The following article is meant as guide to basic issues on web site designing.
Integrate graphics with your layout. Graphics when used as actual elements in your layouts bring a more integrated and thoughtful look to your web site. Remember to treat all images as layout elements, and design the site around that. (colors, shapes, subject matter). The following site provides good examples of web design.
Always use standardized layouts. The standard 3-column design is currently the most used layout style on web site, and with good reason as it works. While it may look boring and overdone, keeping things simple and intuitive is preferable for your readers. You certainly do not want to drive traffic away simply because they had to scroll up, down, left and right to read the content.
Serif or Sans-Serif? This is a personal choice and it has been noted the change in font style tastes over the years. But in general Serif fonts are easier to read, while Sans-Serif appears "cleaner". Consider a combination of both, Serif for titles and headings, and Sans-Serif for the content.
Limit the number of font styles . Always limit your selection of fonts to no more than 3 different font families. It helps to create a standardized and professional look to your page.
Search engine optimization. A web site is useless without traffic. Be sure to always use the current accepted methods of writing clean search engine optimized code. This includes writing unique title and description tags for each page, as well as original content. If this is overwhelming, consider hiring a search engine optimization expert. This page also provides good SEO tips.
Search engine marketing Another method for driving traffic would be Pay Per Click (PPC) programs such as Google Adwords. Bear in mind though, that this can get very expensive in the long run if you aren't converting your traffic into customers.
Optimize image size. Be sure to optimize your image size. There is nothing more annoying that waiting for an image to load.
Use animation and blinking graphics sparingly. Studies have shown that flashing and moving graphics distract and annoy viewers. While this is a personal preference issue, it's a good thing to keep in mind and use these sorts of graphics only sparingly.
Test your pages in multiple browsers. This is a crucial point. There are many irregularities between browsers in the way it parses the HTML and CSS codes. Just because it looks one way on Internet Explorer does not mean it will look exactly the same on Firefox. It is important to create cross browser compatibility. There are also differences between operating systems, i.e. differences in IE for PC and MAc, so be sure to check those whenever possible.
Feedback and content. Listen to any feedback from your audience and write good solid relevant content. This is crucial in creating a site that lasts. Sites that have minimal or duplicated content do not usually rank high for any sort of keywords.