look like rows of boxes—all different sizes and arranged haphazardly? Would you spend more than two seconds sorting through it? Probably not. That's because cluttered websites are visually confusing; the viewer doesn't know where to direct their attention. A well-organized layout, on the other hand, guides the viewer where you want them to go.

So, where do you want your visitors to go? It depends on the purpose of your website. An e-commerce site will drive visitors to purchase, while a SaaS site might drive visitors towards a demo or a free trial. Whatever purpose your website serves, make it the focal point of your homepage.

3. COLOR SCHEME

Using too many colors will make your website design clash. Colors have strong psychological impact, and they will affect a viewer's opinion of your brand. If you're unsure how many colors to use, the rule of thumb says your design should not use more than three colors. If you're working with a brand palette, you might be able to use more, as long as you balance them well.

Your website's colors should reflect the brand, complement the content, and visually delight viewers. Avoid selecting random colors just based on what you like. Instead, think about the brand and its users. If you have a primary color but don't know how to make color schemes, you can use an automatic color scheme generator to help fill out your palette.

4. TEXT PLACEMENT

Just like the layout, you don't want the design to be cluttered with text. If you have long-form content on the website, create a clean, spacious design that divides the content into readable chunks. You can do that by adding ample white space, using images, and creating proper flow.

If your pages are easy to scan, you have a better chance of luring readers to the bottom. Attention spans are short online, but if you can make your content easy to absorb, readers will get more value from it. In addition to high-quality writing, use headings, bullets, quotes and blocks to emphasize the essentials.

5. SEARCH AND NAVIGATION

Everything on your website should be easily searchable. Whether it's the sign-up form, the "About Us" page, or your contact information, readers should not have to spend more than a few seconds finding it. To make things even easier, include a search box so people can find things that don't align with the page's primary focus.

If your site requires users to sign up, use colors to make the navigation simple. For instance, if your navigation headers are blue, make your sign-up button green or some other color. Organize your content into categories that users can browse if they like. You can also organize content on various hub pages.

6. FONTS

A website that uses five different fonts loses users in seconds because it takes too much effort to read. Too many fonts on the screen can make a website look chaotic and unprofessional. The ideal number of fonts is three: one for main headings, another for sub-headings, and the third for the body text.

Font size has a huge impact on legibility. It's important that they're neither too big (taking up half the page) nor too small (uncomfortable to read). The sizes of your fonts should reflect the importance of each element. For example, section titles and taglines are more significant than the body text, so they're bigger. This helps readers scan the content, too.

7. IMAGES

Too many images will crowd out your message, so use them sparingly and impact-fully. Remember, search engines can't read images very well, so don't rely on them to convey text. If you're using a background image, keep it under 1 MB. Large images slow down your site's loading time.

People think visually, which is why images are so effective. Feel free to use images in your web design, but find ones that are visually attractive, high resolution and not pixelated. Make sure the images you use reflect your brand's personality. Don't forget that you can also use textures and gradients to add visual appeal.

8. MOBILE COMPATIBILITY

57% of mobile users won't recommend a website that's not optimized for mobile. More people are browsing and shopping on mobile devices, and they expect websites to provide great mobile experiences. Invest in responsive or mobile-first design so you don't miss customers during crucial moments.

It's not enough for your website to look good on mobile—it needs to be fully functional as well. Give your mobile users the tools to get things done, such as product search, store locators, service details, and more. If you can seize these opportunities, you won't lose customers who are searching on the go.

9. CONVENTIONAL VS. UNIQUE DESIGN

People are used to certain structures and formats on the web. This familiarity makes it easier for the brain to absorb content and make decisions. Your visitors shouldn't have to be detectives to figure out who you are and what you offer. The power of traditional web design is that users will understand what your website is about with a single glance.

Still, you do want your brand to stand out from the crowd. Be creative, and use elements that make your site unique without disrupting the flow of information. Whether you experiment with moving images, video, or other design elements, try different things and monitor the results. You might be surprised what works.

10. TEST IT OUT

Once you're done designing the site, test it to make sure everything is working correctly. Use multiple devices to navigate your website and see if it's doing what it's supposed to do. A user's experience can vary depending on device type, internet browser, and location. Try to recreate different scenarios so you can catch any bugs or performance issues before they do.

A successful web designer needs to think like a CEO as well as an artist. This will help you view the website with business strategy in mind. Critical evaluation will give you a site that looks good, is user-friendly, and helps the business reach its goals.